27-29 June 2024
Composers with World Premiers
Colleen Athparia, an internationally recognized pianist, has made an impressive career as both solo and chamber performer, a renowned teacher, Senior Examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music, composer, and recording artist with ten CDs, most featuring Canadian music. In 2017 she was awarded “RCM Teacher of Distinction for Alberta” as a leader in the field of music education. Recent works include “Songs of Susanna” set to 4 poems by Margaret Atwood. Heralded by the National Post as one of the top four Canadian pianists of contemporary music, Colleen was honoured in Ottawa in 2009 as one of the top 50 esteemed musicians in Canada who has contributed significantly to the Canadian music scene over the past 50 years.
Denis was born in Bauru, a city in the province of Sao Paulo - Brazil. His compositions cover a variety of genres: instrumental, choir, electroacoustic, music for video and theatre. Before going to university, Denis studied classical piano with Suzana Saconato and the cuban pianist Rosa Tolon. He also started his Jazz piano and Brazilian music studies with Daniel Magalhães, a pianist and percussionist from the Tatui conservatory. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil. During this period he studied composition with Denise Garcia, Luiz Henrique Xavier, Ney Carrasco, Jonatas Manzoli, Silvio Ferraz and José Augusto Mannis. He moved to Canada in 2010 and since then he has been giving concerts, workshops, and masterclasses in conferences and events. Denis Nassar completed his Masters degree in Music Composition in 2017 at the University of Calgary being mentored by Allan Gordon Bell.
Babür Tongur is from Istanbul Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory. He composed for solo instruments, chamber music groups, orchestra, ballet, opera and theater. His compositions are played in Turkey, Europe and North America, and took place on several CDs. He worked as conductor, music director and instructor between 1979-2007. Between 2007-2009, he lived and composed in Bodrum (Halicarnassus) - Turkey. Since 2009, he has lived and composed in Canada. Babur Tongur grounded his compositional language on the concept of gravity and seriality, modality and subjectivity. He organizes his musical storytelling in time and space through metamorphosis and contrasts on the stage. Between 1978 and 2008 he worked as conductor, music director and composer in Istanbul State Theater, Ankara State Theater and Kenter Theater for various plays. He co-founded Istanbul Theater Orchestra in 1978. He conducted the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Orchestra as well as teaching various courses in the university from 1979 to 2007. Babür Tongur compiled music during field research in rural areas of Turkey as well as demographic research. His papers were accepted in various national and international conferences and symposiums on composition, musicology, and education of music. Babur Tongur had a distinctive teaching career in music. In 1979, he started to teach part time in Istanbul State Conservatory and Marmara University. From 1983 to 2007, he taught full time at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory in Orchestral Conducting and Composition Division. Babur Tongur co-founded TongurMusic-Publishing, Organisation-Education- in Calgary in 2014.