About Vancouver Pro Musica

Members at large: John van Deursen, Dubravko Pajalic, Benton Roark, Craig Day and Julio Torres

Administrator and Project Manager: Calvin Becker

History

Vancouver Pro Musica was originally formed in 1984 as agroup of local composers with a chamber ensemble-in-residence. After two years as a performing ensemble, the organization took a new direction and became mainly a presenter of contemporary BC music. By 1987, the first “Festival of Composers”, now known as Sonic Boom, was initiated. Over the years, this annual festival has become not only the centrepiece of Pro Musica season, but also a fundamental catalyst for the development of emerging and experimental composers in British Columbia.

In consideration of the cultural mosaic of BC, Pro Musica has developed Further East / Further West. This program, which has evolved over the years, mainly focuses on introducing non-western music and instruments. Since its inception in 1995, FE/FW has not only has served as an outreach effort to expand our audience, but has also facilitated collaborations between emerging BC composers and cross-cultural performers.