Keywords Composers Conductors Flutists Teachers/Educators

Aitken gave the premieres of numerous Canadian works including:

Applebaum's Essay 1970, and Algoma Central 1976; Baker's Concerto 1974; Barnes' Nocturne 1963 and Sonata 1970; Beecroft's Improvvisazioni Concertanti No. 3 1973, Piece for Bob 1975, and Collage '76 1976; Buczynski's Four Arabesques and a Dance 1966, Cameo 1982; Burke's, Escher/Bach 1985; Collier's Waterfront, Night Thoughts 1970; Fleming's, Almost Waltz 1970; Freedman's Toccata 1967 and Soliloquy 1970; Hawkins' Trio 1975; Otto Joachim's Expansion 1963; Kemp's Two Folksongs 1957; Kenins' Concertante 1967; Morawetz' Suite 1974; Morel's Nuvattuq 1967; Papineau-Couture's Verségères 1975; Pentland's Trance 1979; Schafer's Five Studies on Texts by Prudentius 1963 and The Enchantress 1972; Symonds' A Small Concerto for Flute and Others 1971; Tremblay's Traversée 1997; Weinzweig's Riffs 1974; Wuensch's Sonatina 1970 and Cameos 1970; Wyre's Snowflake 1979; and Zuckert's Little Spanish Dance 1970.

In addition Aitken has participated in premieres of works by Beckwith, Garant, Heard, Hodkinson, Jaeger, Laufer, Mather, Pauk, Saint-Marcoux, Tremblay, and others (see Lyric Arts Trio, New Music Concerts), and by foreign composers including Larry Austin, Warren Benson, Attila Bozay, John Cage, Lukas Foss, Haflidi Hallgrimsson, Hikaru Hayashi, Jo Kondo, Nikos Mamangakis, Páll Pálsson, Thorkell Sigurbjörnsson, Atli Sveinsson, and Toru Takemitsu. He also performed Canadian flute works including Schafer's concerto, his own Plainsong, and Beecroft's Tre Pezzi Brevi, in Europe, where as of 2002 he continued to perform frequently.

As composer, Aitken received commissions from the NACO, CBC, NYO, Elmer Iseler Singers, and other organizations. Aitken approaches composition through his experience as a skilled solo, chamber, and orchestral player. To a broad and practical knowledge of instrumental uses he applies a keen intuition for the effective combining of sounds. In an interview (Music Scene, July-August 1969) he said, 'I still compose aurally, and though I enjoy the intellectual stimulation of organization, and acknowledge, in most cases, the necessity of it, if a conflict arises between my preconception and the preference of my ear I generally give in to the ear.' Consequently, though the works following his neo-classic Concerto for Twelve Solo Instruments and Orchestra (1965) are in most aspects idiosyncratic and extremely free, they appeal directly - if not conventionally - to the ear. In Kebyar (1971), one of several works written after a four-month eastern tour in 1970, Aitken entrusted parts of the score (where notation is replaced by vivid drawings) to the performers, whose improvisations reflect the meaning of the title: an explosion of spontaneous activity. The Musical Times wrote that his Plainsong (1977) 'beautifully explores tone-variety in many different melodic shapes, using unusual fingerings and singing while playing' (vol 123, October 1982). In January 1989, Aitken was one of 20 composers featured in the series Sound in Silence filmed in Poland, sponsored by the Louis Vuitton foundation and ISCM.

Aitken frequently performed his own works, eg, in 1992 he premiered his Berceuse for flute and orchestra, a commission from the Esprit Orchestra, with whom he performed it. CBC radio later broadcast the concert on Two New Hours.

Aitken taught 1957-64 and 1965-8 at the RCMT and 1960-4 and 1965-75 at the University of Toronto. He also taught 1972-80 at the Shawnigan Summer School of the Arts, and in 1981, shortly after that school became the Johannesen International School of the Arts, Aitken founded and became music director of Music at Shawnigan, a three-week festival devoted to advanced chamber music study. With the Lyric Arts Trio, Aitken was artist-in-residence in 1971 at Simon Fraser University and in 1976 at the University of Saskatchewan. He was director 1985-9 of the advanced studies in music program at the Banff CA. In 1986 he taught at the Summer School of Young Composers, organized by the Polish Society for Contemporary Music, in Kazimierz Dolny, Poland, where he gave classes and performed works by Beecroft, himself, and others. He was engaged for short residencies and master classes in many countries including Cuba, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Sweden, New Zealand, and the USA. In 1988 he became a professor at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, Germany, continuing active there in 2002. His pupils included Kathryn Cernauskas, Bill McBirnie, Suzanne Shulman, Douglas Stewart, and Aitken's daughter Diane.

As artistic director of NMC he conducted the NMC Ensemble in much contemporary music; he also conducted the Victoria Symphony (1989), the Hamilton Philharmonic (1990), and the orchestra for Music Today (Japan 1983), and in 1987 he conducted the premiere of R. Murray Schafer's Patria I for the COC. A member of the CLComp, he received that organization's Canada Music Citation in 1969. In 1982 he received both the Wm Harold Moon Award from PRO Canada and the Canadian Music Council medal. He was also presented with the Roy Thomson Hall Award (1995), and the Jean A. Chalmers National Music Award (1996). Aitken was invested in the Order of Canada in 1994, was a Chevalier de l'ordre des Artes et Lettres (1997), and was an associate of the Canadian Music Centre.

Compositions
OrchestraRhapsody. 1961. Ms

Concerto for Twelve Solo Instruments and Orchestra. 1965 (Toronto 1968). Kerby (Caveat) 1974/B&H

Shadows I: Nekuia. 1971 (East Lansing, Michigan, 1971). Orch. Ms

Spectra for Four Chamber Groups. 1968 (Toronto 1969). Ricordi 1973

Spiral. 1975. Med orch. Ms

Berceuse (For those who sleep before us). 1992. Flute, orch

Concerto for Flute and String Orchestra (Shadows V). 1999

Chamber
Suite. 1960. Vn, piano. Ms

Quartet. 1961. Fl, oboe, viola, double-bass. Ms

Kebyar. 1971. Fl, clarinet, trombone, 2 double-bass. Editions Salabert 1973

Shadows II: Lalitá. 1973. Fl, 3 violoncello, 2 percussion, 2 harp. Editions Salabert 1976. NMC-001 (CD) (NMC)

Shadows III: Nira. 1974-6. Vn, fl, oboe, viola, cb, piano, harpsichord. Ms

Icicle. 1977. Solo fl. Edn musicales transatlantiques 1978. See Discography.

Plainsong. 1977. Solo fl. Universal 1980. See Discography.

Folia. 1981. Fl, oboe, clarinet, horn, bsn. RCI 563/Centrediscs CMC-0482 (York Winds)

Shadows IV: My Song. 1994. 2 flutes, ensemble

Wedding Song. 1999. 2 flutes

Also Monody (K. Aitken). 1983. SATB, fl. Ms

Electronic
Music for Flute and Electronic Tape. 1963. Ms, tape

Music for Hamlet. 1964. Tape

Noesis. 1963. Tape. Folk FM-3436 (University of Toronto Electronic Music Studio)

Writings
'Programming Canadian music abroad,' Hello Out There! ed John Beckwith and Dorith R. Cooper, CanMus Documents 2 (Toronto 1988)

Author Linda Litwack, Betty Nygaard King

Discography

Aitken Icicle; Plainsong - Tremblay '... le sifflement des vents porteurs de l'amour...' - Fukushima - J.W. Morthenson - T. Sigurbjörnsson. Hartenberger percussion. 1978. Mel SMLP-4037/(Tremblay) RCI 565/6-ACM 12

See also NMC and Discographies for Mary Morrison (Arcana), Elmer Iseler Singers, Loving, Lyric Arts Trio, and Rivka Golani

Bibliography

Winters, Kenneth. 'Robert Aitken,' MSc, 248, Jul-Aug 1969

Links to Other Sites
Canadian Music Centre
Search the extensive CMC multimedia website for audio samples, biographies, music scores, and interviews about contemporary classical works by Canadian composers. Registration required for some features.

Robert Aitken
A profile of the multi-talented Canadian composer Robert Aitken. From the Canadian Music Centre.

Esprit Orchestra
The website for the Esprit Orchestra, a full-sized Canadian orchestra devoted exclusively to new music. Features musician profiles, a current concert calendar, discography, and excerpts from their recordings.

JWR International Directory of Fine Arts & Film
A global directory of prominent personalities and organizations involved with show business and the fine arts. Also offers film and stage reviews, interviews, and much more. Check the menu on the left side of the page to search for specific topics of interest. Part of the "James Wegg Review" website.

CBC Concerts on Demand
From country to calypso and the classics, the “Concerts on Demand” website offers hundreds of online recordings of outstanding concerts originally broadcast on CBC Radio 2. Search this site to find and listen to recordings of your favourite musician, group, or music genre.

New Music Concerts
New Music Concerts is devoted to promoting and presenting Canadian and international contemporary music concerts. Their website offers a bio of award-winning artistic director Robert Aitken, a concert schedule, multimedia, and links to program notes for current and previous performances.