Production resumé
Independent Productions by Jim Hiscott include:
-May 16/13– “LATIN PARTY”, a concert of cultural and musical fusion for GroundSwell, mixing new ‘classical’ music and new music in Latin traditions. The event featured the Winnipeg Latin band Papa Mambo led by Rodrigo Muñoz, with a string trio from the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and Hiscott on button accordion. The program included world premieres by Muñoz, Pura, Robinovtch, and Hiscott. Also music by Golijov and performances in the traditions of Cuba and Brazil.
-May 2/11– “PRAIRIE SCENE: MADE IN THE PRAIRIES”, a new chamber music concert put on by GroundSwell as part of the National Arts Centre’s Festival of music & arts in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Music by composers in the two provinces, played by Winnipeg musicians. Curated & produced from France, where Hiscott was living during this year. The program included works by Michael Matthews, Monte Keene Pishny-Floyd, David McIntyre, David Dahlgren, Sid Robinovitch, Gordon Fitzell, Diana McIntosh, Paul Suchan and Jim Hiscott, performed on the NAC’s Fourth Stage in Ottawa.
-Feb. 5/10– “NMF HAPPENING” concert curated for GroundSwell and co-presented by GroundSwell, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. This concert included new pieces by Diana McIntosh, William Pura and Jim Hiscott as well as performances by the Nunavut Sivuniksavut Performers. The concert took place at various locations in the WAG’s main gallery spaces, sequentially, so that each musical work could be paired with visual art selected by the WAG’s curators in consultation with the composers. Hiscott emceed the event, leading the audience of 350 at each performance location.
-May 12/09– “TALES OF BRAVE ULYSSES”, a GroundSwell concert celebrating Homer’s Odyssey and Joyce’s Ulysses, with staged readings from the two works by actor Arne MacPherson interspersed with new music by Manitoba, Canadian and international composers relating to the books. Music by Luciano Berio, Kurt Ellenberger, Eric Sweeney, Randolph Peters, Jim Hiscott and Gilberto Mendes.
-Mar. 9/05– “THE HILLIARD ENSEMBLE”, a program designed especially for GroundSwell featuring Canadian music commissioned by the Hilliards alongside international new works and early music. An audience of over 500 heard pieces by Piers Hellawell, Gavin Bryars, Rodney Sharman, Robert Fayrfax, Jim Hiscott, Guillaume de Machaut, Jonathan Wild , Sheryngham and José Evangelista.
-Feb. 6/02– “THE ROUND WORLD” concert, curated as part of the Centara Corp. WSO New Music Festival. This program of new music from, or relating to, various corners of the globe included works evoking Australia, South Africa, Scotland, India, Argentina and China. Composers included Sarah Hopkins, Kevin Volans, James MacMillan, Lalgudi Jayaraman, Alexina Louie, Osvaldo Golijov, and Henry Kucharzyk; performers included Lakshmi Ranganathan, the Amici Trio, Paul Marleyn, Heather Schmidt, T. Patrick Carrabré, and musicians of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
-Feb. 22/00– “ROTUNDA CONCERT: A CELEBRATION OF THE MILLENIUM”, Curated and produced at the Manitoba Legislative Building, with the University of Manitoba Singers, with string ensemble, brass, and organ, conducted by Henry Engbrecht. Music by Evangelista, Korndorf, Part, Tavener, Gabrieli, von Bingen, and Hiscott. Stage design and lighting by Stephen Lawson. Presented by GroundSwell with the support of the Millenium Arts Fund of the Canada Council for the Arts. An enthusiastic audience of 550. Repeat performances at River East and Glenlawn Collegiates in Winnipeg, and at Grace Mennonite Church in Steinbach.
-Mar. 22/97– “ISLAND WEDDING”. Produced the music portion of this fundraiser for the Manitoba Youth Orchestra and the Irish Association of Manitoba, at the Walker Theatre in Winnipeg. The stage was shared by the orchestra and nine traditional Irish musicians in an extended piece by Charles Lennon.
-Oct. 15/95– “IRISH FUSION”. Conceived and produced this concert mixing Irish traditional music with new classical music by Irish composers or inspired by Ireland. Held at Crossways in Winnipeg. Three well-known traditional Irish musicians from New York, Boston, and Chicago played traditional music in an improvisatory style on one side of the stage, alternating with classical performers on the other side of the stage playing the new music. Composers from Ireland and across Canada were represented. The enthusiastic audience included fans of both types of music. The event was successful in bringing together two very different target groups.
-Jan. 31/94– “STRETCHING THE BORDERS”– Conceived, produced and performed in this highly-acclaimed event on the stage of Winnipeg’s Centennial Concert Hall as part of the WSO’s New Music Festival, bringing together musical performances with elements of stage design and theatre. The concert mixed music influenced by the Scottish bagpipe with music inspired by the Balinese gamelan tradition. The forces included the Stirling Pipe Band and a Balinese gender quartet with members from Winnipeg and Vancouver. In one piece a viola played a solo onstage accompanied by a bagpipe on the second balcony and a British/East Indian field harmonium at the other end of the stage. In another piece, the pipe band performed a legendary battle between an eagle and a raven, to the accompaniment of an Indonesian percussion section. The event was very well received, and has been cited as one of the highlights of the New Music Festival’s ten years in operation.
Jim Hiscott CBC Resume:
Nov. 1977- Dec. 1978: Began work at CBC Toronto. Co-ordinated CBC presence (multiple recordings, interviews, etc.) at two major festivals, the International Society of Music Educators’ Conference in London, Ontario, and the Toronto Guitar Festival. Produced INTERNATIONAL CONCERT, a weekly series focusing on concert recordings from around the world.
Jan. 1979- Feb. 1980: Based at CBC Edmonton. Produced “R.S.V.P.”, a daily request program with host Dennis Woodrow. Ratings increased greatly during this year.
Feb. 1980- Oct. 1997: Based at CBC Winnipeg. Highlights:
1982-1997– Responsible for all CBC Network chamber music recordings from Winnipeg. Began production of an annual series of co-presented concerts (Cafe Series, 1983-90; Virtuosi Series 1991-1997), which grew steadily in size, audience, and reputation, and is still a community leader. During this time The Virtuosi Series was named “Best Chamber Music Series” by the Winnipeg Free Press.
1983-1997– Producer of live Opera recordings from Winnipeg on the CBC Stereo Network.
1983-1987– Conceived and produced ARTS ENCOUNTERS, a regional music and arts program in Winnipeg, hosted by JACQUI GOOD and TOM McCULLOGH. This series became a model for other CBC regional programs across the country and continues today as CBC’s regional performance program.
1984-1986– Coordinating producer of CBC broadcasts of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Duties included negotiating a new Master Agreement for broadcast rights, participation in Artists and Repertoire decisions for CBC-recorded concerts, and eight concert recordings a season.
1986-1997– Coordinating Producer of the annual series of concerts co-presented by the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and the CBC. Duties included Artist and Repertoire selection in consultation with conductor and CBC Network orchestral concert program, and participation in discussion about development of the orchestra (personnel, playing standards, etc.). During these years, many of Canada’s finest young performers, who have gone on to international careers, appeared with the MCO, as they continue to do so today. In addition, approximately forty new Canadian works were commissioned by CBC for this orchestra.
1991– created and co-ordinated the “Sandbox Series” in Winnipeg. This weekly series featuredinnovative program ideas from producers of all disciplines in Winnipeg, and became the model for network “sandbox” shows such as Random Sampling and Limited Edition, which focus on innovation and creativity in radio.
1991– led Radio Music’s investigation of “other musics” (non-classical, non-western musics) as part of the “Creative Renewal” process. Made two extensive “World Music Samplers” (cassettes of pieces which might integrate well with Western classical music in a programming mix), which were distributed across the country and used by disc show producers to expand their range of music.
1994/95– conceived and produced “The View from the Bridge”, a series of six one-hour profiles of Canadian traditional fiddle players. Interviews and music recordings were done on location, and combined the flavour of the place and the tradition with the particular personality of each fiddler. One of these recordings was turned into a CD, “Party Acadien”, described by one reviewer as: “a classic house party record that catches a Prince Edward Island Acadian kitchen musical gathering in full flight. Recorded live with a footstomping audience, it’s raw and immediate.”
1995– conceived and produced the Traditional Métis Fiddle Festival in Carman, Manitoba, featuring five of the best fiddlers in the Metis Tradition from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. This festival was broadcast twice, to very enthusiastic response from listeners, and copious mail.
1996– conceived and produced the CBC 60th Anniversary Accordion Festival in Iqaluit, Baffin Island. This Festival brought together six of the best Inuit button accordion players from across the Eastern Arctic, to play for a packed audience at the Anglican Parish Hall in Iqaluit. This concert was broadcast three times across Canada and in the North.
1997– Produced/hosted “One of a Kind”, a series of hour-long profiles of Canadian performers who occupy a unique place in the musical world– Toronto’s Kid Bastien, The McGarrigle Sisters, and Daniel Lapp from Victoria. The series was broadcast three times on CBC Radio Networks.
Sept./1997– Produced “Ritchot Mass”, a 20- minute documentary on Glenn Buhr’s mass, written for the victims of the Red River flood of 1997. This documentary won a Gabriel Award (an international radio award with competition across North America) in 1998.
1998/1999– Produced/hosted “Highway One”, a series of five hour-long profiles of Canadian musicians whose roots are in various corners of the globe. Delvina Bernard (black gospel tradition of Nova Scotia); Andrew Atagotaaluk (Inuit button accordion player from Inukjuak); Walter Klymkiw (Ukrainian choral conductor, Winnipeg); Qiu Xia He (Chinese-Canadian pipa player, Vancouver); Ron Hamilton (composer and leader of 11-piece Nuu-chah-nulth singing and drumming group, Vancouver Island). Broadcast on CBC Radio 2 in January and February, 1999.
Nov./2000 to Mar./2001– Produced/hosted “Northern Diary”, “Arctic Diary” and “Manitoba Diary”, radio documentaries based on a musical tour of Kivalliq and Northern Manitoba, for CBC Network’s “Radio Two in Performance”, CBC North, and “Arts Encounters” respectively. Also, a documentary on Inuit accordion players for the CBC Network program “The Sunday Edition”.
Dec./2001– Produced/hosted “Spirit Reel”, a radio documentary for CBC’s “Outfront” about working as an accordionist with Chinese flute player Xiao Nan Wang on a performance of my composition “Spirit Reel”. This documentary is about two very different worlds and how they are linked through this process.
June 6/2002– Produced/hosted “The School of Samuel Dolin”, a tribute to the late Dr. Samuel Dolin, composer and composition teacher, through the words of former students Ann Southam, Steven Gellman, Gary Kulesha and myself. Broadcast on “Radio 2 In Performance”.
Jan. 20/2004– Produced/hosted “Citizen of the North”, a portrait of Inuit teacher, hunter and button accordion player Simeonie Keenainak. Broadcast on “Outfront”. Extended version, entitled “The Good Hunter”, including music played by Simeonie and three of his young students, produced Nov. 2004, and broadcast Jan. 2005 on CBC North.
Recordings produced by Jim Hiscott
CBC Records projects:
“Gerald Finzi: Meditation”– Valdine Anderson, Russell Braun, MCO/Streatfeild
“Britten Serenade”– Henriette Schellenberg, soprano; Benjamin Butterfield, tenor; The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra/Streatfeild
“Concierto Pastoral”– Tim Hutchins, flute; CBC VancouverOrchestra/Bernardi
“Tabuh Tabuhan– Music of Colin McPhee”– Esprit Orchestra/Pauk (JUNO award– Classical Composition of the Year)
“The Joy of Piano”– Valerie Tryon, piano
“Violin Sonatas”– Peter Oundjian, violin; William Tritt, piano
Commercial Recordings:
“NORTE TROPICAL” – featuring Rodrigo Muñoz and Jim Hiscott and friends– co-produced by Muñoz and Hiscott (2013)
“TRIO” by S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatte– released by the S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatte Foundation (1999).
“LEARNING TO FALL”– MUSIC BY GLENN BUHR– Marquis Classics 81237-2 (1998)
“MANITOBA CHAMBER ORCHESTRA– 25TH ANNIVERSARY”– Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Simon Streatfeild (MCO Productions)(1997)
“PARTY ACADIEN”– Arsenault Family and Houseparty group, WellingtonCounty, Prince Edward Island (Houseparty Productions HPP2)(1995)
“SPIRIT REEL”– Music by Jim Hiscott (Blue Ocean records OCCD 9071)(1991)
“MOONLIGHT SONATA” (Beethoven)– Anton Kuerti (Analekta AN 2 9201)(1989)
“WHERE WERE YOU BEFORE PROHIBITION?”– Finjan, Winnipeg (Fat Uncle Records) (1985)