“…in Standing Wave, this city has a major cultural treasure.”
Alex Varty, The Georgia Straight

About Standing Wave

Standing Wave is a chamber ensemble dedicated to commissioning and performing works by Canadian and International composers.

Made up of five of Vancouver's most plugged-in musical multitaskers, Standing Wave is equally comfortable playing complex chamber compositions, venturing into the world of Musique Actuelle and performing with electroacoustics and a wide array of multimedia.

Since its formation in 1991, Standing Wave has presented an annual season of contemporary music concerts in Vancouver and has also toured across Canada. The Ensemble has commissioned and premiered a great number of compositions by Canadian and International composers, collaborated with stellar guest artists from various genres and disciplines and recorded many times for CBC Radio. Standing Wave has released two CDs, a self-titled recording released in 1991 and Redline, released in 2006.

Interaction with the composers who write for Standing Wave has been a key part of the ensemble’s activities. The ability to work closely with a composer on a new piece has become a hallmark of the group’s commissioning work, benefiting composers and ensemble alike.

Standing Wave is an ensemble-in-residence at the University of British Columbia’s School of Music.

Educational Programs

Standing Wave is pleased to continue its relationship with the University of British Columbia as an official Ensemble in Residence. Each year Standing Wave holds workshops for UBC composition students. Each participating student submits a short composition which is played for the entire class.

The Ensemble offers constructive feedback to each composer and also encourages questions and comments from the students. These sessions have proven to be excellent learning tools for composition students as well as being a way for Standing Wave to connect with emerging composers and to further broaden our audience base.

Creator/ Curator Series

In the spring of 2005, Standing Wave presented a program that was entirely developed and curated by Vancouver composer Bradshaw Pack. Palimpsest was a multimedia hit with both audiences and critics alike. Pack created a full-length piece based around an aria from Monteverdi’s, Orpheo, intertwined with his own newly composed work and “curated” work by Bach, Cage and Webern.

Inspired by the success of this project, Standing Wave decided to develop a Creator/ Curator Series to commission other Canadian composers to create/ curate programs. One of the real benefits of the creator/ curator series has been working closely with Canadian composers, each of whom has been entirely different in both compositional and curatorial style. Not only has the series deepened our relationships with the composers we have chosen; it has allowed our audiences to come to know these composers more intimately than would ordinarily be the case.

Upcoming Creator/ Curator Event:

Past Creator/Curator events have been Giorgio Magnanensi’s “Teatro Del Udito”, Jeffrey Ryan’s “One Tree Many Branches”, and “Dance: Music”, by Arne Eigenfeldt. More detailed information about these programs here.