Symphony orchestra to share stage with throat singer
Polaris Prize-winning throat singer Tanya Tagaq will join the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra for performances next week.
Tagaq will be performing her own composition, Qiksaaktuq , the Inuktitut word for grief. The piece is dedicated to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and to those who grieve for them.
Qiksaaktuq is written in five movements, based on the Kubler-Ross model of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Tagaq’s performance will be largely improvised.
“I was lucky to see Tanya live this summer at the Folk on the Rocks Festival in Yellowknife under the midnight sun," said OSO music director Rosemary Thomson. “Her performance was absolutely unique. With her traditional throat singing as the starting place, she communicates the most extraordinary vocalizations.
“I was absolutely transfixed and her performance was seared in my memory. I can’t wait to share the stage with her.”
The OSO will also be performing Dinuk Wijeratne’s First Winter. Dinuk immigrated to Canada from Sri Lanka.
First Winter was commissioned by the Calgary Philharmonic and expresses Dinuk’s first impressions of a Canadian winter.
Also to be performed is Greek/Canadian composer Christos Hatzis’ Thunder Drum, a three movement mash up of live orchestra and an electronic soundtrack, which uses technological “fly-by” sound effects as well as pre-recorded samples of guest artist Tagaq.
Performances are Saturday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 p.m. at the Kelowna Community Theatre and Sunday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are available through Kelowna Tickets, Ticket Seller in Vernon or okanagansymphony.com.