Feminine Endings
In the Summer of 2021, Abigail and collaborative pianist Ria Kim participated in the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s inaugural Evolution Classical Program. The program saw interdisciplinary mentors and 12 musical entities from across North America come together to workshop 12, 40-minute original concept recitals that were live-streamed by the Banff Centre as part of the EvoFest: Evolution Concert Series.
Sinclair and Kim’s curation, entitled Feminine Endings, focussed on how “the Heroine” and her depiction through music have been constantly evolving topics since the birth of the musical drama.
Musical selections explored myths of ancient goddesses, queens and witches and how these familiar stories continually reinvented through the voices and lived experiences of contemporary female composers, poets and performers.
The program spanned almost 300 years of art music for voice and piano, to depict the continual evolution of the modern Heroine.
Feminine Endings was made possible with support from the National Arts Centre of Canada and Scotia Festival of Music.
Venus - For Soprano and Piano
Venus is known as the Roman goddess of love, a symbol that inspired the pursuit of elegance and perfection. It is also the name of a carnivorous plant, which may be a symbol of lust and desire to some people. Beginning with this name and an image of a flower, the song Venus explores the beauty aspect of femininity and dichotomies that women often encounter in the 21st century: Is she pretty or smart? Does elegance mean fragility? Can she be delicate and powerful at the same time? Is she being judged by her looks or her talent? There is, of course, not one mold that fits all, but one thing is for sure: she is the most beautiful when she is herself.
Program Notes - Venus (with Vivian Kwok & Yi Duo Cheng)
"The Heroine" takes centre stage in Feminine Endings, a recital by pianist Ria Kim and soprano Abigail Sinclair. Feminine Endings is presented through the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity's EvoFest: Evolution Concert Series 2021.
Kalypso - For Soprano and Piano
A performance of Cecilia Livingston's "Kalypso" by pianist Ria Kim, and soprano Abigail Sinclair that featured in Feminine Endings, a livestreamed recital created for The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity's 2021 EvoFest: Evolution Concert Series.