02/16/2025
One day to go!
Benjamin Sigerson is our composer-in-residence and we will be singing 3 of his works tomorrow - ‘clouds that pass over this quiet earth’, ‘Stratocumulous’, and ‘Kogarashi’.
We are so excited to be performing Kogarashi alongside clarinetist Liam Pistor tomorrow! Here's what Ben shares about the piece.
“Kogarashi is a word that, in closest translation, means the first cold wind of winter. The idea with this piece is to explore the dynamic possibilities of both the clarinet and the voice, challenging singers to enter and exit almost unnoticeably, and noticing the transition from air to sound. The resulting effect is meant to be similar to the feeling and sound of wind rushing through trees. The forest is made of the singers, and the wind is their voice - appearing and disappearing into themselves. Many of the compositional techniques in this piece are developments of ideas explored in "Stratocumulus", and serves as a companion piece. When I think of this piece, I think of standing on a cliffside on the island of Enoshima, and I feel the wind and smell the trees. This piece was commissioned by the Halifax Camerata Singers, under director Joel Tranquilla with clarinetist Gregory Parra.”
Benjamin Sigerson (b. 2001) is a composer and jazz pianist from Vancouver, B.C. A recipient of a Bachelor’s in Music Composition from McGill University in Montréal, Sigerson has won awards for his compositions in both classical and jazz idioms, and has been featured on several albums and concerts. His pieces have been performed internationally on concert stages, in jazz clubs, and recording studios. As a composer, Sigerson has written for groups from orchestras to solo Erhu to hundred-member choirs. His music has been recorded on several albums, including a recent recording funded by the Canada Council for the Arts for a five-keyboard ensemble. Being a Korean-Canadian artist based in BC, his music is inspired by nature and heritage.
