Hard Rubber New Music Society
Since its inception in 1991, the Hard Rubber New Music Society has always pushed the definition of new and contemporary music with its flagship ensemble the Hard Rubber Orchestra and more recently with projects that expand and support its musical community including Mixtophonics, Sound Palace and Absolute Unit. These projects have enabled the Society to engage exciting and eclectic emerging local artists.
The Society wishes your support to continue to support young and emerging composers, to bring audiences and artists together in fun, entertaining and meaningful ways and to share the knowledge and music of those past, present and future.
1. Music Commissions and Reading Sessions
Commissioning of New Work
The commissioning of new work has always been of prime importance to the orchestra. The orchestra has commissioned over 60 famed Canadian composers in its 35 years, such as Kenny Wheeler, John Hollenbeck, Darcy James Argue, Christine Jensen, Peggy Lee, Marianne Trudel, Brad Turner, Fred Stride, Anna Webber, Linda Bouchard and upcoming future stars such as Shruti Ramani, Ben Sigerson, Dean Thiessen and Gabriella Yorke.
Reading Sessions for Emerging Composers
Another important activity we have initiated was the Reading Session for Emerging Composers. Each selected emerging composer receives 30 minutes with an orchestra, to rehearse and perform their new piece. In the past, each recipient received a lesson famed Canadian composers Christine Jensen and Jill Townsend, plus a recording and video of the session. Twenty-four composers have participated, such as Jaelem Bhate, Dean Thiessen, Mariah Mennie, Gabriella Yorke, Ben Sigerson, Mary Ancheta, Casey Thomas-Burns, and Chris Berner.
2. Free Concerts
Hard Rubber New Music has presented free concerts at the Woodwards Atrium in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside among other locations throughout the region.
The popular 18-piece Absolute Unit, draws crowds of young and old, residents and visitors to the Woodwards Atrium with live music that morphs from cerebral ambient music to funk to soaring and spacious horns plus a few hits from the 70s all performed by the city's top musicians including two drummers, 4 laptop/ electronica performers, two keyboard players, bass player, guitarist, six horns, vocalist and a projection artist.
3. Jocelyn Morlock Fund
Funds raised will be used to support the maintenance of Jocelyn Morlock website (jocelynmorlock.ca), where visitors can download free pdfs and scores of Morlock's over 100 works. Funds will also go towards recording and performing the music of Jocelyn Morlock.
Jocelyn Morlock (b.1969, Saint Boniface, MB – d.2023, Vancouver, BC) is one of Canada's leading composers and will be remembered for music that is at once lyrical, quirky, and deeply rooted in emotion. She was the inaugural composer-in-residence for Vancouver's Music on Main Society (2012-2014), co-host of ISCM World New Music Days 2017, and composer-in-residence of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (2014-2019) — the first woman to be appointed to this position. In 2015, Morlock was one of four composers selected by the National Arts Centre Orchestra for its multimedia symphonic suite Life Reflected. For this project, she wrote My Name is Amanda Todd, a tribute to the teen from Port Coquitlam, BC, who took her own life due to cyberbullying. This work was performed across Canada and went on to win the 2018 JUNO Award for Classical Composition for the Year.
Donation Form
Make a donation by filling out the form below. If you would like to dedicate your donation to a specific fund, please select the one you wish to designate under the "Fund" field. Please select "General" if you would like support all of the society's activities.
Thank you for your generosity!