{ Monthly Archives }
Alberta Government — April 30, 2004.
Lieutenant Governor Lois Hole announced the Alberta Order of Excellence inductees for 2004. This year’s list includes Ann McCaig, a member of the Banff Centre Foundation, and John and Barbara Poole, who have made important contributions to The Banff Centre.
Government of Alberta
— April 18, 2004.
The recipients of the Grant MacEwan Literary Awards were announced at the annual Alberta Book Awards Gala on April 17. The Author’s Award of $25,000 was presented to Fred Stenson of Calgary for Lightning, published by Douglas & McIntyre in Vancouver, BC. Stenson is a faculty member of Writing & Publishing at the Banff Centre.
The Globe and Mail — April 17, 2004 – Page F9 “Mr. Fenyves, who died on March 23 at the age of 86 while travelling in Switzerland, was a violinist with wide experience in all forms of classical and contemporary music. He began his solo career at the age of 13, was a founding member of the Israel String Quartet and served as concertmaster of the Israel Philharmonic and of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, where he worked under the great Swiss conductor Ernest Ansermet. But it was as a teacher that Mr. Fenyves made the most profound mark on his art. The force and subtlety of his pedagogy has had an immeasurable impact on music in Canada, where his students have included Andrew Dawes, Steven Dann and Erika Raum.”
Calgary Herald — April 15, 2004.  
The Banff Television Foundation has filed for bankruptcy, owing its creditors nearly $900,000.
Locally, the Buffalo Mountain Lodge is on the hook for more than $52,000 and the Banff Centre is owed nearly $50,000.
Toronto Star — April 15, 2004.
Choreographer Serge Bennathan’s drama about Europe’s Gypsies, Tziganes, performed by Dancemakers, opens in Toronto.
Bennathan, Gzowski and the dancers enjoyed a residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts during which they worked to create a fictional space in which characters can develop.
Business Edge — April 15, 2004.
“Like the mythical Sirens whose song lured sailors to their doom, multimedia and New Media technologies seem to have a hypnotic effect on some otherwise sane business people and serious scientists. New Media is Sexy. It’s Fun. It’s The Next Big Thing. But it can also chew up almost unlimited amounts of money.… Ah, but hope springs eternal in the New Media breast! The recent announcement of the Banff Centre’s New Media Accelerator means that this Elvis has indeed, not left the building, and might still sing.”
At Banff, you might be chowing down next to a cellist, composer or captain of industry. A laissez-faire attitude is ingrained in the culture of the place. Unless you show up buck naked for lunch, or smoke pot in the hot tub while little kids are around, you can let the creative juices really flow at the Banff Centre.
Sara Diamond, the Banff Centre’s director of research, is a high-voltage Tesla coil with the energy, contacts and savvy to make something like this actually work.
University of Toronto
— April 5, 2004.
Violinist Lorand Fenyves, 85, died on on March 23 while travelling in Switzerland. He was associated with the Music and Sound program at The Banff Centre since 1973.
“Lorand single-handedly created a generation of string professionals in Canada,” said Professor David Beach, dean of the Faculty of Music [at the U of T]. “Every orchestra or chamber group in Canada has benefited from his vision and musicality.&rdquo
Juno Awards — April 4, 2004. The album Canadian Premiers was recorded in June 2002 in the Rolston Recital Hall and was produced and engineered by Theresa Leonard, the Centre’s director of audio.
Government of Alberta —
April 2, 2004.
“Commencing under the 2004-07 Capital Plan, funding has been allocated for the reconstruction of Donald Cameron Hall at The Banff Centre. The renovation will involve major renewal of the building;rsquo;s three wings and will take place over several years.” A Banff Centre press release calls the funding “the first step in a major redevelopment and revitalization of The Banff Centre campus.”
