Chor Leoni announces C/4 Composition Competition Finalists

Vancouver’s Chor Leoni Men’s Choir and Artistic Director Erick Lichte are pleased to announce that Katerina Gimon, Robert Rival, and Pierre Simard are the finalists of Chor Leoni’s 2020 C/4 Canadian Choral Composition Competition. Each finalist will collaborate with Erick Lichte as they compose commissioned works to be premiered by Chor Leoni at C/4, held at ANNEX on May 27 in Vancouver.

Named as one of Canada's ‘hot 30 classical musicians under 30’ by the CBC; Vancouver-based composer, improviser, and vocalist Katerina Gimon's uniquely dynamic, poignant, and eclectic compositional style is rapidly gaining her a reputation as one of the most distinctive emerging voices in contemporary Canadian composition. Katerina’s music has been described as “sheer radiance” (Campbell River Mirror), “imbued...with human emotion” (San Diego Story), and capable of taking listeners on a “fascinating journey of textural discovery” (Ludwig Van). Katerina is currently the composer-in-residence for female vocal ensemble Myriad and the Canadian Men's Chorus.

Robert Rival was the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra's Resident Composer from 2011-2014. His music, inspired by the Canadian wilderness, literature, and classical and romantic musical forms, has been described as "stirring and dramatic", "spectacular", "clever and evocative", "well crafted", "immediately appealing", and his song cycle, Red Moon and Other Songs of War, as "an unequivocal hit". His choral works include L’Aube, commissioned by Pro Coro Canada for Podium 2016. Rival teaches at the University of Ottawa. 

Acclaimed in Canada and internationally, Pierre Simard is a prominent conductor, composer and arranger. Simard serves as Artistic Director with the Vancouver Island Symphony and was previously Associate and Resident Conductor with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. His works are performed in concert by orchestras in Tasmania, Calgary, Toronto and Nanaimo, as well as by Ensembles Pentaèdre and Alizé. His compositions include orchestral works, chamber music, vocal cycles, and electronic pieces for cinema and video games.

In addition to financial prizes, the three composers will travel to Vancouver in May to workshop their compositions with the choir and hear them premiered at the C/4 concert on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at ANNEX. Over a relaxed and intimate evening, they will discuss the works with Erick Lichte, take questions, and offer an insider’s look at new music.

Each composer will also receive a professional recording and be presented with a Barbara Pentland Award for Outstanding Composition from the Canadian Music Centre. C/4 tickets are available here.

“Our new format for C/4 yielded close to 50 entries this year and the competition to pick the top three composers was truly staggering,” says Erick Lichte. “I want to congratulate these three composers, with whom I am so excited to work, but I also want to congratulate everyone who submitted works this year. It is evident to me that the level of compositional talent in Canada is world-class. I am so proud of Chor Leoni's commitment to new music and of C/4's ability to create new Canadian works for male choir.”

C4 will continue annually and composers are invited to watch for the call for submissions on the Chor Leoni website at www.chorleoni.org.