Featured Articles

Roxanne Nesbitt's Soft Storms Welcomed and Jason Doell's Leaning Into Softness Two honourable mentions were given at Musicworks' 2020 Electronic Music Composition Contest: the first to Roxanne Nesbitt's Soft Storms Welcomed, and the second to Jason Doell's Leaning into Softness.   Roxanne Nesbitt is an[...] Read more

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Joan Tan Jing Wen’s Study of Fragile Objects #1 Singaporean composer Joan Tan Jing Wen’s Study of Fragile Objects #1 was awarded third place in the 2024 Musicworks Electronic Music Composition Contest.   Hit the PLAY button above to listen.    Tan Jing Wen shared notes with Musicworks about how[...] Read more

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Christine Sun Kim Explores the Politics of Sound “Low frequencies just being abstract and shit — High frequencies be like anal and micromanaging for no good reason — Silence oblivious as ever”   These words are handwritten in a drawing that was included in an exhibition of new works by[...] Read more

Sound Notes Christopher Willes Issue 123

Suddenly Listen Expands its Chamber Space Trust. Vulnerability. Flexibility. Holistic listening. Non-hierarchical cooperation. Embrace of the unknown. Sense of adventure. These are some of the themes that arise when considering improvised music. If you have ever attended a concert of free-improvised music, you might have experienced[...] Read more

Featured Article Monica Pearce Issue 138

What's Inside Musicworks 130 - Spring 2018 Musicworks turns 40 this year. It’s been quite a journey from the DIY newsprint tabloid published in 1978 to Musicworks 130—our first-ever full-colour issue! Buy the print issue (or print+CD combo) from our shop, or start your subscription today. On the Cover[...] Read more

Featured Article Issue 130

Bekah Simms’ Music of Discomfort Bekah Simms likes music that challenges. “I don't want to ever get too comfortable,” she tells me, as we sit down to talk about her work. “I don’t want it ever to be super easy to write a piece, because I feel like then I won’t be a better composer when I[...] Read more

Sound Bite Sara Constant Issue 128

The Musical Lightness of Éric Normand The world of improvised music has spawned a core of musician–organizers who have built scenes and networks and record labels to support and extend the music. Few, however, have achieved what Éric Normand has, creating a hotbed of free improvisation in the relatively isolated[...] Read more

Featured Article Stuart Broomer Issue 126

Phivos-Angelos Kollias' Nostophiliac AI Third place in the 2022 Musicworks Electronic Music Composition Contest was awarded to  Phivos-Angelos Kollias for video-music piece "Nostophiliac AI."   “We interact daily with algorithms that emulate human perception and collective[...] Read more

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The Spatial Sonic Designs of Juro Kim Feliz Genres can be compared to landscapes: they are places where people gawk like tourists, set up camp on Spotify playlists, and explore musical structures. Juro Kim Feliz sat down with me in November 2021 to talk about the challenges of creating in both the Filipino and the Canadian[...] Read more

Sound Bite Rachel Evangeline Chiong Issue 141

Cage And Duchamp's Reunion FULL-TEXT AVAILABLE IN PRINT EDITION ONLY   On the periphery of the dimly lit stage of Toronto’s Ryerson Theatre, four musicians are setting up musical instruments, laptops, and various musical gadgets in preparation for the evening’s all-night performance. Audio[...] Read more

Profile Chris Kennedy Issue 111

Casey Koyczan Resonates the Future In early July 2020 it was my pleasure to interview Tlicho Dene interdisciplinary artist Casey Koyczan. He is extremely generous and open. I have done my best to represent our conversation in order for readers to discover and understand his creative practices. Focusing on the Northwest[...] Read more

Featured Article Mercedes Webb Issue 137

Alanna Stuart Embraces the Bombast Multidimensional artist and music producer Alanna Stuart is constantly evolving. She regards categories not as borders but as things to be transcended. In her acclaimed duo Bonjay, with Ian “Pho” Swain, as well as her collaborative projects and her solo songwriting, she is[...] Read more

Featured Article Gloria Blizzard Issue 141