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Description

Join us for an afternoon talk with Canadian curator Riva Symko.

In this lecture, Symko provides an overview of her own professional practice in order to think through some of the broader curatorial shifts of the past decade and a half. She considers recent curatorial methodologies as a series of relationships that have moved from sites of knowledge, to practices of opportunity, to spaces of care.

Symko is a 2025 faculty member for Early Career Banff Artist in Residence (BAiR)—a transformative five-week residency that provides mentorship, critical feedback, and studio time to visual artists and curators in the early stages of their careers.

This event is part of the Visual Arts Open Lecture Series, which presents talks by leading Canadian and international artists, curators, and academics.

Visual Arts is supported by the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Outstanding Artist Program.

Riva Symko
Page Summary
Curator Riva Symko uses her own professional practice as a jumping-off point to explore broader curatorial trends from the last decade and a half.
Exhibition
No
Free
Yes
Donation
Off
Banff Centre Artist/Practicum/Staff Only
Off
Licensed
Off
Performance Date
Date
Extra Description

4-5:30 PM

Description

The Handmaids Tale
Composed by Poul Ruders Libretto by Paul Bentley
A new arrangement by Dan Schlosberg, commissioned by Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Presented under license from G. Schirmer, Inc. o/b/o Edition Wilhelm Hansen, copyright owners. 

Kamna Gupta, Conductor
Brenna Corner, Director
Amanda Testini, Assistant Director
Gillian Gallow Set, Designer
Jessica Oostergo, Costume Designer
Sophie Tang, Lighting Designer
S. Katy Tucker, Projections Designer
Anastasia St. Amand, Intimacy & Fight Coordinator
 

A right-wing theocracy, a burning planet, and resistance against all odds.

The operatic adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s chillingly relevant dystopian classic comes to the stage in the fully realized world premiere of a chamber arrangement by acclaimed pianist Dan Schlosberg, commissioned by Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and performed by Interplay faculty and participants.

This staging of The Handmaid’s Tale marks the culmination of a month-long residency bringing together opera singers, répétiteurs, chamber musicians, stage directors, stage managers, conductors, prop builders, and wardrobe technicians. It provides early-career opera, music, and theatre professionals the unique opportunity to work on a fully produced opera with a world-class creative team, including conductor Kamna Gupta and director Brenna Corner.

In Dan Schlosberg we trust. He is the musical mastermind behind Heartbeat [Opera]’s daring arrangements, and his work is always intriguing.” — New York Times

Dan Schlosberg [is] perhaps the wittiest arranger of his generation.” — Observer


Content Advisory:

This opera closely follows the themes and narratives of the original novel with imagery and scenes of sexual and physical violence reflective of the dystopian setting (including depictions of rape and hanging). Viewer discretion is advised. For a full list of content notes please contact Audience Services.

Interplay is made possible through the generous support of the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund and the Yolande Freeze Master Artists in Music Fund.
Banff Centre is in partnership with the Music in PyeongChang.

 

White hat and hands holding circular flower in the Handmaids Tale Illustration
Page Summary
The operatic adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s chillingly relevant dystopian classic comes to the stage in a world premiere chamber arrangement by Dan Schlosberg.
Exhibition
No
Free
No
Donation
Off
Banff Centre Artist/Practicum/Staff Only
Off
Licensed
Off
Age Restrictions
Age 14 +
Event Tags
Performance Date
Date
Audience View Micro Site URL
https://tickets.banffcentre.ca/Online/mapSelect.asp?BOset::WSmap::seatmap::performance_ids=415F22E5-DA35-47AF-A55D-B0AB52D10016
Extra Description

Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes
Intermission: 15 Minutes

Description

The music of Canadian-American composer Karim Al-Zand draws from a wide pool of influences, including graphic art, myths, folk music, film, spoken word, jazz, and his own Middle Eastern heritage. In a protean catalogue of solo, chamber, vocal and orchestral compositions, his work embraces a variety of interests, issues, and approaches.

Enjoy selections from his catalogue performed by the participants and faculty of the Interplay program, which celebrates the convergence of opera and chamber music, bringing together composers, musicians, singers, and more.

Interplay is made possible through the generous support of the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund and the Yolande Freeze Master Artists in Music Fund.
Banff Centre is in partnership with the Music in PyeongChang.

Karim Al-Zand
Page Summary
Enjoy selections from Canadian-American composer Karim Al-Zand’s sweeping catalogue, performed by the participants and faculty of the Interplay program.
Exhibition
No
Free
Yes
Donation
Off
Banff Centre Artist/Practicum/Staff Only
Off
Licensed
Off
Event Tags
Performance Date
Date
Audience View Micro Site URL
https://tickets.banffcentre.ca/Online/mapSelect.asp?BOset::WSmap::seatmap::performance_ids=EA6DE08A-E5EB-4006-8100-12A6084CA404
Description

Join us for an afternoon talk with Canadian artist Jerry Ropson.

Through an exploration of rural life, material reuse, and site-specificity, Ropson’s artistic practice transforms personal narratives into shared allegories, layering objects and spaces with ritual and resonance. In this talk, Ropson unpacks the tension between vulnerability and preservation, revealing how chance, intuition, and storytelling shape his installations and creative process.

Ropson is a 2025 faculty member for Early Career Banff Artist in Residence (BAiR)—a transformative five-week residency that provides mentorship, critical feedback, and studio time to visual artists and curators in the early stages of their careers.

This event is part of the Visual Arts Open Lecture Series, which presents talks by leading Canadian and international artists, curators, and academics.

Visual Arts is supported by the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Outstanding Artist Program.

Jerry Ropson
Page Summary
Canadian artist Jerry Ropson speaks to his practice and its exploration of rural life, material reuse, and site-specificity.
Exhibition
No
Free
Yes
Donation
Off
Banff Centre Artist/Practicum/Staff Only
Off
Licensed
Off
Performance Date
Date
Extra Description

4-5:30 PM

Description

Your favourite arias and ensembles are on tap at this casual, wild night, featuring performances from the faculty and participants of Interplay—an innovative program that celebrates the convergence of opera and chamber music, bringing together composers, musicians, singers, and more.

Opera Pub is the perfect introduction for newcomers, and a refreshing new take for opera vets who want something a little different.

Interplay is made possible through the generous support of the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund and the Yolande Freeze Master Artists in Music Fund.
Banff Centre is in partnership with the Music in PyeongChang.

Opera Pub
Page Summary
The perfect introduction for opera newcomers—and a refreshing new take for fans wanting something a little different.
Exhibition
No
Free
Yes
Donation
Off
Banff Centre Artist/Practicum/Staff Only
Off
Licensed
Off
Event Tags
Performance Date
Date
Description

A part of Banff Centre Celebrates, a fundraiser in support of Banff Centre. Learn more about fundraising tickets here.

On the joyous occasion of the 100th birthday of beloved Canadian national treasure, Dr. Oscar Peterson, C.C., The Estate of Oscar Peterson and Banff Centre are proud to come together for a dazzling and unforgettable evening of music. Since his first jazz workshop in 1974 (co-led with Phil Nimmons, O.C.), Peterson's relationship with Banff Centre is deep and legendary. That workshop became an annual event and in five decades, evolved into the renowned Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music.

Banff Centre will celebrate this history as well as the legacy of Oscar Peterson with some of the most dynamic names in jazz music today: pianists Robi Botos, Taurey Butler and RINA, guitarist Jocelyn Gould, bassists Brandi Disterheft and Dr. Dave Young, C.M., drummer Mark McLean, vocalist Caity Gyorgy and Oscar’s daughter Céline Peterson, who will emcee for the evening.

Featuring originals and classic jazz standards from throughout Peterson's near seven-decade career, this concert is perfect for the most avid fan or a newcomer to jazz.

Oscar Peterson
Page Summary
A dazzling and unforgettable evening of music celebrating 100th birthday of Oscar Peterson.
Exhibition
No
Free
No
Donation
Off
Banff Centre Artist/Practicum/Staff Only
Off
Licensed
Off
Event Tags
Performance Date
Date
Audience View Micro Site URL
https://tickets.banffcentre.ca/Online/mapSelect.asp?BOset::WSmap::seatmap::performance_ids=44AD78AB-FDC7-454B-8669-459B4F5F11D3
Description

This evening's concert presents an exploration of sonorities in chamber music, demonstrating the genre's remarkable versatility and expressive power. Similar instruments unite to achieve unmatched richness; contrasting timbres combine to create something altogether new. Through juxtapositions and playful exchanges of voices, the dialogues between the Interplay musicians range from the nuanced to the sublime.

Franch-Ballester played with technical wizardry and tireless enthusiasm.” — The New York Times.

One would be hard pressed to find anyone who better embodies the spirit of drumming than Aiyun Huang… Her approach pushes percussion playing to the point that it becomes a kind of theatre.” — The WholeNote

Interplay is made possible through the generous support of the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund and the Yolande Freeze Master Artists in Music Fund. Banff Centre is in partnership with the Music in PyeongChang.

Left to right: Aiyun Huang, Jose Franch-Ballester, Cristina Gómez Godoy, Joel Brennan.  Photos courtesy of the artists.
Page Summary
Witness the premiere of dynamic new chamber music compositions at this concert featuring percussionist Aiyun Huang and clarinetist Jose Franch-Ballester.
Exhibition
No
Free
Yes
Donation
Off
Banff Centre Artist/Practicum/Staff Only
Off
Licensed
Off
Performance Date
Date
Audience View Micro Site URL
https://tickets.banffcentre.ca/Online/seatSelect.asp?BOset::WSmap::seatmap::performance_ids=BA145F94-3AB3-4C23-B235-F8919884B8FB
Description

Saskatchewan-based artist Leah Marie Dorion shares the backstory behind her various creative projects involving Métis culture and its relationship to family kinship, identity, and the land. She’ll discuss how she thinks about balancing her artistic impulses with her responsibility to offer accurate representations of Métis children and families.

Leah Marie Dorion is a Métis writer and visual artist. Her artwork celebrates the strength and resilience of Indigenous women and families. A published children's book author and illustrator, she’s currently working to develop Métis early years resources for children and families. She has also participated as a mentor and lead artist for the Mann Art Gallery Indigenous Residency Project. Visit www.leahdorion.ca for more information about her artistic practice.

Facilitated by Janine Windolph, Director of Indigenous Arts at Banff Centre, the session includes a presentation by Dorion, followed by a discussion and a Q&A. This conversation will be live streamed and will also be recorded and shared following the event. Sessions may share experiences and ask difficult questions.

About the Decolonizing the Narrative Conversation Series

The Decolonizing the Narrative Conversation Series is a bi-monthly conversation session inviting leading Indigenous Art creators to discuss their practices and processes. The series engages an Indigenous lens across various art forms, including Literary Arts, Film and Media Arts, Digital Media, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts such as Theatre, Dance, and Music. These sessions offer a space to explore and deepen your understanding of how Indigenous artists use their disciplines as tools to decolonize artistic processes and creation.

Headshot of Leah Marie Dorion
Page Summary
Saskatchewan-based artist Leah Marie Dorion shares the backstory behind her various creative projects involving Métis culture.
Exhibition
No
Free
Yes
Donation
Off
Banff Centre Artist/Practicum/Staff Only
Off
Licensed
Off
Performance Date
Date
Extra Description

Optional Smudge at 6:45 PM

Can’t make it in person? The talk will be live-streamed so you can watch from anywhere. Please register to receive the webinar link.  

Register for Webinar Now  

Description

Showcasing a wide-ranging selection of works from the past hundred years, this program highlights the remarkable versatility of Interplay musicians. Featuring compositions that require both vigorous technical prowess and delicate emotional nuance, the program celebrates the dynamic range and adaptability of modern chamber music.

Interplay is made possible through the generous support of the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund and the Yolande Freeze Master Artists in Music Fund. Banff Centre is in partnership with the Music in PyeongChang.

Image of the Garneau String Quartet
Page Summary
Embark on a journey to the modern edge of chamber music.
Exhibition
No
Free
Yes
Donation
Off
Banff Centre Artist/Practicum/Staff Only
Off
Licensed
Off
Performance Date
Date
Audience View Micro Site URL
https://tickets.banffcentre.ca/Online/seatSelect.asp?BOset::WSmap::seatmap::performance_ids=718BAC4C-D995-4D02-9AC5-D111F8D8A093
Description

One of the masterpieces of Baroque sacred music, Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. Matthew Passion uses a gorgeous weave of arias and chorales to recount Jesus’s final days.

Join us for excerpts from the oratorio performed by the participants and faculty of the Interplay program, which celebrates the convergence of opera and chamber music, bringing together composers, musicians, singers, and more.

Written in 1727 with a libretto by Picander, the St. Matthew Passion is one of only two Bach Passions to have survived in its entirety. Described by Felix Mendelssohn as “the greatest of all Christian works,” it's both historically significant and deeply moving.

Interplay is made possible through the generous support of the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund and the Yolande Freeze Master Artists in Music Fund.
Banff Centre is in partnership with the Music in PyeongChang.

Title page of Bach's St Matthew Passion autograph score and portion Original Composition
Page Summary
This masterpiece of Baroque sacred music uses a gorgeous weave of arias and chorales to recount Jesus’s final days.
Exhibition
No
Free
Yes
Donation
Off
Banff Centre Artist/Practicum/Staff Only
Off
Licensed
Off
Event Tags
Performance Date
Date
Audience View Micro Site URL
https://tickets.banffcentre.ca/Online/mapSelect.asp?BOset::WSmap::seatmap::performance_ids=A28BD8EA-A562-4DBC-B3E5-699E294B9C41
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