2022 Azrieli Music Prizes Gala Concert | Orchestre Metropolitain

Program

Iman Habibi

Shāhīn-nāmeh, for voice and orchestra (premiere)
Aharon Harlap

Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord, for soprano and orchestra

Intermission: 20 minutes
Rita Ueda

Birds Calling… from the Canada in You, for shō, suona/sheng and orchestra (premiere)

Join the Azrieli Music Prizes on a journey through eras, environments and cultures, exploring enduring yet contemporary concerns via the musical imagination of today’s best composers.

Iman Habibi’s Shāhīn-nāmeh explores 14th Century Judeo-Persian poetry, sung in a traditional Persian style. He exposes the close affinities between Persians and Jews dating back centuries.

Rita Ueda’s double concerto embraces birdsong and landscape to reflect on Canada’s shifting multiculturalism. She asks, “What does it mean to migrate and settle on land already rich in history?”

Canadian-Israeli composer Aharon Harlap gives us five psalms for soprano and orchestra follow an emotional journey from despair to hope and celebration. This is a song cycle with an uplifting message for our times.