PROGRAM
Xu YI - Le plein du vide (1997) For ensemble and electronics
Jonathan HARVEY - Wheel of Emptiness (1997) For mixed chamber ensemble
Francis BATTAH (Composer-in-Residence) - Traduttore, trahitare? (2021 - World premiere)
FEATURING
- Guillaume Bourgogne, Conductor and Artistic Director
The McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble (CME) is a high-level chamber orchestra dedicated entirely to 20th and 21st century repertoire. Founded in 1970, it was first directed by Richard Lawton and Eugene Plawutsky (1970–1986), then by Bruce Mather (1986–1996), and from 1996 to 2013, composer and conductor Denys Bouliane provided the impetus for its activities to expand and intensify. Conductor Guillaume Bourgogne became the Artistic Director of CME in 2013. With four programs per season, the ensemble promotes both Canadian and international new music. Its objective is to transmit knowledge of new music repertoire and teach the many playing techniques used by contemporary composers. Concerts usually take place in Pollack Hall or the Music Multimedia Room (MMR) at the Schulich School of Music, programming masterworks from the past century as well as recent pieces by world-renowned composers. The CME premieres new works by four composers-in-residence each year and collaborates with prominent Canadian and international composers, including Schulich’s composition faculty. They are also involved with a wide variety of research projects and symposia in the fields of technology, composition, and musicology.