HARD RUBBER IS, NO QUESTION, CONSISTENTLY THE BEST VANCOUVER BAND EVENT YOU CAN SEE.

DISCORDER MAGAZINE




The Hard Rubber Orchestra, formed by composer and trumpet player John Korsrud, performs music influenced by jazz, pop, world, contemporary classical, and improvised music. Since its debut in 1990 the Hard Rubber Orchestra has toured across Canada and to Europe including concerts at the BIMhuis in Amsterdam, The Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in Quebec and The National Arts Centre in Ottawa. In 2005 they were awarded the Alcan Arts Award, the largest arts award in Canada for creation.    They have created avant ice shows, operas, television specials and other multi-media events. The Orchestra has commissioned many of the finest composers from Vancouver and across Canada, including Brad Turner, Howard Bashaw, Fred Stride, Hugh Fraser, Peter Hannan, Paul Dolden, Tony Wilson, Linda Bouchard, Michael Blake, and Montreal’s Jean Derome and René Lussier.

In 2008 and 2009 Hard Rubber presented sold out performances of the three-night multi-media dance event Drum & Light Festival, with 14-piece groove orchestra, dancers and eye-popping visuals.





Next Shows - Spring '09




CBC Radio Broadcast
CBC Radio 1, Tuesday May 28 - 10pm
Violin Concertos by Cameron Wilson, Howard Bashaw

Cameron Wilson, violin
Giorgio Magnanensi, guest conductor




Hard Rubber Orchestra on TOUR!!
we take 18 unruly musicians on the road.

May 1
Kitchener Ont.
Open Ears Festival



May 2
Ottawa Ont.
National Arts Centre
BC Scene

 
Repertoire:

Chorale (2009) John Korsrud
Lowest Tide (2007) John Korsrud
Cruel Yet Fair (1994) John Korsrud
Excerpt from Nirvana (2008) Bill Runge
Excerpt from 2 x 6 (2009) Cameron Wilson
Excerpt from The Bitter Suite (2006) Brad Turner


trumpets
Derry Byrne, Chris Davis, Brad Turner
trombones
Dennis Esson, Rod Murray, Steve Mynett, Brad Muirhead
saxes
Saul Berson, Steve Kaldestad, Bill Runge, Chad Makela
violin
Cameron Wilson
piano
Chris Gestrin
  guitar
Ron Samworth
bass
Andre Lachance
drums
Dave Robbins
latin percussion
Jack Duncan

director
John Korsrud








RECENT CONCERTS:

April 5, Roundhouse
Hard Rubber Orchestra
celebrates iconic Dutch composer
Louis Andriessen’s 70th Birthday.
 
HRO celebrates Louis Andriessen's 70th birthday with Mr. Andriessen in attendance.

One of the world's most famous composers, Holland's Louis Andriessen is in Vancouver as part of the Andriessen @ 70 Festival, part of a world-wide celebration of Louis' 70th birthday. The feature composition will be the screening of Peter Greenaway film M is for Man, Music and Mozart with the live performance of the Louis Andriessen score.

With guest soloists:
Cristina Zavalloni, voice (Bologna); Monica Germino, violin (Amsterdam); Cameron Wilson, violin (Vancouver)
Guest conductor: Giorgio Magnanensi

Concert includes:
M is for Man, Music, Mozart (1991) by Louis Andriessen
- with a film by Peter Greenaway
Passeggiata in tram in America e ritorno (1998) by Louis Andriessen
- with a film by Marijke van Warmerdam
Scratch-Scorch, Concerto for Violin and Hard Rubber Orchestra (2009) by Howard Bashaw
- Cameron Wilson, violin
Lowest Tide (2007) by John Korsrud

More info of the Andriessen @ 70 Festival at musiconmain.ca





March 14, Scotia Bank Dance Centre
Hard Rubber Orchestra
premiers
Violin Concertos
by
Cameron Wilson and Howard Bashaw
Cameron Wilson soloist
 

Two World Premiers for Violin & 18-piece Orchestra
by
The Gritty, Complex yet Intense
Howard Bashaw
&
The Cheeky, Playful yet Cheeky
Cameron Wilson

Other works by
John Korsrud
Bill Runge





Feb 5, 6, 7, WISE Hall


Drum & Light Festival


Three evenings of high-energy sonic and visual extravagance, featuring percussion, electronica, visual projections, and movement by an all-star collection of Vancouver artists. Don't miss this new 15-piece rave-esque orchestra with amazing visuals by Brian Johnson and others.

Last year both evenings sold out immediately!

15-piece all-star mondo-groove super-orchestra
5 drummers, horn section, laptops, turntables, keys, guitar, bass, & more…

Orchestra consists of…
Ray Garraway (K-OS) drums
Randall Stoll (Soulstream) drums
Tim Proznick (Kia Kadiri), drums
Myles Bigelow, percussion
Jack Duncan, percussion
Stefan Smulovitz, laptop
Dan Kearley, laptop;
Timothy Wisdom, turntables
Alvin Cornista, sax
Kent wallace, trumpet
Chad Makela, bari sax
Chris Gestrin, keys
Russ Klyne, guitar
Andre Lachance, bass
John Korsrud, trumpet, director

Visual/ Projection/ Movement Artists: Brian Johnson, Jason Whyte, Tomorrow Collective…





Television
Cantata for the King


Sat. Jan. 31 - CBC Television, 9am
Offbeat homage to the late great King of Rock and Roll with orchestrations by the Hard Rubber Orchestra of Vancouver led by John Korsrud. Freat. Kevin McNulty, Joe Keithly, Dee Daniels, Tim Fuller, Babs Chula...

"Cantata for the King is a weird and wonderfully entertaining performance special - a post-modern musical celebrating the music and genius of Elvis - the King of rock'n'roll. It is a film of homage, wit, irreverent fun, and sheer sonic power. The core strength of Cantata for the King is the avant-garde musical invention of John Korsrud's Hard Rubber Orchestra and the performance talents of special guest soloists." - Telefilm Canada





The Hard Rubber Orchestra is the "Godzilla of the Vancouver jazz scene, a big, goofy monster that stomps through complex charts with the swagger of big swing band and the heat of a thermonuclear explosion." (Alex Varty, The Georgia Straight). This 17-piece ensemble, consisting of many of Vancouver’s finest musicians under the leadership of composer, conductor and trumpeter, John Korsrud, plays daring, unpredictable, high energy music, that draws on a wide range of influences. Expect to hear music ranging from A to L. The Hard Rubber Orchestra has performed its wild and eclectic brand of music at venues across Canada and Europe including the DuMaurier International Jazz Festival in Vancouver, the BIMhuis and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in Quebec and the Music Gallery in Toronto.

Korsrud and the Orchestra are also known for producing large-scale, highly entertaining, multimedia events such Enter/ Exit which was the winner of the 2005 Alcan Arts Award, The Ice Age: The World's First New Music Ice Show (Kerrisdale Arena, 2000), Elvis Cantata II (St. Andrews Wesley Church, 1996), White Hot Core (Du Maurier International Jazz Festival, 1995), The Elvis Cantata (St. Andrews Wesley Church, 1994). The Ice Age incorporated 10 figure skaters, including gold medalist Emanuel Sandhu, hockey players, curlers and more. White Hot Core, a sensual and provocative collaboration with Kokoro Dance, drew high praise from audience and critics alike. CBC Television adapted The Elvis Cantata for their show Opening Night (Cantata for the King). The original Elvis Cantata at St. Andrew's Wesley Church, was an ambitious and highly successful production involving commissioned work of 10 composers, a 27-piece orchestra, soprano Liz Skillings, singer Sook Yin Lee and actor/singer Ian Ross McDonald.




HARD RUBBER ORCHESTRA PRESENTS ORQUESTA GOMA DURA

For lovers of Big Band, Latin Jazz and Salsa music, this 20-piece steamy, Latin edition of the Hard Rubber Orchestra brings together some of the finest Latin jazz and Salsa musicians in Vancouver.

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgOs5XDMsEE

 

WHAT OTHERS SAY...

"The Hard Rubber Orchestra presents a volatile and thrilling conception of ensemble jazz in hybrid with post war European influences such as Ligeti, Berio, Xenakis and Lutoslawski. Such an idea could be disastrous, but HRO is very successful thanks to tastefully conceived compositions, arrangements and beautiful playing by the members of the band."
- Ian Crutchley, Discorder

"...a 15-piece band that is nothing short of a killer."
- Step Magazine