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Chris Opperman, Ann Southam - Pond Life II

from Still Waters by Chris Opperman

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Ann Southam (1937 - 2010)

Canadian pianist Eve Egoyan once remarked that of Southam, “there is a close connection between composing for or playing the piano and other forms of work done by hand, such as weaving, that reflect the nature of traditional women’s work – repetitive, life-sustaining, requiring time and patience. But through it all, runs a thread of questioning....”

Throughout her fifty-year career, Canadian composer Ann Southam created a great variety of works including piano pieces, chamber music and orchestral pieces, and music for dance. She was also a pioneer of electronic music.

While still a teenager, she developed an interest in composition after a summer spent at the Banff School of Fine Arts. She eventually landed at the Royal Conservatory of Music where she was introduced to the world of “tape music” and electronic composition. Eventually, she became a teacher of electroacoustic composition at her alma mater. Here she met choreographer Patricia Beatty (founder of the Toronto Dance Theatre), who introduced Southam to the world of modern dance. Southam wrote at least thirty electronic works for Beatty’s productions which helped establish her as one of Canada’s leading composers.

Shortly before her death, she was inducted into the Order of Canada. Her citation read, “for her contributions as one of Canada’s prominent women composers, known for electronic, acoustic and orchestral works, and as a philanthropist and committed volunteer.” A direct descendant of newspaper baron William Southam, she bequeathed $14 million to the Canadian’s Women’s Foundation upon her death.

Program Note for Pond Life by Chris Opperman
“My understanding is that Pond Life was Southam’s final completed work (initially recorded by Christina Petrowska Quilico) and it is a great privilege to present it here. The reason why the movements are not presented together is because, as the impetus for the entire project, I wanted its presence to linger and be felt throughout. The pieces (hand-written
and sans barlines) ask a series of wordless questions, which become more emphatic and detailed in their asking. The first, second, and fourth movements are slower, with a much more difficult third movement that asks its questions most insistently. I won’t pretend to know the questions Southam was asking, but I will say that they have been a delight to ask over and over again.”

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from Still Waters, released November 3, 2023
Chris Opperman: Piano

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Chris Opperman Clifton, New Jersey

Chris wields a special array of expertise. He's a composer of wildly original music, a top orchestrator/arranger, a visionary educator, and a trusted music industry advisor.

With Arnie & Eric Roth of AWR Music, Chris has worked on several international tours including Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY.

His arrangements have been performed at premiere venues including Carnegie Hall. ... more

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