June 16, 2014: the annual SOCAN Awards. The big 25th anniversary bash at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto. I’m at the awards because I’m the recipient of the Jan V. Matejcek New Classical Music Award. (Matejcek was the first CEO of SOCAN. You can find out more about him at the Canadian Encyclopedia.) This is the only classical music award SOCAN gives out, so I’m pretty chuffed to get it. Plus I get to be in the same room as Gordon Lightfoot.
I got an e-mail last August telling me I’d been selected for the award. Which rather made my day, to put it mildly. It was to be handed out in November, the usual time of the awards. I was to keep it a secret until then. Not long after, I got another message that the 2013 awards were being folded into the June gala for the 25th anniversary. Nice for the bigger splash, but longer to have to keep the secret!
The Matejcek Award is for achievement in “New Classical” composition (which is what SOCAN calls what I do!) in the previous year, which in this case was 2012. It encompasses CD releases, airplay, premieres, and more. And looking back, 2012 certainly was a memorable year for me. Seven world premieres, including my oratorio Afghanistan: Requiem for a Generation with texts by Suzanne Steele, and JUNO nominations and a Western Canadian Music Award for my portrait CD Fugitive Colours, recorded by the Vancouver Symphony with the Gryphon Trio. Those are two projects of which I am very proud—the Requiem for giving me the chance to be part of something powerful and relevant (thanks, Calgary Philharmonic and One Yellow Rabbit!), and the CD which was chosen by Naxos to launch its Canadian Classics series and which chronicles my long-term collaboration with the Vancouver Symphony and its music director Bramwell Tovey.
Really, my job is to put the notes on the page and then turn them over to the performers. I’m lucky to have worked with countless talented musicians. I thank each and every one for the support and confidence in me and my work.
A composer’s life is about riding the wave. That year I got to ride a particularly big kahuna. It’s an honour to have it recognised by SOCAN.
And how many chances will I have to put on a tux and walk the red carpet? Here’s a time lapse video of the red carpet arrivals (I’m at the 1:30 mark—don’t blink!):
http://youtu.be/yNoIvNsfDf0
Congrats Jeffrey!
Thanks, Marc! Were your ears burning that night? Michael Neilson and I were sitting together and talking about you. Great to hear from you!