Music

Join us for an evening of introspection and beauty, as the German Requiem’s profound message of human suffering and hope is brought to life at Pro Coro Canada’s annual Good Friday concert, offering a perfect blend of tradition, artistry, and reflection.

Pro Coro Canada’s guest for this special performance is I Coristi, under the direction of Rob Curtis, adding further depth and resonance to this choral event. The performance will be accompanied by the skilled pianists Leanne Regehr and Roger Admiral, whose interpretation of the two-piano arrangement brings a unique and intimate dimension to Brahms’ work.

This concert also highlights emerging talent with featured soloists Erin Moore, soprano, and Connor Hoppenbrouwers, baritone, showcasing the next generation of exceptional vocalists.

Experience a profound and moving Good Friday tradition with this sublime masterwork as the centrepiece of our annual reflection on the Passion of Christ, offering a deeply spiritual and emotional journey through Brahms’ rich, romantic composition.

Venue: First Presbyterian Church (Edmonton), T5J 1C8 and ProCoroTV

For tickets and info, visit Good Friday with Pro Coro Canada and I Coristi. 

This research was conducted in six waves over the course of 2020 and 2021. This is a community resource that is FREE to access and results from the sixth wave of research are now available.

Findings for Alberta organizations from Wave 6 results include:

• Comfort has developed into a very predictable pattern that follows case numbers and now vaccine rates.
• Albertans will return at their own pace; participation hinges on personal comfort but also personal risk tolerance.
• There is a consensus that there will be less of a return to “normal” but rather a new way of doing things moving forward.
• Because Albertans have spent the past year and half discovering new things to do, the selection of what they can choose from now is quite vast.
• Spending habits are in flux, and at this point it is difficult to predict where Albertans will direct their money in the short term.

What are the implications for Alberta organizations?

• Even as restrictions have been removed, organizations still need to deal with comfort. As it stands, there is clear hesitancy in the audience and it will be important to communicate safety measures to make audiences comfortable when re-engaging.
• Organizations should keep in mind that public sentiment is a more useful barometer over government announcements. Gauging expectations for increased participation to occur will be based on a combination of comfort and risk tolerance.
• Organizations should expect more permanent (structural) changes to stick around – specifically related to organizational transparency, flexibility with refunds, new payment options, etc. These should be things that organizations consider keeping even if they are no longer required by the government.
• The main consideration for organizations remains flexibility – in terms of payment options, participation options, etc. This will allow for consideration on different levels as Albertans suss out how they want to direct their spending.

Download the reports:

• Alberta Report
• Calgary Report
• Edmonton Report

About the project

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts is pleased to be a funding partner in this collaboration with Stone-Olafson and other community leaders to develop a long-term research investigation and evaluate how current conditions will reshape Albertans’ attitudes and behaviours towards social and group activities, across a variety of sectors. The purpose of this work is to give leaders of community sports, recreation, arts and culture, professional sports, active living, heritage, tourism or hospitality sectors relevant facts about local audiences that they will need to bring life back to our communities.

The initiative was funded by:

• ActiveCITY Collective
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts
• Angus Reid
• ATB
• Calgary Arts Development
• Calgary Foundation
• Edmonton Arts Council
• Edmonton Community Foundation
• Rozsa Foundation
• Stone-Olafson
• Travel Alberta

We're pleased to share a special shout-out to Alberta artists who brought home 2022 Juno awards. Congratulations to all of the incredible artists on their wins:

• Maria Dunn: Traditional Roots Album of the Year 
  • She received two AFA Music Individual Project Funding grants for her Joyful Banner Blazing album: art production grant to assist with the recording; and marketing grant for publicity. Catch her live in Leduc and Sherwood Park in 2022/2023.
• Andrew Wan: Classical Album of the Year (Small Ensemble)
  • Andrew is an accomplished musician born in Edmonton. He was also a 2008 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award recipient.
• Brett Kissel: Country Album of the Year   
  • ​Brett celebrates win in his What is Life? album. Catch Brett on tour in Alberta this summer (Calgary and his hometown, St. Paul).
• Caity Gyorgy: Vocal Jazz Album of the Year
  • Originally from Calgary, Catiy won for her EP Now Pronoucing: Caity Gyorgy.
• Fawn Wood: Traditional Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year 
  • Fawn is a Cree and Salish musician from Saddle Lake who won for her album, Kakike.
• Garth Prince: Children's Album of the Year 
  • ​Edmonton-based African artist won for his Falling in Africa album.

For a complete list of the winners and nominees, check out junoawards.ca. All the best to them on their future endeavours! We're proud of their talents and appreciate their magnificient work for all of us to continually enjoy! 

Like the rest of the world, Alberta is navigating a new reality brought by a pandemic that is changing public life and re-shaping our economy. Organizations in the arts, culture, sports, recreation, tourism and hospitality sectors, all which rely on live, group experiences, are grappling with new challenges. Organizations need to be prepared for a change in audience behaviour. The question is what that will look like, now and over the coming months.

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts is pleased to be a funding partner in this collaboration with Stone-Olafson and other community leaders to develop a long-term research investigation and evaluate how current conditions will reshape Albertans’ attitudes and behaviours towards social and group activities, across a variety of sectors. The purpose of this work is to give leaders of community sports, recreation, arts and culture, professional sports, active living, heritage, tourism or hospitality sectors relevant facts about local audiences that they will need to bring life back to our communities.

The initiative is being funded by: 

• ActiveCITY Collective
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts 
• Angus Reid
• ATB
• Calgary Arts Development 
• Calgary Foundation
• Edmonton Arts Council
• Edmonton Community Foundation
• Rozsa Foundation
• Stone-Olafson
• Travel Alberta

​This research is being conducted in six waves over the course of the next year with the first wave of results (based on surveys conducted between May 21 and June 2, 2020) now available.

This is a community resource that is FREE to access and results from the first wave of research are now available.

Download the reports:

• Alberta Report
• Calgary Report
• Edmonton Report

You can subscribe to receive notifications when the new reports are available by visiting stone-olafson.com. 

Join the AFA in recognizing its 30th Anniversary and the annual Month of the Artist by celebrating our local artists and arts organizations. Get to know Robin Cisek, singer/songwriter.  

Robin Cisek is a singer/ songwriter who creates melodic and moody, alternative pop with introspective and vulnerable lyrics. Jump to her bio below. As of June 2021, new music from her most recent album, Delicate Minds, is available now on her website or via Spotify.

We had an opportunity ask Robin about her music, her artistic practice, and about being an artist in Alberta...

Tell us about your music practice

I typically have a very fluid process when it comes to songwriting. In the past, I have scratched entire songs and then started over to create something I love.

When I am writing, I like leaving room in my songs to be creative. The recording studio can be a fantastic place to be spontaneous and come up with new ideas and having too rigid of a song structure often closes you off to the possibilities.

I like to connect my songwriting to my own experiences, I have taken inspiration with my experiences with health problems, my own mental health and relationships of mine or of people around me. It is important to me to create songs that talk about important things that connect people through common feelings thoughts and emotions.

^{Album cover for Robin Cisek's Delicate Minds}

My latest album, Delicate Minds, is about all different aspects of mental health which I view as a universal subject. I think everyone can relate to having anxiety, having a bad mental health day or experiencing trauma in their lives and we need to talk about it more often to normalize it.

What is it like to be an artist working in Alberta?

Being a pop artist in a western province has sometimes created challenges. My genre of music doesn't typically fit with what people expect to hear at live concerts.

On the other hand, and many people may not know this, but in Alberta, especially Edmonton where I am located, there is a beautiful, vibrant community of artists and musicians! There are so many people who I've met, worked beside, collaborated with and watched grow that are so incredibly talented and unique.

It's been really cool to be involved in this community!

^{Robin in studio with her producers}

You recently posted on Instagram about successes from the past year. Can you tell us about a few highlights?

I've definitely been feeling extremely blessed with the new album I've released. It's been really cool to see so many people relate to the things I talk about in my music. The music and the topics within the songs have been very well received, and I have had opportunities that I could have never expected. It's been a huge step in my career as a musician.

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts has provided me with an Individual Project Grant that has allowed me to capitalize on my music's success and create more opportunities for my career. Through their support in marketing and promoting my project, I've been able to share my music and my personal message about mental health with new people.

This summer, I've had more streams than ever before and it has opened doors to sync licensing, radio charts, performance opportunities and so much more! I am also super excited to be attending a program from Canada's Music Incubator as one of 7 chosen to be part of APTN and RBC's Indigenous Music Accelerator. I know it will be an amazing opportunity to progress my career and learn from some amazing mentors.

Currently, I'm working on new music and looking to get back in the studio soon! I received an Individual Micro-grant from Alberta Music which is supporting my next single!

The last year has offered little opportunity for live, in-person performance. How have you adjusted during the pandemic?

The pandemic has been especially challenging for all artists and musicians, and has really challenged me to get creative! I've had to rely on different tools like social media, livestreaming, YouTube and other outlets to progress my career.

^{Robin performing in Edmonton in 2019 at the Northern Alberta Jubiliee Auditiorium}

I've been very fortunate to land performance opportunities both online and socially distanced when restrictions allowed for it. This year, my live shows are something I have been looking to improve on. I just want to give people a really great show especially when people are stuck inside and missing that human interaction! I've been investing in my live show and practicing my craft, and I can't wait for the next chance to perform!

For me, this year has been about adapting and talking about the real things that are affecting all of us, like our mental health. On the negative side, I wish I could perform live more and I wish I could have gone out, networked, and had a chance to pound the pavement for my debut album.

On the positive side, it's allowed me to take the time to reconnect with myself creatively, hone my craft and improve what I'm working on. I'm excited for what is to come!

What’s the most important thing Albertans can do to support local artists in Alberta?

One of the most important things that Albertans can do is to support local artists on social media.

By liking, following, sharing, streaming and commenting on posts, videos, music etc. you are helping our music get out there and giving positive feedback that lets us know we are supported. It only takes a moment of your time, doesn't cost anything, and helps our content reach new listeners who may support us too!

During the pandemic, when we aren't allowed to go out, play live and hustle our merch and CDs, social media is one of the only ways we are able to reach people and share what we do. If you have the funds to do so, consider purchasing some merch or CDs from an artist you love, hiring them for a socially distanced or live streamed concert, or even giving a donation or tip!

Finally, and perhaps a little controversially, the ultimate way for you to support local musicians is to make sure they're getting treated and paid fairly. We as artists have costs to cover, being a musician is a challenging career choice and, even though it is appreciated, we can't make a living and continue to make music on exposure alone.

Often I see musicians playing free shows and receiving no compensation for their time on stage, the hours of practice before, and the equipment they use. I think this is something that needs to change in the music industry. All musicians and artists appreciate it when people support them and work to make sure that they recieve fair pay for their effort, skill and time.

So next time you see someone playing live music, throw a 5'er into the guitar case or make sure your organization has a budget to compensate or present an honorarium to an artist or musician!

Robin Cisek bio

Robin uses her soulful and highly stylized vocals to create mysterious and dramatic narratives that are captivating and powerful. Robin’s inspiration comes from her own experiences and her Indigenous heritage.

Robin is emerging professional artist and released her first commercial song at the end of 2017, and then another in 2018. Robin’s single, “Waiting on You” claimed the #1 spot on an Indigenous International Radio chart and remained on the countdown for 24 weeks.

With her Freshman album, released in June 2021, Robin shows her dedication to creating music that has a profound meaning while being melodic, catchy and listenable. Through her new music she will be discussing the deep meanings and emotional aspects of mental health while infusing her lyrics and sound with hopefulness and a positive outlook on the future.

How will you take part in art and support artists? Share your experiences through social media by tagging the AFA and using the hashtag #TakePartInArt.

This research is being conducted in six waves over the course of the next year. This is a community resource that is FREE to access and results from the third wave of research are now available. 

Findings for Alberta organizations from Wave 3 results include:

• Community attitudes on comfort are becoming entrenched.
• Risk tolerance provides a richer understanding of how Albertans will approach engagement.
• Right now audiences indicate they need to hear experiences will be safe and fun.
• Capitalize on desire for shared experiences but with a focus on innovation and intimacy.
• The intersection of cohorts, shared experiences, and risk tolerance means audiences will engage, but appear to be doing so with their cohorts in mind - "will this put my friends/family at risk?". 

What are the implications for Alberta organizations?

• Comfort with conditions and other people has dampened willingness to actually engage in their usual activities. It is likely this variable is an additional barrier impacting final consideration of participating in activities.
• The benefits you offer and the messaging you broadcast must overcome that broader interpretation of risk. Whereas risk used to be overcome simply by appealing to the motivations of the individual, now we will have to assuage safety/health concerns that impact the people around the individual (i.e. safety measures are not just for you; they are for those around you.)
• Knowing who you can reach, what to offer them and what to say will be critical as organizations plan how to engage audiences in the coming months.
• Right now audiences indicate they need to hear the experiences they will have are safe and fun. This is critical for building confidence and organizations need to reinforce those dual messages of safety/comfort with enjoyment. The weight of each type of message will vary depending on how risk tolerant the audience is.
• Audiences need to hear they will be able to have the desired shared experiences but that the experience is safe (for them and their cohort). To balance those needs of social, safety, and fun, organizations will need to develop and continuously reinvent (often many times over) the types of small group offerings that deliver this.
• Opportunities exist for organizations in the experience economy to engage Albertans by balancing the notion of cohorts with shared experiences. Show them how to engage with their entire cohort or at least show the activity will not put their cohort at risk.

Download the reports:

• Alberta Report
• Calgary Report 
• Edmonton Report

You can subscribe to receive notifications when the new reports are available by visiting stone-olafson.com. 

About the project

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts is pleased to be a funding partner in this collaboration with Stone-Olafson and other community leaders to develop a long-term research investigation and evaluate how current conditions will reshape Albertans’ attitudes and behaviours towards social and group activities, across a variety of sectors. The purpose of this work is to give leaders of community sports, recreation, arts and culture, professional sports, active living, heritage, tourism or hospitality sectors relevant facts about local audiences that they will need to bring life back to our communities.

The initiative is being funded by: 

• ActiveCITY Collective
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts 
• Angus Reid
• ATB
• Calgary Arts Development 
• Calgary Foundation
• Edmonton Arts Council
• Edmonton Community Foundation
• Rozsa Foundation
• Stone-Olafson
• Travel Alberta