eklektikos is Prince Edward Island's only ensemble dedicated to presenting contemporary chamber music. Instrumentation is flexible and is determined by the needs of each performance situation.
Our goal is to present a wide variety of music. Some of the works will be immediately accessible to the listener, others will challenge their listening skills (and perhaps even their patience!). By providing a balanced program, we hope audiences will find that contemporary classical music concerts can be an enjoyable experience, as well as intellectually and aurally stimulating.
Since its inception early in 2002, eklektikos has given several recitals, many of which were devoted entirely to the music of Canadian composers. We have premiered 21 works for chamber ensemble, 13 by PEI composers. In the spring of 2002 eklektikos recorded the soundtrack to a local independent film, Picking Lucy's Brain, and in October 2002 we were invited to perform at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Acoustical Association in Charlottetown. eklektikos serves an important role in bringing new music to PEI audiences.
In the spring of 2005, eklektikos embarked on a major project to generate new repertoire by PEI composers. The project was made possible with funding received, in part, from the PEI Council of the Arts. Eight PEI composers wrote new works which eklektikos presented in a workshop-style setting for the composers on March 26, 2005. The works were then performed twice in Spring 2005, once in a recital at UPEI, and once at the Charlottetown Mall as part of the "New Music in New Places" program funded by the Canadian Music Centre in partnership with SOCAN.
Another exciting project was the Atlantic Canadian Young Composers Workshop held in Charlottetown in July, 2007. With funding from the P.E.I. Council of the Arts, eklektikos, under the leadership of artistic director Dale Sorensen and composer-in-residence Jim O'Leary, invited four talented young composers from Atlantic Canada to participate in the intense 4-day workshop which resulted in several new chamber works. Read more here.
"Eklektikos" is the Greek word from which "eclectic" is derived. The last hundred years have seen an explosion in the variety of music that classical composers have created. At no time in history has there been such an incredible array of styles being practiced all at the same time. Serialism, neo-Classicism, neo-Romanticism, Impressionism, and Minimalism are some of the labels which have been applied, not to mention the influence of jazz, rock and other world cultures. This period in music history may well be referred to as "eclecticism".
Musicians who have performed with eklektikos:
Dale Sorensen, trombone, artistic director; Lorne Altman, accordion; Jacques Arsenault, baritone; Karin Aurell, flute; Anne Bergstrom, flute; Suzanne Campbell, voice; Krista Carruthers, percussion; Richard Covey, piano; Jim Dickson, banjo; Kay Diviney, flute; Rob Drew, guitar; Deryl Gallant, double bass; Karen Graves, violin; Nick Howard, trumpet; Branden Kelly, percussion; Karen Langille, violin; Kathryn Ledwell, piano; David Cyrus MacDonald, percussion; Jonathan MacInnis, saxophone; Cameron MacLaine, trombone; Kevin MacLean, alto saxophone; Laura MacLeod, trumpet; Amanda Mark, flute; Jamie Mark, clarinet/tenor saxophone; Bob Nicholson, bass trombone; Mark Parsons, trumpet; Helen Pridmore, voice; Matthew Rowsell, trombone; Morgan Saulnier, flute; Karem Simon, clarinet; Barrie Sorensen, clarinet/tenor saxophone; Jacqueline Sorensen Young, piano; Rick Tersteeg, cello; Seth von Handorf, saxophone; Kirk White, percussion; Natalie Williams Calhoun, cello.
