2020 Initiatives Fund Winner • Brenda Muller
Brenda Margaret Muller has been chosen as the winner of the 2020 ACWC Initiatives Fund for new creative work projects or compositions.
Muller’s project relates to her Riversongs Festival of community-based music, through which she will, in turn, sponsor an award to an ACWC member for a new composition for the Riversongs Festival. The new work will be scored for community orchestra and/or community orchestra and choir. Muller is founder and Artistic Director of the Riversongs Festival, which occurs in Parry Sound, Ontario. The festival, involving Whispering River Orchestra and Community Choir, is tentatively scheduled for August/September, 2020, but will be further rescheduled if required, due to coronavirus.
Muller's project relates to her Riversongs Festival of community-based music, through which she will, in turn, sponsor an award (named ACWC COMPOSITION AWARD) to an ACWC member for a new composition for the Riversongs Festival. The new work will be scored for community orchestra and/or community orchestra and choir.
Muller is founder and Artistic Director of The Riversongs Festival which occurs in Parry Sound, Ontario. The festival, involving Whispering River Orchestra and Community Choir, is tentatively scheduled for August/September, 2020, with full regard to the coronavirus situation at that time. If need be, it will be rescheduled accordingly. This annual event celebrates authentic Canadian and Parry Sound creative community through music, poetry and art. The small string orchestra
produces five to six concerts annually, typically with two in June that bookend this unique week of workshops in composition, string playing, art, poetry, speaking
Anishinabek, musical yoga coffee houses, banner painting and a
musical Canoe and Sail Regatta. The music from the ACWC will be used to
sponsor one of four Riversongs awards for compositions for community
orchestra and/or community orchestra and choir. However, ACWC is only sponsoring Riversong's ACWC-focused award, which will be granted to another ACWC member.
Although the event is traditionally held during Summer Solstice, the upcoming festival is tentatively rescheduled for late August into September, around the fall equinox, dependent on the coronavirus situation at that time.
About Brenda Margaret Muller
From her roots as a classically trained cellist, Brenda Margaret Muller has gone on to create conceptual events that weave together poetry, music and song. Working as a Musician, Poet, and Song-writer, as well as Artistic Director for the past 32 years, Muller has created inter-arts events across the province, founded and directed the Ardeleana Chamber Music Society, and released 6 recordings with her trio, Ardeleana, including a CD of original cabaret songs, Wolf At My Door, and the first CD to feature only music by Canadian women - Spinners of Starlight (1997). She is the creator of two story operas – Melissa's Song and Jonathon's Storm, both of which have toured across the province to the critical acclaim of enthusiastic young people.
Muller has commissioned and premiered over 150 works of music by Canadian composers. She holds an Honours degree in Music Performance from the University of Western Ontario, a Mus. Ed and Honours Specialist in Music from O.I.S.E. University of Toronto. She is currently the founder and director of the Whispering River Orchestra, and Riversongs Festival, a 10 day Community Celebration of Music, Poetry and Art in Parry Sound, Ontario.
Information on previous 2019 Initiatives Fund winner, Stephanie Orlando here.
