Rather than laughing about the snowy conditions in Canada, the 33-year-old Vincent Ho is writing what could be the very first Arctic Symphony. The Ottawa-born composer is currently the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's composer-in-residence and has been commissioned to write a symphony on his travels to the North.
The Arctic Symphony: Ice, Ice, Music
Ho is taking a week-long trip on the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen, accompanying a scientific research team on their journey to the Arctic Ocean. His own research began a week ago on Monday, July 14, when he arrived in Inuvik, N.W.T. He spent some time reveling in the breath-taking landscape and captured local landmarks on videotape.
On the trip, the scientists will gather facts and data and Ho will gather inspiration. After his symphony is composed, art and science will spread the word about global warming together, reaching a broader audience than either community could attract on its own. Ho's music, for example, will probably reach many who might never read a scientific journal.
Ho's trip is coordinated by Artists on Board, a project that is part of the University of Manitoba-based Schools on Board outreach program. Projected to be 30 minutes long, the Arctic Symphony will be one of Ho's longer pieces (most of his pieces are under 15 minutes long). The symphony is slated to be premiered at the gala opening of the 2010 Winnipeg New Music Festival.
Vincent Ho: Young, Emerging Composer
Though the composer is barely in his mid-thirties, Vincent Ho's works have already been performed by ensembles across Canada, such as The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, l'Orchestre de la Francophonie canadienne, Arraymusic, The Arditti Quartet, The Composer's Quartet, Earplay New Music Ensemble, Counter-Induction, and Land's End Chamber Ensemble.
Ho received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Calgary, a Master of Music degree from the University of Toronto and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California.
Here are some quick facts about Vincent Ho's music, which is often introspective and colorful:
- He has composed incidental music for Arsenic and Old Lace (1992).
- His orchestral works include "Nighthawks", Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra (2000) and Dragon Realms (2003).
- He received the Canadian Music Centre (CMC) Prairie Region's "Emerging Composer Award" for his solo work Stigmata for Cello (2004).
- He also won The Portland Chamber Music Festival's 2006 Composers Competition for his chamber work Shattering the Ethereal Resonance (2001).
Sources
"Winnipeg Composer Puts Ear to Arctic Ice for Musical Inspiration." July 16, 2008. CBC News.
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