Taking place March 9-23
Join your Hamilton Philharmonic for the North American Composer Festival in March! The Composer Festival takes a deep dive into the world of a composer featured on our Mainstage, exploring the historical context and cultural influences of some of the biggest names in Western classical music.
Join your HPO for events across our community celebrating the life, music and influence of North American composers!
This year the HPO will take you around Hamilton with talks and performances highlighting North American composers and how their artistic impacts helped shape the musical landscape.
Upcoming North American Composer Festival events:
- Share your musical talents with your favourite short work or movement by a North American composer at our Community Recital.
- Get cozy and casual with the Brass Quintet at a local brewery.
- Travel through history with our Composer-in-Residence at fascinating talks.
Don’t forget to join us at FirstOntario Concert Hall when we cap the festival off with our mainstage concert, Barber, Raum & Copland!
Composer Festival Events
North American Community Recital
Saturday, March 9, 2024
Time: 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
St Paul’s United Church (29 Park St W, Dundas)
Hosted by Abigail Richardson-Schulte
Free to attend and participate
Registration required for participants
Doors open for audience at 1:30pm, seating is general admission
Join the HPO for an afternoon to celebrate music-making! Community musicians of all ages and experience levels are invited to prepare and perform a movement or short work by a North American-based composer of their choosing. Original compositions are also suitable to perform, so long as they are under 5 minutes in length.
This event is an opportunity for community musicians to perform in a welcoming space for an audience of their peers, friends and family. Please note that this is a non-adjudicated, community outreach event for amateur musicians and students; more seasoned musicians are also encouraged to participate if interested. This event is free for performers and audience members.
HPO Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte hosts this event with a special performance from an HPO ensemble! Performers and audience members are invited to stay after the recital for coffee, tea and treats.
If you have any questions about the North American Community Recital, please email Community Engagement Manager Megan Nourse at mnourse@hpo.org.
Musical Storytelling
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Time: 2:00 PM
Hamilton Public Library, Mount Hope Branch (3027 Homestead Dr.)
Hosted by Abigail Richardson-Schulte
Free event for children and families
No registration required
HPO Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte shares how composers tell stories through music with examples from two of her own compositions based on beloved Canadian children’s literature, The Hockey Sweater and Alligator Pie. Participants will learn about the instruments found in Western orchestras and how their unique sounds can bring characters and environments to life!
HPO at the Movies: Maestro
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM
The Westdale Cinema (1014 King St W)
Hosted by Abigail Richardson-Schulte
HPO Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte explores the life and career of Leonard Bernstein, one of the 20th Century’s most iconic musical figures, ahead of a screening of Maestro. In the film, Bradley Cooper directs and stars as Leonard Bernstein in a biographical drama that centers on his relationship with actress Felicia Montealegre. In her introduction, Abigail shares unique insights into Bernstein’s work, tumultuous personal life and his musical contemporaries, setting the stage for Maestro to round out the fascinating and often dramatic life of Leonard Bernstein.
HPO Brass Happy Hour
Monday, March 18, 2024
Time: 5:30 PM
Shawn & Ed Brewing Co. (65 Hatt St., Dundas)
Experience the sounds of North American composers from the 20th Century in the specially curated performance with the HPO Brass Quintet at Shawn & Ed Brewing Co in the heart of Dundas!
Each ticket comes with a flight of Shawn & Ed’s signature brews. Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte guides audiences through tasting notes while the Brass Quintet entertains with their signature wit and lively performance style.
Composers of North America
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Time: 2:30 PM
Burlington Public Library (2331 New St., Burlington)
Free event
Get to know the lives and trailblazing work of some of North America’s most celebrated composers, including Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber and Leonard Bernstein. HPO Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte leads this fascinating talk with piano demonstrations of work by featured composers. Audiences will gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical contexts that shaped the musical landscape developed through North America during the 20th century and how the musical landscape of Canada evolved into what it is today.
Traversing the Continent: Shaping the North American Musical Landscape
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM
St. Paul’s United Church (29 Park St W, Dundas)
Free event
Registration required
Co-presented with The Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Literature, Science and Art (HAALSA)
HPO Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte explores the lives and artistic impacts of North American composers whose work helped shape the musical landscapes we know today. From the soul-stirring sounds of American composers Copland and Barber to the remarkable musical infrastructure building of Sir Ernest MacMillan in Canada. Discover the historical context, cultural nuances and influences behind the quintessential North American sound. Abigail shares piano demonstrations throughout the event, highlighting the music of featured composers and a performance of her own piece.
Talk and Tea: Copland and Barber
Friday, March 22, 2024
Time: 11:00 AM
FirstOntario Concert Hall Stage Door (1 Summers Lane)
We’re diving into the lives and music of contemporary composers at Talk & Tea: Copland and Barber! Join HPO Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte to learn about 20th Century composers Samuel Barber and Aaron Copland. Enjoy light refreshments before a behind-the-scenes look at an HPO rehearsal with guest conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni.
Thank you to Caroline Place for sponsoring the 22-23 Talk & Tea Series!
Barber, Raum & Copland
Saturday, March 23, 2024
Time: 7:30 PM
FirstOntario Concert Hall (1 Summers Lane)
Aaron Copland’s iconic and rejuvenating Appalachian Spring illustrates the themes of family, love and life this concert highlights. The soul-stirring melody of Barber’s evocative Adagio for Strings opens the performance on an introspective note, while T. Patrick Carrabré’s Chase the Sun brings a radiant energy. Celebrated Canadian composer Elizabeth Raum’s Violin Concerto features Erika Raum, the composer’s daughter.
