Announcing 2025 Teen Composer Award recipient Clara Moniz

We are absolutely delighted to announce this year’s recipient Clara Moniz!

Clara’s private lessons are in progress with composer mentor Alison Yun-Fei Jiang. With Alison’s guidance, Clara will compose a work for the core Continuum ensemble to be premiered in a pre-concert presentation at our concert Forty on Friday on May 30, 2025.

Clara Moniz, mezzo-soprano, is in her first year of her undergraduate studies at the Glenn Gould School and is a recipient of the Ihnatowycz Emerging Artist Scholarship. She is a graduate of the music program at Cawthra Park Secondary School where she majored in voice and saxophone. Upon her graduation she was awarded the Senior Musician of the Year award, Robert Heise award, Cathy Lynn Yorke-Slader bursary, and the Aimee Wilkinson-Harris award. During her final year of high school she was the conducting intern with the Mississauga Festival Youth Choir and a voice/violin teacher with KAOS music studios.

Clara is heavily involved in community choral ensembles, and is currently a choral scholar with Pax Christi Chorale, alto section lead with Royal York Road United Church, and is singing with the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, Concreamus Chamber Choir, and the Toronto Festival Singers. She is excited for her works to be premiered in upcoming performances by the Concreamus Chamber Choir and Continuum Contemporary Music.

Announcing our Artistic Producer!

We are excited to share that Roan Ma will join Continuum as Artistic Producer for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons through our Mentorship in Artistic Production (MAP)!

Pairing her performance practice and arts management knowledge with an inquisitive approach to curation, Roan brings an exciting set of skills to our organization. Over the next two seasons, Roan will join Continuum’s Artistic Director and Operations Manager in the day-to-day processes of the organization, including programming and curation, collaboration, commissioning practices, grant writing and reporting, contracting and scheduling musicians, working within a budget marketing, and general event production. 

This two-year mentorship period will culminate in a concert curated by Roan in the 25-26 Season complete with a full budget and resources. This is a project we intend to continue every two years to offer experience to a new generation of artistic leaders. We aim to share knowledge of administrative infrastructure to allow artists to go forward and create projects responsibly and sustain operations in good practice.

---

Roan Ma is a multi-faceted musician passionate about creating space within the classical music world where diverse voices are represented. Her work focuses on rediscovering music and musicians obscured by time and social constrictions, as well as challenging the conventions of classical violin through contemporary repertoire. Her recent research explores the intersections of race, culture, gender, and other identities within music.

Roan received her BM and MM degrees in violin performance from the Manhattan School of Music, graduating from her Masters with the 2018 Hugo Kortschak Commencement Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chamber Music. She then received her Master of Music Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College in 2020. During her decade-long tenure in New York City, Roan performed in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, and the United Nations Headquarters. She also worked at Manhattan School of Music’s Orto Center for Recording Arts and Distance Learning as both a Recording Engineer and as the Recording Arts Manager. Currently, Roan is pursuing a DMA in violin performance at the University of Toronto studying under Jonathan Crow and Mark Fewer.

Recent accomplishments include a performance as soloist with University of Toronto’s Contemporary Music Ensemble in Giacinto Scelsi’s violin concerto, Anahit. In summer 2023, Roan was awarded the France-Canada Cultural Exchange Experience France Award, allowing her the opportunity to attend IRCAM’s ManiFeste in Paris. She was also selected to participate in Continuum Contemporary Music’s 2023 HATCH mentorship program, performing at the Toronto Summer Music Festival, the BIGLAKE Festival, and Ottawa Chamberfest. At the University of Toronto, she was a 2023-24 Irene Miller Chamber Music Fellow. During summer 2024, she was a recipient of the Carolyn and Robert Lake Foreign Study Award as well as a Fellow at Bang on a Can’s Summer Festival, where she performed alongside the Bang on a Can All-Stars during LOUD Weekend at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

Roan also leads an active academic life in addition to her performance career. Recent paper and lecture-recital presentations of her research at conferences include Female Baroque Composers Hidden in the Male Canon at the Rutgers University Musicological Society’s Graduate Student Conference, Problems in Progress and Preservation Within Music Conservatories at Columbia University’s “Facing Climates” Conference, Kaija Saariaho’s Electronics: Reconceptualizing Authorship in Composer-Engineer Collaboration at Carleton University’s Music, Sound, and Liminality Conference, and Her Music or Their Music?: Electronics in Kaija Saariaho’s Compositions and Career at McGill University’s Graduate Music Symposium. Her doctoral research at the University of Toronto concentrates on music for violin and electronics from a pedagogical and performance perspective.

Applications: 2025 Teen Composer Award

The 9th Annual Teen Composer Award

The Teen Composer Award (TCA) provides an invaluable and practical composition experience for one high-school aged composer through one-on-one composition mentorship, professional development and an introduction to the Canadian contemporary music community. The program includes participation in the workshop and rehearsal process and culminates in a live performance by the Continuum Ensemble on our main stage concert series.

Application deadline: Friday, November 15, 2024

Teen composers residing in Canada are invited to apply. Continuum does not cover travel or accommodation expenses to attend the premiere performance.

Previous Recipients

Cindy Chen (2017), Erik Kreem (2018), Sarah Lu (2019), Zack Payne (2020), Sointu Aalto (2021), Britney Dawn Do (2022), Jacob Eaton (2023), Marie-Pauline Chaffanjon (2024)

Call for Applications: Mentorship in Artistic Production (MAP)

Deadline to Apply: Friday, October 11th, 2024 at 5pm EST

Application Form Available Here

As part of our second Mentorship in Artistic Production (MAP) project, Continuum is seeking a passionate, imaginative, and collaborative early-career artist to join our team as Artistic Producer through the 24-25 and 25-26 Seasons. 

To fill this role, we are seeking an early-career musician with a strong interest in chamber music; the applicant may perform as a soloist or act as leader of an existing duo, trio or quartet. Through this program, the producer will develop a concert program that integrates their own or their ensemble’s performance practice alongside Continuum core ensemble members (in full or in part) in the 25-26 Season. 

The project will explore a collaborative approach to curation and programming. Over two seasons, the producer will learn about Continuum’s processes and engage in ongoing conversations informed by their interests, questions, and perspectives on the evolving practice of contemporary chamber music today. Through this exchange of ideas, the producer will work toward the goal of developing a program curated with input from Continuum staff that represents both interests of the producer and Continuum’s mandate.

The selected applicant will receive a fee of $2000 ($1000 per season), access to a full concert budget, and ongoing support from Continuum’s Artistic Director and Operations Manager.

Goals

The Artistic Producer position aims to provide leadership opportunities within the Toronto contemporary chamber music community, offering both professional programming and arts management experience within a supportive environment. Designed with a collaborative approach in mind, the goal is also to create a space for an exchange of ideas and expand artistic perspectives.

What to Expect

The Artistic Producer will:

• Develop a concert program to be presented in the 25-26 Season;
• Engage in regular meetings (Zoom and/or in person) to discuss ongoing program development and gain familiarity with Continuum’s processes. These meetings will be adapted to address the questions and areas of interest of the successful candidates; 
• Work with Continuum’s Artistic Director on artistic elements of the concert, including contracting musicians and scheduling;
• Work with Continuum’s Operations Manager on production elements of the concert, including budgeting, grant-writing, logistics, and marketing;
• Attend Continuum rehearsals and concerts as available;
• Interview programmed artists for features to be included in Continuum’s Press Play online series.

Eligibility

The Artistic Producer role is designed for early-career musicians seeking leadership opportunities within the context of contemporary chamber music. This role is ideal for those who:

• have an existing performance practice within the context of contemporary chamber music;
• wish to gain experience in concert programming, production, and project management in support of their artistic practice and/or professional development;
• are currently considering or developing an approach to artistic programming;
• would benefit from working directly with Continuum’s Artistic Director and Operations Manager to gain a deeper understanding of the day-to-day work of an arts organization.

The jury seeks candidates with varied practices and perspectives who also demonstrate an openness to working with and learning from others. 

Selection Process and Timeline

A jury will review the submitted applications and determine a shortlist of candidates to be contacted for a Zoom interview.

October 11: Applications Close

October 21-25: Interviews with short-listed candidates via Zoom

November 1: Notification of Results

Application Guidelines

As program development will be a part of the role, we ask that candidates do not submit completed programming proposals. Instead, candidates will be asked to submit a C.V., audio or video demonstrating their performance practice, and a statement of interest.

C.V. : 2 page max., PDF

Highlight your leadership roles within the arts (notable performances, professional or volunteer experience in concert/event production, arts administration, curation, etc.) as well as your artistic practice.

Support Material

Provide links to two audio or video links to performances that represent you or your ensemble’s practice (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.) 

Statement of Interest: 2500 character/500 word max.

Please address the following:

• What interests you musically, particularly in the area of contemporary chamber music? What informs your curatorial practices or themes?
• Tell us about your experience in programming or project management (This can include your own artistic practice and projects). What skills, knowledge, or lived experience would you wish to share in the Artistic Producer role?
• What aspects of programming, production, or arts administration would you be most interested in learning more about? Speak to any specific personal, artistic, and professional goals that you would like to work towards in this role.
• What are the questions, conversations, and launching off-points you wish to further explore through this program? In what ways do these play a role in the practice of contemporary chamber music today?

---

Continuum shares responsibility in fostering an equitable, diverse and inclusive contemporary music community. We encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity. Please be in touch if you wish to discuss possible program adaptations that would remove barriers to applying or participating in this opportunity.

Should you have questions related to the program, please email Operations Manager Christina Volpini at christina@continuummusic.ca

Welcome to Continuum’s 40th season!!

Welcome to Continuum’s 40th Season!

In this milestone season, we celebrate seminal works of acoustic chamber music. The season features new commissions alongside Continuum commissions from years gone by while reaffirming our commitment to our mentorship programs. We honour where we’ve been while also embracing the exciting direction of where we’re headed.

MAINSTAGE CONCERTS

This September, we are joined by our esteemed friends from Montréal for the concert Continuum & Quatuor Bozzini. These ensembles share the stage for the first time, presenting a program of exquisitely crafted and emotionally resonant works by Tanya Tagaq, Linda Catlin Smith, Laurence Crane, Martin Smolka, and Cassandra Miller. This concert is a rare opportunity to experience these musicians at the forefront of contemporary music together in concert.

Continuum returns to the 21C New Music Festival this January with Spanning. Featuring renowned flutist and core ensemble member Leslie Newman as soloist, this concert highlights the seminal chamber work Terrestre by Kaija Saariaho. The program also includes a world premiere of a new work by Canadian composer Kotoka Suzuki. Rounding out the evening are extraordinary works by Carolyn Chen, Jocelyn Morlock, and Ana Sokolović.

In May, our 40th Season draws to a close with Forty on Friday. We celebrate the art of contemporary chamber music with Moonlight on the Bluff, a Continuum commission from 2005 by Toronto’s own Martin Arnold, a world premiere by Toronto artist Jason Doell, and works by Tyshawn Sorey and Joanna Bailie. This concert will also feature the 9th Teen Composer Award in pre-concert format.

MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

In this historic season, we renew our commitment to mentorship with the launch of our second Mentorship in Artistic Production (MAP) and the 9th Teen Composer Award. Stay tuned for details!

ONLINE ENGAGEMENT

Throughout the season, we continue our Press Play web series with 12 new episodes. Each episode presents works from our most recent concerts including sur(rounding), PIVOT, Walkside Lost, and HATCH 2024 at Ottawa Chamberfest. 

Join us for another exciting season of new chamber music masterfully performed and shared in mentorship with the next generation. And if you like what we’re doing, please consider joining our Continuum family by making a donation now!

Announcing HATCH 2024 Participants!

For our sixth consecutive season, we are excited to present HATCH, Continuum’s annual summer music mentorship project for performers, composers and conductors.

From this year’s pool of applications, our jury selected the following participants:

Composers: Shameran Khamo, Olivier St-Pierre, Tsz Long Fish Yu

Performers: Joelle Crigger (violin), Samantha Yang (cello), Jordana Kleiner (flute), Cheng Cheng (clarinet), Carina Shum (piano) and Britton-René Collins (percussion). We are also proud to continue our partnership with Tapestry Opera and other partner organizations across Canada for the Women in Musical Leadership program. We welcome conductor Kelly Lin, who will lead the HATCH ensemble in rehearsal and performance. Kelly’s conductor mentor is Jennifer Tung.

Mentors: rebecca bruton (composer), Fjóla Evans (composer), Carol Fujino (violin), Paul Widner (cello), Leslie Newman (flute), Anthony Thompson (clarinet), Gregory Oh (piano), Ryan Scott (percussion).

We are excited to once again partner with our friends at the Canadian Music Centre that will host our rehearsal process in Toronto in July, followed by performances at the Toronto Summer Music Festival (July 24), Biglake Arts (July 27), and Ottawa Chamberfest (August 5)! We look forward to sharing recordings of the works by our participating composers and mentors as part of our Press Play series next season.

---

Program Sponsors and Partners

Join us for our participatory workshop on Rounding by Cassandra Miller!

Be a part of the Toronto premiere of a vocal work by Cassandra Miller!

As part of our concert programme for our June 8th show, (sur)rounding, Continuum Contemporary Music will be performing the semi-improvised vocal piece, Rounding, by Cassandra Miller. This piece is written for two or more trained or untrained singers (in any or no genre), and we are looking for volunteer singers of all skill levels to join the performers in our ensemble. Singers creating in any and all genres are encouraged to participate. Participants will participate in and receive a complimentary ticket for the evening’s concert, sur(rounding).

Including preparation time (reading instructions and downloading an app), this is an approximately two hour commitment, and a unique opportunity to perform a new and highly expressive work among fellow singers and friends.

Rounding is a part of Canadian composer Cassandra Miller’s ongoing fascination with “automatic singing”, a practice of singing along to music while meditating. In this spirit, preparing and performing this piece is not so much about “getting it right” as it is about embracing the process and seeing what happens. 

Requirements

• Able to attend the workshop and performance from 6pm to 7:15pm on June 8th at St. George by the Grange (30 Stephanie Street)
• Able to read and follow written and verbal instructions (ability to read sheet music is not required)
• Smartphone and earbuds or airpods
• BandLab (free smartphone app that allows for simultaneous recording and playback)
• Approximately half an hour of free time in advance of the workshop to prepare (read instructions and download and test BandLab)

The workshop for this piece (6pm-7pm) will consist of a brief, body-scan meditation done together as a group, followed by a combination of individual and group recordings responding to a two minute track provided by the composer. The recordings will become the source material that the performance is based on. 

If you are interested in joining us in our performance of Rounding, please fill out the form below

On June 5th, all interested participants will receive an email containing the score/instructions for the piece and an instructional video on how to use BandLab.

If you have questions about Rounding or the workshop/performance, please email hillary@continuummusic.ca

HATCH 2024 Call for Applications!

Continuum is excited to announce a call for applications for the sixth edition of HATCH, our annual summer mentorship program for early-career performers and composers.

This program is designed for self-identified EARLY-CAREER PERFORMERS AND COMPOSERS. It is free to apply and the program does not have a tuition fee.

Applications are now closed

HATCH brings together early-career performers and composers for artistic and professional development with a focus on contemporary chamber music. This summer, performer participants will work with the Continuum core ensemble, and composers with mentors rebecca bruton and Fjóla Evans. Rehearsals at the Canadian Music Centre in Toronto will be followed by a tour of Toronto, Prince Edward County, and Ottawa.

^{rebecca bruton photo credit: Alexander Slobodian, courtesy of Dancers’ Studio West}

The conductor position for the HATCH ensemble is filled by a participant of the Women In Musical Leadership program (WML).

Applicants should be based in the Toronto area or able to provide their own transportation to and accommodation in Toronto for the duration of the program.

Composers will be notified of acceptance by March 11, 2024.

Performers will be notified of acceptance by April 29, 2024.

PROGRAM TIMELINE

Participants must be available for all rehearsal and tour dates.

March 18: Composer mentorship begins

June 16: Deadline for completed works

June 16: Performer mentorship begins

July 17-23: Rehearsals and meetings at the Canadian Music Centre (Toronto, ON)

July 24: HATCH Tour, Toronto Summer Music performance

July 27: HATCH Tour, Biglake Arts performance (Prince Edward County, ON)

August 3-5: HATCH Tour, travel, rehearsal, and Ottawa Chamberfest performance (August 5)

NOTE the gap week between Biglake Arts and Ottawa Chamberfest dates (July 28-August 2). There are no HATCH activities during this week.

Transportation between Toronto and Prince Edward County on July 27th will be provided, plus per diem.

Transportation to and from Ottawa, ON will be provided along with overnight hotel accommodation on August 3-4 (shared, two per room), plus per diem.

Performers

The six selected performers will:

1. Receive mentorship in their instrument from Continuum’s core ensemble throughout the process. Mentors: Leslie Newman (fl), Anthony Thompson (cl), Carol Fujino (vn), Paul Widner (vcl), Gregory Oh (pno), and Ryan Scott (perc);
2. Prepare and rehearse (up to) 3 new ensemble works by the participating composers and a work by each composer mentor;
3. Perform the works listed above on the HATCH Ontario tour;
4. Receive a $750 honorarium.

Composers

Composers should plan to write their work between March 18-June 16 (composition and lessons), with interaction with performers from July 17-23.

The three selected composers will:

1. Write a maximum 8-minute piece for Continuum’s HATCH ensemble of fl, cl, pno, perc, vn, vc, conductor (please note that electronics/amplification will not be available);
2. Receive mentorship from rebecca bruton and Fjóla Evans; 
3. Participate in rehearsals and the HATCH Ontario tour;
4. Receive a $750 honorarium. 

Decisions will be arrived at by juries consisting of selected mentors and Continuum staff.

---

Continuum shares responsibility in fostering an equitable, diverse and inclusive contemporary music community. We encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity. Please be in touch if you wish to discuss possible program adaptations that would remove barriers to participation.

All participants must agree to a Code of Conduct that requires all participants and mentors to work respectfully and constructively.
Should you have questions related to the program, please email Operations Manager Christina Volpini at christina@continuummusic.ca

---

This project is funded with the support of The Azrieli Foundation.

PROGRAM PARTNERS

Project Partners: The Canadian Music Centre, Tapestry Opera (Women in Musical Leadership Program)

Festival Partners:

Toronto Summer Music

    Jonathan Crow, Artistic Director

    Vanessa J Goymour, Executive Director

Biglake Arts

    Johannes Debus, Artistic Director

    Elissa Lee, Executive Director

Ottawa Chamberfest

    Carissa Klopoushak, Artistic Director

    Mhiran Faraday, Executive Director

    Jenna Richards, Director, Artistic Planning & Community Engagement

---

Announcing PIVOT 2024 Participating Composers!

In partnership with the Canadian League of Composers and the Canadian Music Centre, we’re excited to announce the composer participants of PIVOT 2024: Alexander Bridger (NL), Ricardo Ferro (ON), Liberté-Anne Lymberiou (QC), Anju Singh (BC), and Janet Sit (ON).

Each composer will write a new chamber work for Continuum while receiving guidance from a mentor of their choosing over a six-month period. Following a workshop at the Canadian Music Centre in February 2024, the Continuum core ensemble will premiere these five works on April 7, 2024.

With nearly 70 applications received from across Canada, we congratulate the selected composers and we look forward to sharing their work with you later this season!

---

Program Partners

Applications: 2024 Teen Composer Award (Now Closed)

The 8th Annual Teen Composer Award

The Teen Composer Award (TCA) provides an invaluable and practical composition experience for one high-school aged composer through one-on-one composition mentorship, professional development and an introduction to the Canadian contemporary music community. The program includes participation in the workshop and rehearsal process and culminates in a live performance by the Continuum Ensemble on our main stage concert series.

Application deadline: October 27, 2023

Teen composers residing in Canada are invited to apply. Continuum does not cover travel or accommodation expenses to attend the premiere performance.

Previous Recipients

Cindy Chen (2017), Erik Kreem (2018), Sarah Lu (2019), Zack Payne (2020), Sointu Aalto (2021), Britney Dawn Do (2022), Jacob Eaton (2023)