April 1, 2012  8pm

SFU Woodward’s at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts

Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre

Turning Point Ensemble presents a blockbuster, genre-busting program that explores the connections between the worlds of jazz and classical music in the early 20^th century and the present day.

The music of Duke Ellington and Igor Stravinsky, arguably the two most influential musicians of  the first half of the 20^th century, at times reveals uncanny similarities.  Turning Point presents Ellington’s “The Clothed Woman” and “On a Turquoise Cloud” in arrangements by Fred Stride alongside Stravinsky’s  “Tango”,  “Pastorale”,  and “Octet”.  Jazz vocalist Jennifer Scott joins the ensemble to perform both Ellington and Stravinsky.

In a major event connecting Vancouver and New York City, we are delighted to present a premiere from two-time Grammy nominated jazz musician Dave Douglas,  arguably the most prolific and original trumpeter/composer of his generation.

The program is completed with a new commission by one of  Canada’s most versatile and highly-esteemed jazz musicians, Vancouver’s multi-instrumentalist/composer Brad Turner.

$38 Adult, $35 Senior, $10 Student

Playhouse Box Office Hours  Monday – Friday, 9:30am – 8pm

Book tickets online  or by telephone at  604 873 3311 or in person at The Playhouse Box Office, Hamilton at Dunsmuir Payment Type: Cash, VISA, M/C, AMEX

Presented in partnership with

Generously supported by

 Arts Fact Foundation

There supposedly are more self-described “artists” per capita in Vancouver than any other Canadian city, and frankly, I can’t think of a better measure of success for a civic government than attracting art-makers to be resident. The challenge for us as artists and as a community of art-makers and appreciators is to make accessible art that raises our individual and collective level of understanding and empathy towards each other, locally, nationally, and internationally.

Turning Point’s Colourful World presentation is striving to do that in several ways – firstly – bringing to Vancouver for the first time large-scale, ambitious work by local and international creators (e.g. Claude Debussy, Rodney Sharman, Toru Takemitsu, Michael Bushnell) who are recognized by colleagues in their fields for their imagination and craft – and to bring forth music that inspires curiosity and unpredictability so that we can share together the thrill of exploration. And then together, we can compare what we knew before the concert with what we know after – and feel invigorated, more emotionally and intellectually intelligent, and part of a community who share a peak experience with which we move forward together.

Please join us next week for our exciting concert next week at SFU Woodwards- so proud to be part of an incredible festival of art makers from multiple disciplines under the PuSH Festival umbrella.

- Jeremy

All of this is suggested by the scenario for the ballet, which involves a man and two women, flirting in a park, with constantly shifting moments of passion, jealousy, and coquetry. In the end there is a triple kiss (scandalous!), and then they all run away. Debussy, while claiming not to like the scenario, was clearly inspired by the plot. In the rehearsal score, the choreographer, Vaslav Nijinsky, has carefully written all the important points of the plot at their corresponding point in the music, so we can hear exactly how carefully Debussy followed the scenario.

The choreography was not a success, though. A attempt at reconstruction can be found on YouTube. The score has had orchestral performances, but rather infrequently, perhaps because of the large orchestral forces required. It may never have been performed in Vancouver. My arrangement, for a chamber orchestra, loses some of the power of the large orchestra, (we don’t have a sarrusophone, which Debussy’s score calls for!), but allows listeners to hear some of the intimate orchestral detail which gets lost in a large auditorium. I can’t wait to hear the performance!

- Michael Bushnell

Rodney Sharman on Fanny Kiefer

Hear Rodney’s new work this weekend along with music by Debussy and Takemitsu!

Sunday, January 29, 2012 8pm

Enjoy this rare opportunity to be musically engaged with a new chamber symphony by Rodney Sharman, the Canadian premiere of Toru Takemitsu’s Archipelago S.  and a new arrangement of Debussy’s Jeux by Michael Bushnell.

Recent additions to the program are Takemitsu’s Rain Coming and Feldman’s A Very Short Trumpet Piece performed by Marcus Goddard plus Ariel Barnes (cello) and Jane Hayes (piano) will perform Debussy’s Cello Sonata to encore a collaboration that was initiated this past fall.

Fei & Milton Wong Experimental Theatre

at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts

Adult $38  Senior $35  Student  $10

You can purchase tickets on-line  or by calling the Playhouse box office at 604 873 3311

Presented with 

Generously supported by

One little bit of news is that we will add a second work of Takemitsu’s (Rain Coming)  to the January program.  Toru Takemitsu is arguably one of the 20th century’s most influential composers – and it is very rare to hear two large ensemble works of his on the same program (as we will perform both Rain Coming and Archipelago S).  In addition, ensemble members Ariel Barnes (cello) and Jane Hayes (piano) will perform Debussy’s Cello Sonata to encore a collaboration that was initiated this past fall on Vetta’s wonderful chamber music series.

This means our January program will not only feature the first performance of Rodney Sharman’s major new work, and the premiere of Michael Bushnell’s adaption of Debussy’s Jeux for large chamber ensemble – but a chance to hear multiple works by both Debussy and Takemitsu.

One night only – and an amazing holiday gift to give someone who you think would welcome an opportunity to enjoy this rare opportunity to be musically engaged.  You can purchase tickets on-line through our web-site  or by calling the Playhouse box office at 604 873 3311

Our holiday gift to you is lower student prices – just $10 for the rest of the season!

On behalf of Turning Point Ensemble’s musicians, board and staff - let me wish you a wonderful holiday season, full of the joys of celebrating the hope of Christmas, the miracle of Chanukah, the sales of Boxing Day, and the anticipation of an exciting year to come.

- Jeremy Berkman, Co-Artistic Director

Don’t miss this opportunity to see world class artists and music at one of the city’s newest concert venues, Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre at Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, SFU Woodward’s.

Upcoming concerts

Colourful World  Sunday, January 29 2012 8pm

Jump for Joy!  Sunday, April 1 2012 8pm

Get your tickets today!

Folk Songs Nov 2011 Rehearsal photo by Chris Randle

Entrance is by donation.

Langley Community Music School

www.langleymusic.com

4899 207 Street, Langley 604 534 2848

How to get there!

Turning Point Ensemble is generously supported by

At our Vancouver Snapshots program, David Gordon Duke described Turning Point’s mandate as “championing music from the 20th century while encouraging music of the 21st century” – it could not be better put, and on this program we’re also thrilled to premiere a large-scale work by Dorothy Chang -entitled Three Windows. Taking inspiration from what she sees from her Vancouver home – it balances our Folk Songs program so beautifully as it is music inspired by our community. Where Berio’s Folks Songs brings the wonders of the outside world to Vancouver – Dorothy’s music finds a whole world within our own view.

- Jeremy

Folk Songs – November 9 & 10 2011  8pm at  SFU Woodward’s 149 West Hastings

Tickets: $18 – $38  www.turningpointensemble.ca/tickets or 604 873 3311

presented in partnership with

Turning Point Ensemble reflects on a century of colourful and vivid soundscapes with Colourful World – a program built around the premiere of Rodney Sharman’s  new large-scale commission. Turning Point pairs Sharman’s new work with pieces by Claude Debussy and Toru Takemitsu.

Composer Michael Bushnell has created for the ensemble a new arrangement of Debussy’s Jeux – an enigmatic and rarely performed orchestral masterpiece that was premiered the same year as Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire and considered to be as revolutionary in its dazzling shifts of sound and unpredictable structure.

Influenced by elements of colour, light and shadow in Debussy’s music, Takemitsu’s Archipelago S. dispersed the orchestra into to five different sections, the musicians calling out to one another in an expressive musical depiction of an archipelago of islands.  The “S” stands for islands in Stockholm, Seattle and the Seto Insland See of Japan.

Tickets: $38 ¦ $35 ¦ $18

Playhouse Box Office 604 873 3311  or Purchase Online