Tenor Jeremy Dutcher mixes ancient and new via the Chan Centre, September 25
The Polaris-winning opera star has made a name reimagining the traditional songs of his Indigenous ancestors
A digital production presented by the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, online from September 25.
IF YOU HAVEN’T heard Jeremy Dutcher’s incomparable fusion of classical opera, Indigenous tradition, and contemporary strains, you’re in for a treat.
A member of the Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick, Dutcher was raised at home with a mother who still spoke the Wolastoq language. After later operatic training, he spent uncountable hours at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau listening to the 1907 wax-cylinder recordings of his people’s songs. His response to that music resulted in the album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, which rightfully earned him a 2018 Polaris Music Prize.
Here's a chance to hear what the fuss is about--an almost indescribable meld of deeply expressive singing and piano playing, anchored in traditions and spirituality that trace back thousands of years. His virtual event is presented in collaboration with UBC’s Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery and the UBC School of Music as part of Soundings: An Exhibition in Five Parts.
Janet Smith is an award-winning arts journalist who has spent more than two decades immersed in Vancouver’s dance, screen, design, theatre, music, opera, and gallery scenes. She sits on the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle.
Related Articles
Featuring artists from Laura Ortman to Jesse Zubot and Pura Fé, Improvised Arts Society event spans cello looping, crocheting with music, and an Indigenous banquet
Diverse performances mark the venue’s 75th anniversary
Members have individually collaborated with everyone from Brian Eno to Tool to Mr. Mister, and owe their connection to King Crimson’s Robert Fripp
More than a dozen top piano students, plus Chilliwack virtuoso Clinton Giovanni Denoni, are set to perform as soloists
Dance-themed lineup features performances by 2023 Concerto Competition winner Maya Kilburn, Hungarian-born violist Máté Szücs, and more
The concert tour features excerpts from Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, and more
Together, groups perform Niel Golden’s Hindustani-driven premiere, as well as Moshe Denburg’s Ani Ma-amin and Farshid Samandari’s Asheghaneh
Coastal Jazz & Blues Society will present the artists in a variety of festival events, including public talks, workshops, performances, and more
Standing O, as British pianist launches concert series with a carefully considered performance that moves from youthful playfulness to fatalistic angst
Event’s 47th annual edition will open with Côte d’Ivoire singer Dobet Gnahoré, and close with JUNO and Polaris prize-winner Jeremy Dutcher