Aventa Ensemble
Aventa, founded in 2003, is a Victoria-based ensemble with a mission statement of performing and fostering new music in British Columbia and Canada. We achieve our mission statement and serve our diverse audiences through a variety of activities including our main concert series, special presentations, outreach activity and touring. Under the artistic direction of Bill Linwood, the ensemble is comprised of musicians who are passionate about new music and its place in our culture. Aventa New Music Society is a registered non-profit society with charitable status.
Aventa regularly commissions both Canadian and international composers and has presented premieres of over 80 works both in Canada and on tour. Recent highlights from the international repertoire include the Canadian premieres of Anders Nordentoft’s opera On This Planet and Pierre Boulez’s Dérive II (1988-2007) of which Robert Everett-Green from the Globe and Mail wrote; “I can hardly give enough praise to the 13 players of Victoria's Aventa Ensemble and conductor Bill Linwood, who tackled all this difficult music with skill, passion and dedication”
As a finale to an exciting 2010/11 season, Aventa embarks on its third international tour in May 2011 with performances in Sweden, Denmark, Germany and New York City. Highlights include appearances at Denmark’s Athelas New Music Festival and the European premiere of celebrated Canadian composer, Gilles Tremblay’s À quelle heure commence le temps? Hailed as “a superb contemporary-music ensemble” (Globe and Mail), Aventa is amongst Canada’s finest musical ambassadors.
In a continuing commitment to Canadian repertoire, Aventa presented 25 Canadian works and 10 premieres over the last year. Highlights have included our Victoria concert series, critically acclaimed international and national tours and a residency at the Banff Centre. "Aventa - directed by Bill Linwood, has a knack for putting complementary compositions together. For those of us who think contrast is overrated, their programs are a treat." - Globe and Mail, Feb. 5, 2008.
In February 2010, the ensemble appeared in Montreal as part of Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ) Hommage à Gilles Tremblay. As part of SMCQ’s 44th main concert series, this concert honored renowned Canadian composer Gilles Tremblay. In the words of SMCQ’s Artistic Director, Walter Boudreau: “Aventa Ensemble’s high quality of performances and original repertoire has made it one of Canada’s most appreciated contemporary music ensembles. William Linwood and his ensemble present a particularly inspired Tremblay.”
In April 2010, the ensemble embarked on a national tour, which included performances in Victoria, Montreal, Toronto and Halifax. The tour featured Pierre Boulez’s Le Marteau sans Maître, British Columbia composer Dániel Péter Biró’s Mishpatim and Gilles Tremblay’s Chants Convergents. “Le Marteau came last on a program which had already scaled the heights … Aventa Ensemble delivered an amazing performance of it under the direction of conductor Bill Linwood” – Stephen Pedersen, The Chronicle Herald, Halifax. The ensemble’s focus on the repertoire of Pierre Boulez continued in January with critically acclaimed performances of his 2006 masterpiece Dérive II and premieres from Jordan Nobles (BC), André Ristic (QC) and Piotr Grella-Mozejko (AB) in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton.
In June 2010, Aventa participated in a two-week residency at the Banff Centre joined by composer Gavin Bryars, director Joel Ivany and British Columbia author and librettist Marilyn Bowering. This Banff Centre Production Residency for BC Artists allowed Aventa to refine Bryars’ opera Marilyn and featured a workshop performance on June 12, 2010. Commissioned by Aventa, this opera is based on the iconic figure of Marilyn Monroe and features the Faroese artist Eivør Pálsdóttir in the lead role. The premiere of Marilyn will take place in Victoria in October of 2012.
Aventa’s 2011/12 concert season begins with Ignite!, our annual Composers Workshop, which serves student and emerging composers across Canada. Guest composers Michael Finnissy (UK) and Michael Oesterle (QC), join Aventa in working with participating composers in the development of their music. Season highlights include a week-residency with Sir Peter Maxwell Davies as the ensemble presents the world premiere of his 2011 work Stormwatch, Stormfall, written for Aventa.
Aventa has been fortunate to receive generous support from all three levels of government and are encouraged by support received from Foundations, international support, private donors, sponsorship and our growing audience. Aventa occupies a unique position within the Canadian music community. The ensemble has established itself as a leader in contemporary programming through an established concert series, tours, commissions and premiere performances. Further information can be found at www.aventa.ca
"a superb contemporary-music ensemble" – Elissa Poole, Globe and Mail
“a superb Canadian ensemble” – Sueddeutsche, München
“an amazing performance” – Stephen Pedersen, The Chronicle Herald, Halifax
“an uncommonly compelling interpretation” – B5 Kultur, München
“tight and well-prepared” – Arthur Kaptainis, Montreal Gazette
“a remarkable performance, a tour-de-force to match the music” – Deryk Barker, Music in Victoria
"I can hardly give enough praise to the 13 players of Victoria's Aventa Ensemble and conductor Bill Linwood, who tackled all this difficult music with skill, passion and dedication". – Robert Everett-Green, Globe and Mail
“You've had a glimpse of infinity, and lo and behold, it's a nice place to be” – Elissa Poole, Opus Magazine
