RC Gala Fundraiser
le français suit
Eat, Drink, Listen, and Laugh while supporting a great cause: Improv, Music, Storytelling and Good Company.
A House Concert in Wakefield, Quebec (20 minutes from Ottawa)
December 9th, 2023 at 7pm
We welcome you to join us for Radical Connections' Gala Fundraiser featuring a sampling of our talented artists who are both very accomplished in their artistic domains and deeply committed to working with vulnerable people in healthcare, whether they are living in residential care, hospitals or the wider community.
Radical Connections brings a stellar array of musicians, storytellers, poets, and actors to people in care who are often artists themselves. Accessing an online artist directory, residents, patients and people aging in place are given the opportunity to connect with artists of their choice for virtual or in-person performances or workshops.
At this event loop pedal violist, composer and arranger, Kathryn Patricia Cobbler, presents traditional folk and war songs, resonant with Canadian elders, through a new harmonic lens. She will also play some original pieces.
Hailing from Canada’s Capital region, Cobbler has crafted a singular niche in music improvisation and classical performance. A recipient of one of Ottawa Arts Council’s Emerging Artist awards, she has been featured in Canada’s most notable concert series, including Chamberfest, Music and Beyond, and the Ottawa New Music Creators’ Analogue Series.
Chas Guay is a consummate professional musician with a background in geriatric and psychiatric support work. He has a wonderful ability to connect with his audience using his extensive repertoire. He is described as a groove oriented musician who leans toward the chill side, framing songs with intimacy and a mature poetic charm
Chas states, “Music has served me well throughout my life and I enjoy sharing the value of harmony, melody, and rhythm. I have seen music to be a great connector.”
Guay is a recipient of the East Coast Music Award for Musical Achievement. His performances feature selected folk and sixties classics mixed with some originals. He has worked as a recording artist for twenty-five years and continues to perform in the Ottawa area as a singer/songwriter under the guise of Drifting Bird.
Passionate, dedicated singer-songwriter Empress Nyringango showcases a unique blend of Afro-blues, jazz, soul, and Rwandan folk music. She sings in Kinyarwanda, Swahili, French and English.
She has performed in Rwanda, Egypt, Kenya, Congo, and Canada. She has also participated in international events in her hometown Ottawa where she headlined the Women Art festival at the Arts Gallery in 2019 and the Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario Showcase in Parkdale 2021. Empress Nyiringango has released her debut album -Resilience in 2016 and EP- Ishimwe (gratitude) in 2019. Her second album Ubuntu was released in 2022.
Inspired by Calgary’s Inside Out Theatre actor, playwright and director Eleanor Crowder and storyteller and disability rights activist Kim Kilpatrick will demonstrate the improvisational theatre they have been facilitating for the seniors at the Dementia Society’s Daisy Cafe. They will need some help from the audience.
Proud to be completely blind, Kim Kilpatrick has a history of championing artists with disabilities. Kilpatrick has also worked in long-term and palliative care as a music therapist. She is known for her well-crafted stories and shows including three solo shows about her life with blindness which have been performed across Canada. Kim has also taught many workshops on the art of storytelling especially for others with disabilities.
Eleanor Crowder is a member of several artist collectives, including Bear & Co., Calalou, and The AWAY Collective. This past spring she presented the outdoor dance collaboration Skin Songs. Along with her involvement in Radical Connections, Eleanor works with children and seniors through MASC.
The event will also feature fan favourites Concert Docs with concert pianist Dr. Carol Wiebe and Special Guests tenor Colin Ainsworth and collaborative pianist Laura Loewen.
Colin Ainsworth has been praised for his exquisite control and emotional directness. He has distinguished himself not only with his interpretations of the major Classical and Baroque tenor roles but also with his performances in contemporary opera. He has has appeared with various opera companies including the Canadian Opera Company, Seattle Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, and the Royal Opera (London) performing such roles as Lensky in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Gluck’s Orphée et Euridice, and Tamino in The Magic Flute.. On the concert stage, has appeared with the Montreal Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Music of the Baroque and at Carnegie Hall with the American Symphony Orchestra.
Praised for expressivity, virtuosity, and committed playing, Laura Loewen has appeared in concerts throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America. In addition to her work as the Desautels Faculty of Music's Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, Dr. Loewen is an associate professor collaborative piano and a vocal coach. Dr. Loewen is also a long-time member of the faculty of the NUOVA opera training program in Edmonton, Alberta.
Francais
Connexions vitales Gala-bénéfice
Mangez, buvez, écoutez et riez tout en soutenant une grande cause : improvisation, musique, narration et bonne compagnie.
Un concert maison à Wakefield, Québec (20 minutes d'Ottawa)
9 décembre, 2023 à 19h
Nous vous invitons à nous joindre pour la collecte de fonds d'automne de Connexions vitales, en partenariat avec la Galerie d'art d'Ottawa, qui présentera un échantillon de nos artistes talentueux, à la fois très accomplis dans leurs domaines artistiques et profondément engagés dans le travail avec les personnes vulnérables en soins de longue durée, dans les hôpitaux ou au sein de la communauté. Connexions vitales fait appel à un large éventail de musiciens, de conteurs, de poètes et d'acteurs pour venir en aide aux personnes soignées, qui sont souvent elles-mêmes des artistes.
Lors de cet événement, Kathryn Patricia Cobbler, altiste à pédale, compositrice et arrangeuse, présentera des chants folkloriques et guerriers traditionnels, qui trouvent un écho chez les aînés canadiens, à travers une nouvelle perspective harmonique. Elle jouera également quelques pièces originales.
Chas Guay a une merveilleuse capacité à communiquer avec son public, grâce à son vaste répertoire. Il est décrit comme un musicien orienté vers le groove qui penche vers le côté chill, encadrant les chansons avec intimité et un charme poétique mature.
Inspirés par «Inside Out Theatre» de Calgary, l'actrice, dramaturge et metteuse en scène Eleanor Crowder et la conteuse et militante pour les droits des personnes handicapées Kim Kilpatrick feront une démonstration du théâtre d'improvisation qu'elles Concert Docs les personnes âgées du Daisy Café de la Société de la démence d’Ottawa et du comté de Renfrew.
L'événement présentera également les favoris des fans, Concert Docs, avec la pianiste de concert Dr. Carol Wiebe, le ténor Colin Ainsworth et la pianiste collaboratrice Laura Loewen.