The UPEI Department of Music is thrilled to be hosting its first Contemporary Music Festival, March 6-13, 2026. All events are open to the public and take place on campus, in Steel Recital Hall or the Performing Arts Centre Theatre (where indicated).

A celebration of adventurous, compelling music of a variety of genres composed or created within the last few decades, the festival will feature UPEI Music faculty in performance as well as several guest artists, including: pianist Megaria Halim, Indigenous cellist and composer Cris Derksen, experimental jazz trio Forgalhorn, and internationally renowned French contemporary music ensemble Proxima Centauri. Performances will introduce five world premieres, including a commissioned work for saxophones composed by ECMA and Juno-nominated composer Amy Brandon, a PEI native. Brandon will also give a public talk on her work; masterclasses, workshops, and talks will also be offered by Cris Derksen and members of Proxima Centauri.

Festival Schedule:

Friday, March 6

• 7:30 pm - Pianist Megaria Halim presents Archipelagic Voices, exploring the sound worlds of contemporary composers from Southeast Asia, drawing on folk traditions, mythology, and distinctive sonic landscapes. Through a range of modern works, the program highlights how these composers reimagine cultural memory, timbre, and gesture within contemporary musical language.

Saturday, March 7

• 2:00-4:00 pm - Composer Amy Brandon discusses the use of timbre, or “tone colour,” in her works. Timbre is connected to the physical properties of sound - the harmonic series - and composers can manipulate timbre in many interesting ways: through extended or special techniques on the instrument, orchestration, electronics, and microtonality.
• 7:30 pm - UPEI Music Faculty present Bleakness and Beauty, showcasing the stunning works of Amy Brandon alongside works by Canadian composers Jocelyn Morlock, Jordan Nobles, and Harry Somers, as well as Vietnamese-American composer Viet Cuong.
• 9:00 pm - Experimental jazz trio Forgalhorn presents a creative collaboration focused on atmospheric effects, live loops, and heavy improvisation. Their soundscapes blend beautiful melodies and deep grooves with unidentifiable sounds and a healthy bit of strangeness. (Venue: Performing Arts Centre Theatre).

Wednesday, March 11

• 11:30-2:30 pm - Masterclasses with Proxima Centauri (saxophone, piano, percussion, composition/electronics).

Thursday, March 12

• 1:00–2:30 pm - Indigenous cellist and composer Cris Derksen presents and demonstrates their practice of using electronic pedals with a classical instrument. Cris will additionally discuss their compositional practice as an artist working across genres and disciplines. (Venue: Performing Arts Centre Theatre).
• 7:30 pm - NEW MUSIC SPOTLIGHT: Proxima Centauri presents Mouvements, a multi-dimensional sound experience that creates a space for dialogue between the sonic textures created by electronics and the live sounds of the instrumentalists. The integrated, spatial co-existence of these two sound worlds suspends the listener at the center of the musical discourse.
• 9:00 pm - Reception.

Friday, March 13

• 12:40 pm - UPEI students present an afternoon recital featuring works composed after 1950.

Ticket Prices:

• All-event pass: $60 adults, $50 seniors, and $30 students
• Individual concert tickets: $30 adults, $25 seniors, and $10 students
• Saturday, March 7, 2-concert pass (Faculty + Forgalhorn): $40 adults and seniors, $15 students
• UPEI students: FREE
• Workshops, masterclasses, talks, and student recital: FREE

Advance online tickets, all-event passes, and Saturday night pass can be purchased at upei.universitytickets.com or by cash at the door.