Music Notes: Sunday October 22

On Sunday, October 22 at our 10:30 Eucharist,  the Cathedral Choir will welcome Andrew Balfour as our guest conductor. All thanks to Jacob Gramit, artistic director of musica intima, for making this collaboration possible.  

Of Cree descent (from Fisher River First Nation), Andrew Balfour, a composer hailing from Winnipeg and now based in Toronto, is an innovative composer, conductor, singer, and sound designer with an extensive portfolio spanning choral, instrumental, electroacoustic, and orchestral works. His compositions have graced local, national, and international stages. Notably, he recently concluded a nationwide tour of his album Nagamo, commissioned and performed by Vancouver's musica intima vocal ensemble, earning a 2023 Juno award nomination.

Andrew has collaborated with many of Canada's prominent Indigenous musicians, including Buffy Sainte-Marie, Jeremy Dutcher, and Cris Derksen. In 2021, he co-led the Indigenous Classical Music Summit at the Banff Centre for the Arts.

Additionally, he is the founder and director of the innovative vocal group Dead of Winter, now in its 22nd year of presenting a concert series in Winnipeg. Andrew specializes in crafting unique concept concerts rooted in Indigenous themes and collaborations through this role, fusing various musical styles and interdisciplinary partnerships.

Passionate about music education and outreach, Andrew has dedicated the past decade to working in Northern communities and inner-city schools on behalf of the National Arts Centre, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and various school divisions. In 2007, he was honoured with the Mayor of Winnipeg's Making a Mark Award, sponsored by the Winnipeg Arts Council, recognizing his promise as a mid-career artist.