The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall has announced its first-ever artist-in-residence program, featuring participating musicians Celeigh Cardinal, Sebastian Gaskin and Julian Taylor.
The year-long residency will offer comprehensive support at the Allied Music Centre, including mentorship, studio time, live performance opportunities, creative collaborations and professional development.
Jesse Kumagai, president and CEO of the Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall, shared in a release, “We built Allied Music Centre to be a creative home for artists, one where they can realize their full potential, from creation, to recording, to performance, all under one roof.” He continued, “This inaugural Artist Residency is the beginning of our next chapter, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the supporter who made the program possible and the extraordinary talents of the participating artists. We are very excited for what comes next.”
This program is made possible through the support of Canada Gives, which has committed to supporting and creating opportunities for Indigenous artists at Massey Hall. The year-long program is also being developed in consultation with the members of the Indigenous Music Office, sākihwe festival, Tkaronto Music Festival and the International Indigenous Music Summit.
Participating artist Celeigh Cardinal shared, “I’m truly honoured to be part of this inaugural group of musicians and to have the support of Massey Hall at this stage in my career. Massey Hall is legendary — a place where so many remarkable voices have echoed. To be welcomed into that legacy is both humbling and exhilarating.”
Sebastian Gaskin agreed, “When I got the invitation from Massey, I was beside myself. To be included amongst this cohort of incredible artists, in such an iconic venue, is an incredible honour. I’m so grateful.”
“I’ve been making music for over two decades and have always wanted to perform on the legendary Massey Hall stage,” Julian Taylor added. “That dream came true last year when I performed at the Gordon Lightfoot tribute with Blue Rodeo. It was one of the biggest moments of my career so far. I witnessed Gordon’s last performance on that stage, and am very grateful and extremely honoured to be one of the in-residency artists this year.”
Director of Artist Development & Original Content at Massey Hall Stephen McGrath commented of the program, “The opening of the new Allied Music Centre marks a historic moment for us, offering our Artist Development initiatives a permanent home and the opportunity to provide year-round, comprehensive support to these incredible and inspiring artists.” He continued, “This fully equipped hub will help foster their music-making, live performance, and artistic growth in an environment designed to support the Canadian music community and beyond. It is fitting that one of the creative spaces central to the facilities is named in honour of our former CEO, the late Deane Cameron, whose lifelong commitment to supporting Indigenous artists continues to inspire and shape our mission today.”
The artist-in-residence program is the stepping stone for a new world of opportunity for musicians. After its inaugural year, more opportunities will be offered to artists of all backgrounds.
To kick off the program, Celeigh Cardinal will perform music from her JUNO-nominated album Boundless Possibilities at the Allied Music Centre on April 25. Tickets are available this Friday (March 21) at 10 a.m. local time.
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