The Banff Centre is celebrating the lasting contribution of Tom Rolston, who passed away on May 29, 2010, in Vancouver. A towering figure in the development and mentorship of musicians from across Canada, Tom spent almost 40 years at the Centre, creating a unique, year-round residency program that allowed young musicians to access world-class faculty, and gave them endless opportunities for practice and performance. With his wife, Isobel Moore Rolston, Tom created The Banff Centre’s music program as it is today, becoming one of the Centre’s master builders — his talent and dedication will have a long-lasting effect on the arts and culture in Canada.
Setting the music free: The Rolston Legacy
(Reprinted from The Banff Centre Report to the Community, Summer 2004)
If walls could talk, Isobel Moore Rolston’s office in the Music & Sound building would tell the stories of hundreds of musicians whose lives were forever changed in these mountains. A myriad of pictures — from candid snapshots to glossy publicity stills, including portraits of legendary performers and up-and-coming talent — poster three walls in her office.
The Gryphon Trio, Jon Kimura Parker, Krzysztof Penderecki, The St. Lawrence String Quartet, Hugh Fraser, Jens Lindemann, and many others. It’s an impressive array of Canadian and international talent. “It’s very gratifying when they keep in touch,” says Isobel looking at the photos.
This fall, after an almost 40-year association with the Centre, Isobel, artistic director/executive producer of Music & Sound, and Tom Rolston, director of Summer Music Programs, will retire.
The Rolston era began in 1965 when then director of The Banff School of Fine Arts, Senator Donald Cameron, invited Tom to teach at The Banff Centre. Over the years, Tom began shaping summer music programs, gradually expanding and raising the quality of what was being done so that Banff “became more and more professional and artistic,” Tom says.
It’s no secret he has long been opposed to institutionalized learning for artists whom he says move from “one box to another box” in the pursuit of marks or degrees. His wife admits Tom has always been a bit of a rebel. “I agreed with his ideas,” she says. “If you’re always grappling with [bureaucracy], then you have to do it another way.” The Centre way is to allow each artist to determine the shape and scope of their learning experience.
A turning point in the history of the Rolston’s career, and The Banff Centre, came in 1977 when Tom and David Leighton, who was then president of the Centre, went for a walk along the Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course. “What (can) we do to really help the artists?” they pondered as they set out on their walk.
A new vision was born. They determined that money and a supportive infrastructure were needed to “free” the artists and to attract high-quality musicians. Thanks to the wisdom of then Premier Peter Lougheed, Leighton secured the required financing and in 1979 Tom became the first director of the Centre’s new year-round program for advanced studies.
“Banff is unique,” says Tom. Banff presents its musicians with an opportunity to really explore, and discover themselves. The mirrors in every studio and rehearsal space are an important part of the Banff experience. “The mirror lets you test yourself,” explains Tom. “The artists are in search of who they see in the mirror. It’s their biggest asset, but it’s also their biggest threat.”
“At Banff we have taken away all the excuses,” he continues. Meals, accommodation, instruments, and rehearsal space are all provided for the artists. “We give them an И la carte menu,” he adds and each person chooses the items that are right for him or her. “No two people should be doing exactly the same thing.”
As a result, success at The Banff Centre looks different for every participant. Some continue on the same path, others break from old relationships to form new musical partnerships, and some switch gears altogether, opting for careers that may, or may not, include music. Isobel says many musicians see The Banff Centre as an oasis. “Banff is a place they can come back to, to satisfy their hunger, their thirst.”
What are the Rolston’s departing thoughts?
“I hope that the philosophy stays the same; to help musicians at an important time in their careers,” says Isobel.
“I will not be on guard for the future, we’re going to have to let it fly freely,” answers Tom. “But the central core of what we do I hope will never change.”
