Marion Newman, a critically acclaimed mezzo-soprano of Kwagiulth and Stó:lō First Nations, English, Irish and Scottish heritage, joins the Chan Centre as guest curator for the 2021/22 season. We are thrilled to welcome her vision for a series that features a breadth of incredible Indigenous talent.
“Each of the artists I have invited to join us for this series has a unique voice and style. I am proud to share some of the incredible talent and diversity that makes up the Indigenous music world of this land. I hope that these artists will feel free to express themselves in the way they want to be seen and heard. For a long time, musical artists of all genres have often been expected to share something specific that fits an image others hold of them. Sometimes this has resulted in success. For Indigenous people, more specifically, there are many stereotypes and perceptions that do not match my experience of being an Indigenous woman thriving in the classical music world.
When I get to make my own choices about how I present a concert, the audience has a chance to meet the me that I most want to share with them in that moment and in that place. As we artists emerge from the stereotyped boxes we have been placed in, our art has a chance to develop and evolve naturally. From there, real and meaningful dialogue can follow and misconceptions about who Indigenous people are can be replaced by our rich and diverse reality.”
