Toronto composer Andrew Staniland turns Evolution on its ear

In response to CBC Radio/Radio-Canada's new Evolution competition for young composers, Toronto-based composer Andrew Staniland thought he'd translate Charles Darwin's theories into music. But as he worked on his composition for small orchestra, he realised that he was working from the complex back to more simple structures -- turning the famous scientist's ideas upside down.

The resulting three-movement composition, Devolution, was the top winner of the competition on Friday night, picking up the $20,000 Grand Prize as well as the $5,000 Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne prize. Written in the company of four other competition finalists ensconced at the Banff Centre starting March 2, the composition brings together textures and atmospheres in fairly stark ways.

The other winner on Friday was Ottawa-born Vincent Ho, who received the $5,000 People's Choice award for a piece entitled "Nature's Whisper." Each of the five finalists was also given $5,000 commissioning money.

You can see and hear the Ensemble Concemporain de Montreal (under Veronique Lacroix) perform Devolution in an arty music video from the CBC's Evolution website.

The composer keeps an excellent website at www.andrewstaniland.com

Here is a profile of Staniland produced by the CBC on the sixth day of the Evolution competition:

Comments

[Robert Carl Parisien Natick MA]

I heard vincent ho's music. Its very nice. Nice to hear he won something for his hard work. Robert Carl Parisien Natick MA

[K. Singh]

I was impressed by Staniland's piece! Vince Ho's piece was good too - although not as challenging. David Adamcyk's piece had some very beautiful moments in it as well. All in all a very good concert - bravo to the CBC for taking the risk. Wish there was more of this stuff!