Recording session for "spora"
It's been awhile in the making but finally the 2021 ASCP (Art Song Collaborative Project) was able to happen this year! My piece "spora" for soprano, cello, and percussion was composed for this project's Terra's Resurgence Opera back in 2021 and it was amazing to finally hear it performed by Gwenna Fairchild-Taylor (sop), Joel Tangjerd (vc), and Joyce To (perc). The piece will be released as part of a video series on YouTube later this fall.
What Brings You In is an interactive multimedia performance by Leslie Ting featuring percussionist Germaine Liu, music by Linda Catlin Smith, two commissioned electroacoustic pieces by Rose Bolton and Julia Mermelstein, and binaural sound design by Matt Smith (Prince Nifty). This music-driven project explores the many ways we engage in the therapeutic process based on interview research, and personal experiences with talk therapy, hypnotherapy, dreamwork, sandplay, somatics, and reiki.
What Brings You In is being presented as part of the SummerWorks Lab from your personal device either at home, or with others at the venue.
Din of Shadow’s sixth production is an ode to the human voice in its many forms: singing, speaking, screaming, whispering, and noise-making; live, pre-recorded, natural, and processed. The voice is presented alone, and in collaboration with instruments, electronics, dance, and video projection.
Rehearsal + film stills for "A frame through bodies move"
Been working on a new multimedia piece, "A frame through bodies move" for solo voice + electronics in collaboration with Angela Blumberg. It's been such an amazing project to collaborate on and to get to work with soprano, Stacie Dunlop, dancers Sarah Di Iorio, Taylor Collis, and videographer Sue Howard. So excited to be premiering this piece on June 18 with Din of Shadows' Din VI: Mortal Chorus at the Music Gallery.
The TSO conducted by Music Director Gustavo Gimeno performs the entire ballet of Stravinsky’s The Firebird with back-to-back world premières from Canadian composers. First, a prelude by Julia Mermelstein, written in celebration of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s 100th season; then, music of “riotously inventive” (The New Yorker) composer Zosha Di Castri, featuring incomparable Canadian soprano and contemporary-music icon Barbara Hannigan.
Premiere of "in water suspended" for orchestra commissioned by Esprit Orchestra with generous support by the Ontario Arts Council. The concert will include premieres by Stephanie Orlando and Christina Volpini as well as performing Claude Vivier's "Orion" with video projections created by artist Moira Ness.
Arraymusic’s annual premiers concert returns after a COVID-enforced hiatus! This year’s event features an exciting set of new works created for the expert players of the Array Ensemble by acclaimed composers from Ontario and abroad. Colleen Cook will be premiering "Capsule", commissioned by Arraymusic for this concert alongside works by John Sherlock, Amahl Arulanandam, Bruce A. Russell, Seung-Won Oh, and Oscar Bettison. It will be a a pre-recorded online webcast.
Julia is a featured guest on the Flute 360 Podcast hosted by Heidi Kay Begay. This episode is in collaboration with the Association of Canadian Women Composers and the Scarborough Philharmonic's Flute Music By Women Composers International Festival.
Esprit Orchestra Recording Session
Earlier this year, I composed a new piece for Esprit Orchestra, "in water suspended" with support from the Ontario Arts Council. This past week I had the chance to rehearse and record it for an exciting upcoming collaboration! It has been almost two years since I heard live music or was even in the same room rehearsing with musicians, so thankful for this opportunity.
