Web Design: Andreas Kahre
Based in the community of Gabriola Island, in British Columbia, The Lulu Performing Arts Society exists to promote artistic expression and inquiry through presentation, education, and collaboration. Lulu is multi-disciplinary, supporting both established and emerging artists who work across a variety of genres, styles and media. Lulu is adventurous, exploring new media, sound art, alternative spaces, and commissioning new work. Lulu is a bridge, providing an inclusive framework for artist and community to fully engage one another.
Leah Hokanson, Artistic Director
Elizabeth Lutz, Administrative Director
Adrian Palmer, Director
The Lulu Performing Arts Society began in the Spring of 2005, when a group of performing arts enthusiasts gathered to discuss the possibility of bringing world class performing artists to the Gabriola community.
Lulu has produced two successful fundraising events: the first, our inaugural concert, which took place on November 3rd, 2005, with a solo piano recital/fundraiser featuring pianist, Leah Hokanson. This event introduced the World Premiere of ‘The Gabriola Shuffle’, a suite in five movements featuring five Gabriola composers: John Capon, Antonio Gradanti, Andreas Kahre, R. Alan Smith, and Charles Wilson. Ms. Hokanson played to a capacity (150) crowd, and ‘Lulu’ raised $1800.00 toward future events.
In January, 2007, Lulu produced a second fundraiser which included a performance of interdisciplinary (music, text, and dance) improvisations based on folklore entitled ‘Life if but a dream … ‘, followed by an Instant Art Fair (i.e. “on the spot” creations of melodies, sketches, and poems by donation); and an all-night ‘Impov-a-thon’ which featured several of Gabriola’s finest musicians playing continuously from 10pm – 6am. Through these efforts we were able to raise close to $2000.00.
Other concerts of Lulu’s first season featured Russian pianist, Pavel Egorov; a concert of Jazz influenced contemporary music featuring saxophonist/pianist Phil Dwyer, and trombonist, John Capon; and ‘Tangissimo’ from Vancouver with Linda Lee Thomas on piano, Ed Henderson on guitar, and Miles Foxx Hill on Bass.
Lulu’s 2006/2007 season included the jazz quartet ‘Lina Allemano Four’ from Toronto, featuring trumpeter/composer Lina Allemano, saxophonist Brodie West, bassist Andrew Downing, and drummer Nick Fraser; Parmela Attariwala and the Attar Project featuring Parmela Attariwala, violin/compositions, Shawn Mativetsky, tabla, and Gitanjali Kolanad, dance; and East Van Strings featuring Gordon Grdina on guitar/oud/compositions, Peggy Lee on cello, Jesse Zubot on violin, and Eyvind Kang on viola.
In July, 2007, Lulu was awarded a major grant from Arts Partners in Creative Development to commission five sound and video artists for ‘The Elements: A Festival of Nature in Performance’, which took place last August. We were also awarded a grant from Legacies 2010 for the education, production and promotion costs of the festival.
During the past year, particularly through the Elements festival, we have been pleased to expand our mandate to include more educational and collaborative programming, and have started including the bi-line ‘Present, Collaborate, Educate’ on all of our promotional material. Through these efforts we have included pre-concert artists talks, and we will be co-producing the Canadian Association for Sound Ecology Retreat this coming June.
Outline of Activities Over the Past Year and Beyond:
On March 25th, 2007, we presented pianist, Bruce Vogt, who performed an exquisite solo recital featuring works by Brahms, Schumann and Liszt.
April 14th, 2007, ‘The Linear Animal’(world premiere) a digital paper theatre piece written by Andreas Kahre, and featuring performances by interdisciplinary artists Andreas Kahre, Kenneth Newby, and Aleksandra Dulic, as well as Ashlan Phoenix Gray as puppeteer and David Garfinkle as reader.
Lulu’s 2007-2008 concert season began with a residency with Gordon Monahan, Composer and Sound Artist, from September 19th – 22nd . While on Gabriola Gordon gave a performance, Artist’s Talk, performed ‘Speaker Swinging’ with some of Gabriola’s youth, and visited Gabriola Elementary where he gave a talk to the entire school (approx. 300 children).
October 30th, 2007, Lulu presented The Bill Horvitz Band featuring Bill Horvitz, electric and acoustic guitar; Steve Adams, woodwinds; and Harris Eisenstadt, drums.
December 7th, 7:30pm, Phoenix Auditorium, Chris Welsby, Film Artist, presentation and Artist’s Talk. This event also featured live performances by Leah Hokanson and Andreas Kahre of works by Steve Reich, John Cage, and J.S. Bach.
January 20th, Benjamin Butterfield, Tenor; with Kinza Tyrrell, pianist, performed Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Ireland, Barber, Ives, Finzi, and Randy Newman.
February 18th-22nd, Kathy Kennedy, Sound Artist, residency. Kathy gave an Artist Talk, visited Island Singers and Heartsong choir rehearsals; visited the elementary school and the Gathering Place Centre for Youth.
March 18th, Darren Copeland, Sound Artist and Andreas Kahre, Interdisciplinary Artist presented an Artist’s Talk.
April 19th,‘The Liquid Art of Unlocking’, featured K. Louise Vincent, poet and Leah Hokanson, pianist, with special guest poets Odette Laramee, Patricia Ludwick, and Cindy O’Dell.
August 20th – 24th ‘The Elements: A Festival of Nature in Performance’ at various venues and site specific locations around Gabriola. ‘The Elements’ is an invitation to witness both the process of creation and the presentations of five world renowned artists that reflect life on Gabriola Island in a way that is inclusive and transformational. It is a ‘terrestrial symposium’ that combines sound art, installation work, digital media, with performances and workshops for all ages in our community. For more information please visit www.luluperformingarts.ca. We are grateful to have received major funding from Arts Partners in Creative Development for this project.
January 15th, 2009, Trio Voce, featured Jasmine Lin, violin; Marina Hoover, cello; and Patricia Tao, piano.
March 7th, Trio Gabriola! featured Elizabeth Lutz, Soprano; with Leah Hokanson, piano; Corbin Keep, cello; and Toby Macklin, oboe.
April 17th, Joe Trio, featuree Allen Stiles, piano; Cameron Wilson, violin; and Charles Inkman, cello.
June 12-14, co-presented the CASE (Canadian Association for Sound Ecology) Retreat. Artists which included Hildegard Westerkamp (Vancouver), Dr. Noora Vikman(Finland), Charlie Fox (Regina), Eric Leonardson (Chicago) and Eric Powell (Vancouver).
2010/2011 Season: Community Curation
Michelle Mares
Friday, May 20, 2011, 7:30 pm
Phoenix Auditorium, The Haven
The Goldberg Variations, J.S. Bach
From the age of five, Canadian pianist Michelle Mares has carved and extraordinary path, attracting the attention of many of the world's most renowned musicians, winning several international competitions and distinguishing herself as a soloist and chamber musician at home and abroad. In her late twenties, she broke the mold and chose to devote herself primarily to raising her children. Now a mother of two, she resumes her journey as a concert artist, teacher and mentor, bringing a depth of maturity and experience to her musical vision.
Michelle has studied with many of the world's leading pianists, including Alfred Brendel in the United Kingdom, Valeria Szervansky and György Kurtàg in Hungary, Karl Heinz Kammerling in Germany, Leon Fleisher in the United States and Jane Coop in Canada. She has won prizes at several presitgious music competitions, including the CBC Young Performers Competition, the Montreal Symphony Competition, the Geneva International Competition, the Hamburg Steinway Competition and the Robert Casadesus International Competition. Her orchestral performances include appearances with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Montreal, Vancouver, Quebec and Victoria Symphonies, the Polish Chamber Orchestra, the Slovak Philharmonic, the Mozarteum Interantional Orchestra, the Banff Festival Chamber Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Netherladns Radio Chamber Orchestra, and the CBC Radio Chamber Orchestra.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2010 summer concert:
A Summer Recital
Featuring Rachel Capon, cello
With Leah Hokanson, piano; and Toby Macklin, oboe, 7:30 pm, Wednesday, August 11, 2010, Phoenix Auditorium
A dynamic and versatile cellist, Rachel Capon has performed across Canada as a soloist and chamber musician. Moving to Ontario in 2007, Rachel won a seat with the Kingston Symphony for the 08/09 season, while studying with Wolf Tormann in Kingston Ontario.
Ms. Capon studied with Pamela Highbaugh Aloni and Paula Kiffner at the University of Victoria where she attained her Bachelor of Music in 2007. Additional studies include the Banff Centre, Tafelmusik Summer Institute in Toronto, Domain Forget, and the Orford Arts Centre, in Quebec.
Music by
J. S. Bach - a Cello Suite
Claude Debussy – a Cello Sonata
Robert Schumann - Trios for oboe, cello and piano, op, 56
J. S. Bach – for oboe, piano and continuo
Bela Bartok - Three folksongs from Csik, for oboe and piano
Vivaldi concerto for oboe (arranged with piano and continuo)
2009/2010 Season: A Who’s Who of Who You Know!
Thursday, October 29th, 7:30pm (6:45 artists chat), at the Phoenix Auditorium, Lulu presented
The Jones Maruri Duo
with Michael Jones, cello and Augustin Maruri, guitar. Haled from England and Spain, The Jones Maruri Duo are one of the only established cello / guitar duos in the world, having performed all over the Europe, North and South America, and Asia. (Who’s the connection? Ifan Williams’, former head of the Maritimes Conservatory of Performing Arts in Halifax, daughter Ariana and grandson, Moksha live on Gabriola.)
Back by ever so popular demand! Thursday, February 4th, 7:30pm (6:45 artists chat) at the Phoenix Auditorium Lulu presented
Trio Voce
with Jasmine Lin, violin; Marina Hoover, cello; Patricia Tao, piano. Anyone fortunate enough to have heard them last January will tell you that they are simply not to be missed. (Who’s the connection? My mother who (besides being connected to me) has visited Gabriola several times, and who lives in the same retirement facility in Edmonton as Marina Hoover’s mother!)
Saturday, March 13th, 7:30pm (6:45 artists chat) at the Phoenix Auditorium Lulu presented
The Darren Sigesmund Septet
with Darren Sigesmund, trombone; Quinsin Nachoff, tenor saxophone, clarinet; Jim Vivian, bass; Anthony Michelli, drums; Reg Schwager, guitar; Daniel Stone, percussion; and Eliana Cuevas, vocals. This leading contemporary Canadian ensemble brings their own unique blend of jazz, latin, and classical influences. (Who’s the connection? Gabriola’s own beloved trombonist, John Capon.)
See left for more details
Friday, April 23rd, 7:30pm at the United Church Lulu presented Pergolesi’s exquisitely beautiful
Stabat Mater
Touted as an innovative and very personal response to the religious experience, this work will feature Gabriola’s own Elizabeth Lutz, Soprano and Elizabeth Wilson, Contralto; with Karl Rainer and members of the Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra;. Opening the concert will be special guest violinist, Jack Glatzer. This will be an extraordinary event where some of the regions finest classical musicians will get to share the stage with an internationally touring solo violinist.. (Who’s the connection? Some of it speaks for itself! The Jack Glatzer connection came through Gabriola resident, David Carrington.)
Thursday, May 13th, 7:30pm
STITCH
an a capella opera for three women and three sewing machines
Music by Juliet Palmer
Text by Anna Chatterton
Performed by Christine Duncan, Patricia O’Callaghan &
Neema Bickersteth.
An Urban Vessel Production
From the abuse of the sweatshop to the fantasy of costume and the empowerment of sewing-it-yourself, the sewing machine has been a force for exploitation and liberation since its invention in the 19th century. Anchored in the sounds and rhythms of sewing, Stitch uncovers the emotional layers of the relationship between woman and barely-tamed machine.
The Toronto Star writes "A rogue brace of creative spirits cuts through the couture and sweeps us straight into a sewing sweatshop in Stitch. Billed as ‘an a cappella opera for three women and three sewing machines,’ it crosses so many genres as to be in a category of its own… Imagine an opera presented outside a theatre, without a stage or orchestra. It doesn’t seem like opera at all – until you realise how much a librettist, composer and three vocalists can accomplish with the simplest of means. That’s an art."
Stitch was nominated for two Dora Awards in 2008 for Outstanding Production, Opera; and Outstanding New Musical. Click below to see an excerpt:
or follow this link: http://urbanvessel.wordpress.com/stitch/sound-vision
2008/2009 Season: Sound Matters
Threesomes:
Trio Voce
Trio Gabriola
Joe Trio
Canadian Association for Sound Ecology Retreat
2007/2008 Season: The Elements and more
Gordon Monahan
The Bill Horvitz Band
Chris Welsby
Benjamin Butterfield
Kathy Kennedy
Darren Copeland & Andreas Kahre
The Liquid Art of Unlocking
2006/2007 Season: Old and New Dreams
Lina Allemano Four
East Van Strings
Bruce Vogt
The Linear Animal
2005/2006 Season: Beginnings
Pavel Egorov
Tangissimo
First opening in August 2008, Lulu presented The Elements: A Festival of Nature in Performance, as a ‘terrestrial symposium’ that features environmentally themed com-positions and performances by local and international artists, as well as exhibitions of sound art, installation work and digital media.
Audiences of all ages, and artistic abilities could participate in artist-led workshops, sound walks, and artists talks right here in our community. The Elements Festival creates space and time for each of us to creatively explore the relationships between nature and the technologies that affect our living environment.
Many thanks to Arts Partners in Creative Development, and to the BC Gaming Branch.
Due to funding cuts, The Elements, 2010 wil be re-scheduled for 2011, hopefully with the same lineup of performers: Hildegard Westerkamp, pioneer in the sound ecology movement; internationally renowned composer, performer, teacher and humanitarian, Pauline Oliveros; contemporary, issues based artist and Gabriolan, Deborah Dallyn; Newfoundland-based pioneer of interdisciplinary art, Pam Hall; and Byron Chief-Moon, one of Canada’s most prominent First Nations artists. Byron is a choreographer, dancer, actor, and playwright.