Artistic Council and Education Outreach Reports
| 5._artistic_council___education_outreach_reports.pdf |
Communications – Paul Scholtz
Cantus Activities Week by Week
Communication Highlights
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Operations/Production – Zac Colby
We are in full swing of planning out next season and getting creative to find new avenues of revenue with different and added performance spaces, particularly in the fall and spring. We are thrilled with Westminster's renovation and new spaces and their resolve to continue to be a valued partner. Get ready for announcements about this in the coming months, however they are allowing us to ticket our concert in their new Westminster Hall on March 3rd!
After a much-needed break, we are back on the road giving concerts in Montana, Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, Oregon, and Washington in the coming weeks. We also are preparing for our April concert series, For the Beauty of the Earth, a meditation on the environment.
Another project we are working on is our MSAB Access Grant, which includes three performances at both Minneapolis and St. Paul downtown libraries as well as at Westminster Presbyterian. The goal is to provide access to people experiencing homelessness to our music making. We are sharing the concert with StreetSong-MN, our Would You Harbor Me? partner, and are also being helped by Monica Nilsson. Monica helped us MONUMENTALLY with Would You Harbor Me? and is now a freelance consultant. There will be more information coming about this project as it goes up in early May.
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Programming – Chris Foss
The group has selected the final additional repertoire for Covers 2018. Producers and arrangers have been assigned, and we should be getting arrangements back in mid-April, for rehearsals beginning in early May.
I recently had the opportunity to meet with Kyu-Young Kim, the Artistic Director of the SPCO (as well as Cantus alum Paul Wilson). It was quite informal with no expectations, but I left the meeting with the understanding that the SPCO would welcome a proposal for a Cantus collaboration for the 20-21 or 21-22 seasons. We plan to put several options together and deliver these in the next month or two.
The ensemble has selected several options that would be artistically satisfying and relevant to work with (as well as a few back-up options). We now await the information about financial viability and concert logistics before we make final decisions about who and when to work with.
I recently met with Libby Larsen regarding her upcoming commission for our next season. The work will be 3 or 4 movements, totaling 12-15 minutes in length, and will be spaced out through our entire touring program Alone Together. We will look for text approval shortly, with a goal of having the piece in hand by July 15.
The repertoire for For the Beauty of the Earth has been ordered and distributed, and we’ll begin rehearsals on January 31st.
The sales/marketing materials for our 19-20 touring shows have been distributed to AAM for their use in sales pitches at their upcoming conferences in January.
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Education Outreach – Sam Green
High School Residency
We had our second masterclasses at HSR participating schools this week. The artists split into 3 teams and visited each school separately. The teams will rotate and visit each school by the end of the year. In addition to providing guidance and coaching for repertoire, the artists and students collaborated to work on goals created last time for our year together.
The HSR Festival Day is coming up on Feb 10 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in St. Paul. This is a great opportunity for Board Members to volunteer their time, and to check out the work that goes on with the students!
National Outreach
During our Christmas tour, we also provided a lecture demonstration to choir students in Longview, Washington, and a school show at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The Kennedy Center audience was extremely excited to hear us, and it was one of the most memorable performances for students we’ve given. The new year has a lot of extensive and exciting outreach while on tour, and we look forward to sharing the love of music with students all over the country!
Spread the word that Cantus offers a variety of educational outreach opportunities locally and around the country each year. If you know educators/organizations interested in working with us, refer them to education@cantussings.org, or contact Sam at sgreen@cantussings.org.
Cantus Activities Week by Week
- November 26 - Christmas with Cantus Tour (Lawrence, KS; Longview, WA; Detroit, MI; )
- December 3 - CwC Tour (Dallas, TX; NYC; Washington, DC; Burlington, VT)
- December 10 - CwC Tour (Rockford, MA); Christmas with Cantus Home Shows (St. Barts, Wayzata; MacPhail, Minneapolis; Trinity, Stillwater; Fridley HS, Fridley)
- December 17 - CwC Home Shows (Hamline UMC, St. Paul; Shepherd of the Valley, Apple Valley; Colonial, Edina; St. Thomas, St. Paul; Ordway, St. Paul)
- December 24 - Break
- December 31 - Break
- January 7 - Break; Discovery of Sight Tour (Gallatin Gateway, MT)
- January 14 - Break; High School Residency Outreach
Communication Highlights
- Working with Joe and the ensemble to secure our next artistic collaboration partner
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Operations/Production – Zac Colby
We are in full swing of planning out next season and getting creative to find new avenues of revenue with different and added performance spaces, particularly in the fall and spring. We are thrilled with Westminster's renovation and new spaces and their resolve to continue to be a valued partner. Get ready for announcements about this in the coming months, however they are allowing us to ticket our concert in their new Westminster Hall on March 3rd!
After a much-needed break, we are back on the road giving concerts in Montana, Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, Oregon, and Washington in the coming weeks. We also are preparing for our April concert series, For the Beauty of the Earth, a meditation on the environment.
Another project we are working on is our MSAB Access Grant, which includes three performances at both Minneapolis and St. Paul downtown libraries as well as at Westminster Presbyterian. The goal is to provide access to people experiencing homelessness to our music making. We are sharing the concert with StreetSong-MN, our Would You Harbor Me? partner, and are also being helped by Monica Nilsson. Monica helped us MONUMENTALLY with Would You Harbor Me? and is now a freelance consultant. There will be more information coming about this project as it goes up in early May.
---
Programming – Chris Foss
The group has selected the final additional repertoire for Covers 2018. Producers and arrangers have been assigned, and we should be getting arrangements back in mid-April, for rehearsals beginning in early May.
I recently had the opportunity to meet with Kyu-Young Kim, the Artistic Director of the SPCO (as well as Cantus alum Paul Wilson). It was quite informal with no expectations, but I left the meeting with the understanding that the SPCO would welcome a proposal for a Cantus collaboration for the 20-21 or 21-22 seasons. We plan to put several options together and deliver these in the next month or two.
The ensemble has selected several options that would be artistically satisfying and relevant to work with (as well as a few back-up options). We now await the information about financial viability and concert logistics before we make final decisions about who and when to work with.
I recently met with Libby Larsen regarding her upcoming commission for our next season. The work will be 3 or 4 movements, totaling 12-15 minutes in length, and will be spaced out through our entire touring program Alone Together. We will look for text approval shortly, with a goal of having the piece in hand by July 15.
The repertoire for For the Beauty of the Earth has been ordered and distributed, and we’ll begin rehearsals on January 31st.
The sales/marketing materials for our 19-20 touring shows have been distributed to AAM for their use in sales pitches at their upcoming conferences in January.
---
Education Outreach – Sam Green
High School Residency
We had our second masterclasses at HSR participating schools this week. The artists split into 3 teams and visited each school separately. The teams will rotate and visit each school by the end of the year. In addition to providing guidance and coaching for repertoire, the artists and students collaborated to work on goals created last time for our year together.
The HSR Festival Day is coming up on Feb 10 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in St. Paul. This is a great opportunity for Board Members to volunteer their time, and to check out the work that goes on with the students!
National Outreach
During our Christmas tour, we also provided a lecture demonstration to choir students in Longview, Washington, and a school show at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The Kennedy Center audience was extremely excited to hear us, and it was one of the most memorable performances for students we’ve given. The new year has a lot of extensive and exciting outreach while on tour, and we look forward to sharing the love of music with students all over the country!
Spread the word that Cantus offers a variety of educational outreach opportunities locally and around the country each year. If you know educators/organizations interested in working with us, refer them to education@cantussings.org, or contact Sam at sgreen@cantussings.org.