Episode 200: Expanding the Boundaries of Choral Music with Katerina Gimon

Standard music notation that is now used ubiquitously around the world does some things really well. But it also has limitation. Katerina Gimon is a composer who is actively working to dream up new ways to use notation to communicate sound ideas to musicians that expand our written music vocabulary.

Katerina first exploded onto the choral scene in 2019 in a burst of flame so to speak. Her piece “Fire” from the song cycle entitled “Elements” was performed by the Vancouver Youth Choir at ACDA that year. I was in the room. The piece, and the performance from the group pinned me to the back of my chair. When it was over, I wasn’t sure how to describe what I had just heard. For the rest of 2019, the piece exploded, being performed by choirs everywhere. And then, a year later, the choir world closed for business during the pandemic.

Katerina joins me in this Oxford Series episode to discuss the very strange trajectory that resulted for the start of her career. Typically, if a composer has a big, high profile success, it is immediately followed up by more opportunities to create. But, in many ways that moment was frozen in time for her. We discuss the fear of being a “one hit wonder,” as well as her path toward a more wholistic fulfilling career as a full time composer with a rich catalogue. The varying soundscapes she creates is remarkable!

We also banter about “Western Music” notation, and how it can and should evolve through innovation, and expanding use of symbol and sound palettes that were not available to musicians with notation in previous generations.

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Composer, improviser, and vocalist Katerina Gimon‘s uniquely dynamic, poignant, and eclectic compositional style has earned her a reputation as a distinct voice in contemporary Canadian composition and beyond. Her music has been described as “sheer radiance” (Campbell River Mirror), “imbued…with human emotion” (San Diego Story), and capable of taking listeners on a “fascinating journey of textural discovery” (Ludwig Van), earning her several honours including multiple SOCAN Awards (2022, 2021, 2016), nominations for Western Canadian Composer of the Year (2023, 2021), and a Barbara Pentland Award for Outstanding Composition (2022).

In her music, Katerina draws influence from a myriad of places — from the Ukrainian folk music of her heritage to indie rock, as well as from her roots as a songwriter. Her compositions are performed widely across Canada, the United States, and internationally, with notable performances at Carnegie Hall, Berliner Philharmonie, and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Recent commissions include new music for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Youth Choir, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and re:Naissance Opera. Katerina is the composer-in-residence for Myriad Ensemble and is based in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada*.

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In addition to her composing work, Katerina is also a founding member (vocalist, electronics, co-composer) of dynamic new music and AR/VR collective Chroma Mixed Media

alongside multi-media artists David Storen and Brian Topp. Excited by the ever-evolving landscape of technology in today’s society, Chroma endeavours to explore new avenues and intersections for artistic expression by combining various art forms and new technologies to explore new possibilities and challenge audience expectations.

Katerina holds a Master of Music in Composition from the University of British Columbia (’17) and an Honours Bachelor of Music degree in Composition and Improvisation from Wilfrid Laurier University (’15). When she isn’t making music, Katerina enjoys playing board games, puzzling, adventuring outdoors, and relaxing with her partner and their two cats.

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