At the end of February, Ēriks will be travelling across the Atlantic for a ten day tour in Canada, visiting Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa, and Kitchener-Waterloo. The tour includes the Canadian premieres of his multimedia symphony Nordic Light and the accompanying documentary film Nordic Light: A Composer’s Diary, as well as seminars and workshops. For more information and tickets, including a joint pass for the gala concert, film screening, and conversation with Ēriks on February 24 in Toronto, please visit the website of Orpheus Choir Toronto.

— Toronto • Seminar & Workshop
For choirs, conductors and fans of choral music
Feb 21 / 7:00–10:00pm
St John’s Latvian Lutheran Church, Toronto
In partnership with St John’s Latvian Lutheran Church Vocal Ensemble and conductor Brigita Alks

— Toronto • Nordic Light: A Composer’s Diary docu film screening and Ēriks Ešenvalds in conversation
Feb 24 / 3:00–4:30pm
Metropolitan United Church, Toronto

— Toronto • Nordic Light Multimedia Symphony Gala Concert
Feb 24 / 7:30pm
Metropolitan United Church, Toronto
Orpheus Choir, That Choir, Orpheus Concert Orchestra, and conductors Robert Cooper, Craig Pike, and Ēriks Ešenvalds

— Kitchener-Waterloo • Seminar & Workshop
For choral singers and conductors
Feb 26 / 7:00–9:30 pm
Conrad Grebel University College, Kitchener-Waterloo
In partnership with Conrad Grebel College choirs, Grand Philharmonic Choir, and conductor Mark Vuorinen

— Montréal • Seminar & Workshop
For choral composers and conductors
Feb 27 / 3:00–5:00pm
McGill University, Schulich School of Music, Montréal
In partnership with the McGill University Music Department and Prof Dr Jean-Sebastien Vallée

For choirs, conductors and fans of choral music
Feb 27 / 7:30–9:30pm
McGill University, Schulich School of Music, Montréal
In partnership with conductor Andrew Gray and The Montréal Choral Institute

— Ottawa • Seminar & Workshop
For choral composers and conductors
Feb 28 / 3:00–5:00pm
University of Ottawa, Faculty of Music
In partnership with Prof John Armstrong

For choirs, conductors and fans of choral music
Feb 28 / 7:00–9:30pm
St Joseph’s Parish
In partnership with the Capital Chamber Choir and conductor Jamie Loback

The Nordic Light Festival and Ēriks’ Canada Tour are organized and presented in partnership with The Adlers Agency, the Orpheus Choir, That Choir, and Musica Baltica. The events are kindly supported by the Embassy of Latvia in Canada, the Ministry of Culture of Latvia, LV100, Kravis Travel, Inese and Greg Flude, the Latvian sorority Spidola, and Latvian Relief Society of Canada Daugavas Vanagi. Orpheus Choir of Toronto’s 2017–18 Season is kindly supported by the Toronto Arts Council, the Jackman Foundation, and the Ontario Arts Council.

Eriks website is www.eriksesenvalds.com

Composer Eriks Esenvalds is on the west coast of the USA for the second time in a month. Having heard the premiere of his new 30 minute work for choir and orchestra “I hold the sunset in my hand”, written for the Cabrillo Chorus and Ensemble Monterey Chamber Orchestra last month, today he visits the University of Washington to talk about his Nordic Light multimedia symphony and to show the documentary film which captures his travels to Iceland, Greenland, Alaska and Scandinavia to record local folk songs and stories about the Northern Lights. Following that he spends time with the Valley Concert Chorale in San Francisco. Eriks’ website news gives more information here.

Between these visits to the USA, his opera The Immured was performed at the National Latvian Opera in Riga. Eriks also worked with the Florida Gulf Coast University Chamber Choir in Riga as part of their international tour.

Eriks Esenvalds: Nordic Light Festival and Canada tour

Eriks Esenvalds in the USA again