Shea Iles

“Shea Iles is a Métis composer from Grande Prairie, Alberta. He graduated from MacEwan University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Music and is currently working towards a Master’s degree in Composition at the University of Calgary. His musical background consists largely of rock, pop, and jazz, but he was introduced to contemporary classical music through New Music Edmonton concerts during his undergrad. This eventually led to the premiere of his own works “Two Sonnets for Piano Trio” for Land’s End Ensemble at the Alchemy Festival 2023 and “pen and ink for solo cello,” for India Gailey in January 2024, hosted by NME. His compositional process is heavily influenced by his interest in other disciplines, such as film, visual art, mathematics, and poetry.”

“During the intermission of Sound Atlas events, you will hear miniature compositions performed by [the students of Sound Atlas’s educational initiative]. These pieces are part of my thesis project in which I am exploring poetic forms as they may relate to musical structure. In this particular collection, I am looking to the brevity and simplicity of the form known as ‘haiku’ to create concise, self-contained miniatures for any solo instrument.”