Wallace Halladay

Wallace Halladay

Canadian saxophonist Wallace Halladay captures the qualities of the modern virtuoso, being at home innumerous styles, from the traditional to jazz and beyond. A specialist in the performance of contemporary music, Wallace has commissioned and premiered numerous works for saxophone. In addition to performances of concerti by Ibert, Schmitt, Husa, Muldowney, Kancheli, Scelsi and Donatoni, he has worked with composers Michael Colgrass, Mauricio Kagel and Scott Good on the Canadian premieres of their concerti, the latter commissioned by the Esprit Orchestra. Wallace also inaugurated the Intersections Series with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in an entire concert of music for saxophone and orchestra entitled “The Story of the Saxophone.” In March 2009, Wallace made his debut as soloist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Frequently broadcast on CBC Radio, Wallace has also recorded the two saxophone Sequenzas of Luciano Berio and the Colgrass concerto for NAXOS Records. He has been presented by and performed with new music groups across the Canada and the USA, including New Music Concerts, Continuum, Sound Symposium, CCMW, 5-Penny New Music, Kumquat, Earshot!, Contact, soundaXis, Toca Loca, and Bang on a Can in New York. Wallace was the Artistic Director of the Scelsi Centenary, Franco Donatoni, and Gubaidulina Chamber Projects; he has also curated concerts and lectured on the music of Giacinto Scelsi and Luciano Berio. His orchestral experience includes performances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, National Ballet Orchestra of Canada, and as a fellow of the Tanglewood Music Centre.

Wallace holds a Bachelor’s degree in Performance and Composition from the University of Toronto, a Master’s from New England Conservatory in Boston, and a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music. Wallace also studied at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with internationally acclaimed virtuoso Arno Bornkamp with a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. He has previously taught saxophone, chamber music and theory at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Eastman School of Music, and presently teaches at the University of Toronto.

Recent and upcoming highlights include recitals with pianist Peter Tiefenbach; the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen; Karel Husa’s Concerto; a duo concert of premieres with percussionist Ryan Scott; the concerto of Hanspeter Kyburz; the K-W Open Ears Festival; and festivals in New York, Philadelphia, Huddersfield (UK), and Aberdeen (Scotland). Wallace is a Conn-Selmer Artist and plays Selmer (Paris) saxophones.

Wallace Halladay - saxophone

Northern Landscapes
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
6:00-6:45 p.m.
Tickets $10