Old News
Past Performances
2009
February 15, 7:00 p.m.
Performance of "3 Trains" by Ariel Barnes, cello and Rachel Iwaasa, piano on a concert in the New Music in New Places series sponsored by the Canadian Music Centre at the Rocky Mountaineer Train Station
1755 Cottrell Street, Vancouver, Canada
February 10 - 17
Duo Vita tour of southern Ontario, Canada. Premiere of Oliver composition "Am Bushed" for violin, guitar, and surround audio, and performances of "A Dream of Africa" .
February 8
Z.O.O. Guitar Duo premieres the original 2 guitar version of African Apparition, Cyprus
February 7, 19:30
Duo46 performs US premiere of "On Freedom" at Experimental Arts Festival
Paradise Valley Community College, Center for Performing Arts, Phoenix, Arizona 85032
February 4
Victoria guitarists play PRISMOPHONY guitar quartet (Michael Nicolella concert). Michael Nicollela says about the piece "I coached a student quartet performing your music in Victoria last week and was completely knocked out. What a wonderful piece!!!!!"
2008
François Houle performances in Poland
November 21
concert in Bytom at the Kronika Gallery (Rynek 26), part of the 7th New Music Festival organized by Silesian Music Society
November 22
concert at the Concert Hall of the Academy of Music, part of the 16th Audio Art Festival in Krakow
November 24
concert at the Center for Contemporary Art/Ujazdowski Castle, part of the Audio Art Festival in Warsaw
November 14
"60x60 International Mix
International Mix, 60x60 Dance
World Financial Center's Winter Garden
60 choreographers create dances to the 60x60 (2008) International Mix.
October 5
"60x60 Canada mix", a collection of 60 1-minute electroacoustic compositions
Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery
Halifax, NS
October 4
You Are With Us, World Premiere, "60x60 Canada mix", a collection of 60 1-minute electroacoustic compositions
04:00 during Toronto's Nuit Blanche (starting/commence à 18:52), Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto
…yes you read that correctly: 4 in the morning!
October through November
"60x60 Canada mix", a collection of 60 1-minute electroacoustic compositions
Halifax, Toronto, Montréal, México, Regina. More details.
October
Duo46 performs On Freedom
Santiago, Chile
September 25
Duo46 performs On Freedom
Schlitz, Germany
September 24
Duo46 performs On Freedom
Fulda, Germany
September 23
Piotr Szewczyk performs Tossing and Turning for solo violin
Jacksonville, Florida
Sunday, August 17, 6 pm,
World Premiere of Tossing and Turning for solo violin
Craig Hall/Good Shepherd Chamber Music Society of Good Shepherd - Fifth Season
Henson Markham, artistic director * 904-346-0373
presents
Chris Dwyer, horn; Ileana Fernandez, piano
Carin Miller, bassoon; Marguerite Richardson, violin;
Les Roettges, flute; Piotr Szewczyk, violin
Scott Watkins, piano
for the benefit of the Friends of the Jacksonville Symphony
Works by: Bach, Boismortier, Bonneau, Brahms,
Oliver, Rutter, Szewczyk, Wieniavski
There will be a showing of paintings of churches from Belarus, Poland and around the world
by resident artist Feodor Zeliankouski of Belarussian/Polish background.
July 21
Duo46 performs On Freedom
Pavia, Italy
June 4
Intercultural Music with a Modern Sensibility
Oliver lecture/demonstration/concert on his music
with guest performers Mei Han & Zhimin Yu
part of the Vancouver Intercultural Orchestra's "Music of the Whole World" series.
Vancouver Public Library, 7 pm
Sunday, April 13 2008
L'Hexacorde en concert
03:00 PM @ l'Église de la Visitation
1847, boul. Gouin Est.,
Montréal, Quebec Canada
WORLD PREMIERE, Oliver's composition PRISMOPHONY for 4 classical guitars.
http://www.myspace.com/hexacorde
5 April 2008
Duo46
8:00 PM @ St. Stephen's Anglican Church
1121 - 14th Avenue, S.W.,
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
TICKET price: $22/$13
WORLD PREMIERE, "On Freedom" for violin, guitar and surround sound, commissioned by CBC Radio www.cbc.ca/compose. The composer will be in attendance. The program features a program of new works for violin and guitar performed by this spectacular American duo http://classicalguitarsocietyofcalgary.com
Saturday, Mar 29 2008
Alan Rinehart Classical Guitarist
08:00 PM @ Quaker Meeting House
1090 West 70th Avenue (at Oak St),
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
The Vancouver Classic Guitar Society presents Alan Rinerhart who will play a suite from Oliver’s MINIMUSICA, as well as PAVANAS on a program of Spanish, Canadian, South American and baroque music.
price: $15 adults, $10 seniors and members of the VCGS http://www.vancouverclassicguitarsociety.org/
2007
Monday, Dec 10
Vancouver Miniaturist Ensemble Inaugural Concert
WORLD PREMIERE, "A Daydream of Robert Dziekanski", conducted by the composer
08:00 PM @ Western Front 303 8th Avenue East , Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
November 21
…like the sea at sunrise… for piano, Ontario premiere, Contemporary Showcase, Toronto, Canada
Nov. 10
Duo Fresco (Brett Deubner, viola & Christopher Kenniff, guitar) perform the world premiere of A Dream of Africa in the new version for viola and guitar.
Halcyon Trio, Duo Fresco and Thula Sizwe!
Hosted By: Brett Deubner
When: Saturday Nov 10, 2007
at 7:00 PM
Where: Shea Auditorium
William Paterson University
Wayne, NJ 07020
United States
Description:
Brett Deubner
November 9
Oliver was guest performer with the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble, performing his own newly commissioned work CONSENSUS for the ensemble with added electric bass and drums, as well as traditional and new Chinese music, and an arrangement of the classic Canadian folk song Un Canadien errant.
WHEN and WHERE: November 9, Norman Rothstein Theatre, 950 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia
le 1-5 mai • May 1 - 5
ALTERNATE VISIONS, (virtual opera)
Montreal
A Chants Libres Production
une production Chants Libres
Visit alternatevisions.ca for details.
FEB. 2
WINDSOR CANADIAN NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL -
World Premiere of New Work, Windsor Symphony,
Capitol Theatre and Arts Centre, Windsor, Ontario
http://www.windsorsymphony.com/content.asp?ID=19&NavID=22
MARCH 4
NEW WESTMINSTER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
2 pm, Massey Theatre, New Westminster, BC
http://www.nwso.ca/perform.html
JANUARY 13
Oliver performs excerpts from his NYLONG SYMPHONY for guitars and surround sound.
NEW MUSIC CONCERTS, Toronto –
http://www.newmusicconcerts.com/
2006
Sunday October 15, 8 pm
Oliver Yu Duo
Vancouver East Cultural Centre,
1895 Venables St., Vancouver
September 30
Vancouver Intercultural Orchestra performs EAGLE FLIES TO MOUNTAIN, revised version.
7:30 pm at the Telus Theatre at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Vancouver
September 14
Mei Han & John Oliver Duo, Chinese Zheng and classical guitar
Douglas College, New Westminster, "The Arts at 1"
1 pm, Douglas College
January 6, 2006
WORLD PREMIERE, GUITAR CONCERTO ("La Abuela") for guitar and string orchestra, commissioned by Victoria guitarist Alexander Dunn. The Victoria Symphony Orchestra will present the premiere of the piece under the direction of Maestra Tania Miller with Alexander Dunn as the soloist.
2005
December 6, 2005
Concert portrait (Portrait Concert) presented by Réseaux des art médiatiques during their Akousma (2) festival, Montréal, Québec. Oliver premieres his Nylong Symphony (Parts 5 and 6) and presents a program of recent electroacoustic music on a large sound system that surrounds the audience, an immersive sound experience.
November 5, 2005
String Theory Festival, Western Front, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Oliver premieres his Copper Singing and Nylong Symphony (parts 1 to 4) for guitars, synthesizer, and computers
October 15, 2005,
Eagle Flies to Mountain commissioned and premiered by the BC Chinese Music Ensemble conducted by the composer, Michael J Fox Theatre, Burnaby, BC
April 22, 2005,
8pm, University of Victoria Concert Hall, Raven Steals the Light presented by the Victoria Symphony as part of a special theme concert "Weaving Stories and Legends," Giuseppe Pietraroia, conductor.
April 21, 2005: Vancouver East Cultural Centre; Ensemble Symposium performs Driven on their 10th Anniversary Concert with Oliver on MIDI classical guitar.
April 2, 2005: Dust featured in Vancouver premiere at the François Houle CD Launch Concert, Asia Pacific Hall of the Wosk Centre in downtown Vancouver; two performances at 5:30 pm and 8 pm
2004
November 4, 2004
8 pm, UBC Recital Hall: Purple Lotus Bud performed by Mei Han, zheng, and the Borealis String Quartet.
July 21
The Borealis String Quartet and Vancouver zheng player Mei Han commissioned PURPLE LOTUS BUD for zheng and string quartet which was premiered at the Vancouver Chamber Music Festival, July 21, 2004, 11 am, Crofton House School, and was broadcast on CBC Radio 2 program In Performance on August 5 and later on Take Five on CBC Radio 1.
May 8
WORLD PREMIERE:
The Vancouver Symphony has commissioned a new work, title UP WIND, which was premiered by the orchestra under the direction of guest conductor Christian Arming on May 8 (Sat) & May 10 (Mon), 8 pm, Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver.
April 21 (Wednesday), 10:30 am, Koerner Recital Hall at the Vancouver Academy of Music.
Premiere of a STILL TURNING for Chinese zheng and classical guitar performed by the composer with Mei Han on zheng at the Composers and Coffee Series presented by Music in the Morning. Oliver and Han will talk about traditional and contemporary music for their instruments and cross-cultural music-making. STILL TURNING was commissioned by Music in the Morning especially for this occasion. Director June Goldsmith has commissioned six compositions from John Oliver to date.
http://www.musicinthemorning.org/pages/john_oliver.htm
April 16 (Friday ) 8 pm at the Roundhouse, Vancouver:
Canadian premiere of CHASE THE MONEY for alto saxophone and string orchestra, presented by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Tania Miller
http://www.vancouversymphony.ca/musiccategorylist.cfm?CFGRIDKEY=Oliver&CFCATEGORY=composer&cfseason=2003/2004
April 10, 8 pm, Vancouver East Cultural Centre
World Premiere of MONKEY RUNNING commissioned and performed by the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble on a concert of new music for chinese instruments.
2004|02|04 + 06 20h00 * Feb 4 & 6, 8 pm
DUST pour clarinette et audio 4 pistes * DUST for clarinet and four-channel audio
Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal * Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art
Deuxième tribune canadienne de musiques mixtes
une coproduction NEM (Nouvel ensemble moderne) et Réseaux
En collaboration avec le MACM et le Centre de création musicale Iannis Xenakis (CCMIX).
http://www.rien.qc.ca/serie.f/mx2.html
2003
July 10, 2003
World premiere of Chase the Money for alto saxophone and string orchestra commissioned by Opus 102 publishers of Montréal, performed by David Branter and the World Saxophone Congress 2003 orchestra under the direction of Glen Cortese at the World Saxophone Congress, Minneapolis Minnesota, USA.
May 2, 2003
World premiere of a new work for François Houle for clarinet and tape called Dust, Théâtre La Chapelle, Montréal, Québec. I began work on this piece in August 2001, titled it Dust by the end of the month, then September 11 happened and after one week of watching news, I realized that I had already created my commentary. I created the final section of the piece in late September.
March 16th, 2003
Appeared as guest performer/composer with Ensemble Symposium at the Western Front (Vancouver) in the premiere of his new work, Driven.
February 8, 2003
Oliver's epic orchestral work Raven Steals the Light, based on the retelling of the traditional Haida tale by Bill Reid and Robert Bringhurst, was performed by the Thunder Bay Symphony.
2002
November 10, 2002
Oliver performed excerpts from his Unseen Rain arranged for guitar and voice at the Sacred World Music Festival labyrinth
Oliver toured across Canada in September and October 2002 giving some 18 concerts and workshops with his new music duo Structural Damage with special guest composer/performers Ron Samworth and Yasuhiro Otani and Kazuhisa Uchihashi from Japan. Click here for more information
Oliver was commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to create a special electroacoustic work to commemorate the first anniversary of the September 11 tragedy in the USA. Give Us Peace is the result, a dramatic and reflective work that is my personal response to the tragic events of September 11.
Vancouver trombonist Jeremy Berkman commissioned a new work, Sounding Eternal, for trombone, string quartet and live electronics which was recently performed (Oliver on guitars/electronics) during January 2002 in and around Vancouver.
2000
November 19, 2000
WORLD PREMIERE, 3 Trains, a work for cello and piano which was commissioned and performed by Vancouver cellist Ian Hampton, Langley School of Music during Canadian Music Week.
May 2002
Oliver conducted 11 musicians in the premiere of his "11" for 9 electric guitars and 2 electric basses at the Vancouver New Music Fetsival in May 2000 at the Arts Club Theatre
1999
May 3, 1999 - The CBC Vancouver Orchestra and Music in the Morning have commissioned a new work, Raven Steals the Light, which was premiered on the Music in the Morning series at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on the campus of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. CANADA on May 3, 1999 at 11:30 am. The concert was simultaneously broadcast to 20 member stations of the European Broadcasting Union and in the evening in Canada on CBC Radio 2's program "In Performance."
April 30 to May 2, 1999 - The Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition has commissioned the imposed work for their vocal competition which took place from April 30 to May 2, 1999 at the University of Brandon in Brandon, Maintoba. The work, Raven's Cry, is scored for voice(s), piano, and prerecorded sounds on compact disc. Although the competitors perform the work in the solo version, a performance for three voices, piano and tape was also presented as part of the competition events. The winner for best performance of Raven's Cry was Krista Scott of Regina. Vilma Vitols took first prize in the competition and will tour Canada with her winning program, including Raven's Cry.
January 23, 1999 - Oliver performs on multiple CD players and keyboard sampler with the newly formed trio Structural Damage (Rainer Bürck, Andrew Czink, John Oliver) at the earsay Rainer Bürck CD release event Without Fear, at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.
1998
October 16, 1998 - earsay concert and CD release party, harangue II,, 8 pm at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Burnaby, BC, CANADA. Music by Rainer Bürck, Andrew Czink, Damian Keller, Giorgio Magnanensi, John Oliver, and Hildegard Westerkamp. Featuring guest performers Kate Hammett-Vaughan, voice.
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Premiere of en amitié for clarinet and tape, a work written for the 20th anniversary of the french FM network of the CBC which features the victory speech of the first Parti Québecois premier, René Levesque.
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Premiere of Long Time Coming (new version) for clarinet and tape, a work first heard in a version with MIDI guitar during the Vancouver International New Music Festival on June 1, 1998
François Houle performed both pieces.
Vancouver reedman Francois Houle commissioned Long Time Coming for clarinet, optional accompaniment & tape which was premiered with Oliver on MIDI guitar during the Vancouver New Music Festival on June 1, 1998 at the Vogue Theatre.
Vancouver New Music commissioned Retour which was premiered during the Vancouver New Music Festival on May 31, 1998 at the Vogue Theatre.
earsay presented Icicle Blue Avalanche, a CD release concert event. John Oliver performed his own music for electronic guitar, computer and synthesized sounds at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby, BC, CANADA, Thursday May 28, 1998 at 8 pm. Two pieces heard at the BodyElectric Guitar festival were presented in new versions, along with half a program of entirely new music, including the first-ever hearing of three songs from the opera Alternate Visions performed by jazz singer Kate Hammett-Vaughan.
earsay launch concert and CD release party, January 31, 1998, 8 pm at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, 6450 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby, BC, CANADA. Music by Andrew Czink, Susan Frykberg, Damian Keller, Giorgio Magnanensi, John Oliver, and Hildegard Westerkamp. Featuring guest performers Kate Hammett-Vaughan, voice; David Murphy and Hans Samuelson, video. Tickets: $18 general/$15 students & seniors. For reservations & information call (604) 527-2358.
The National Arts Centre Orchestra has commissioned a new work. Forging Utopia was premiered during their 1998 "Generation XYZ" New Music Festival (subtitled "High Pop/High Art.") on January 5, 1998 at the National Arts Centre. The National Arts Centre Orchestra was conducted by David Alan Miller.
World Premiere radio broadcast Sunday January 11, 1998 at 10 pm on CBC Radio 2 program "Two New Hours."
1997
Oliver performed at the Body Electric/Guitarévolution festival in Toronto, Victoria, and Vancouver in the fall of 1997.Pacific Rim: John Oliver (Canada), Paul Dresher (USA), and Wes Wraggett (Canada)
An evening of high-tech performances from some of the West Coast's best composer/performers. John Oliver and Wes Wragget presented new works for MIDI guitar and synthsizers. San Francisco's Paul Dresher, well known for his extensive collaborations with visual artists and dance companies, performed two works for electric guitar and digital processors.
Judith Marcuse's dance film, Second Nature, directed by Daniel Conrad with music by John Oliver opened three different screenings of classic dance films at the Pacific Cinématheque 1131 Howe St., Vancouver, on Thursdays, January 23, March 27, and May 22 at 7:30 each evening. OLIVER ON VISION TV
John Oliver appeared in the second episode of the ten-part TV documentary series Ways We Live on Vision TV at 8:30 PM on Wednesday, March 12, presenting excerpts from his opera Alternate Visions.
WORLD PREMIERE OF GALLERY
The CBC has commissioned a wind quintet for the Principal Winds of the National Arts Centre Orchestra. The work, Gallery, was premiered on January 26, 1997 at 3 PM in a concert by the Principal Winds of the National Arts Centre Orchestra at the Tabaret Hall of the University of Ottawa. The concert was recorded by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and broadcast nationally on the CBC Radio 2 program "Chamber Music at Noon" on Monday, March 24.
Traces was played by the Morency Quartet in Montreal on January 13, 1997 at the Salle Pierre Mercure at 8 PM on a program that included Haydn's Kaiser Quartet op.76, no. 3, and Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor, op.34 with Anton Kuerti.