A new music festival has brought adventurous, classical music to Halifax audiences this week.
The “Open Waters Festival” is designed to keep concertgoers on the edge of their seats and features an award-winning Canadian conductor.
Karl Hirzer is a conductor, pianist, and composer from Vancouver.
“I live in Calgary now, where I’ve been the associate conductor of the Calgary Philharmonic now for my seventh season,” he told CTV Atlantic’s Katie Kelly during an interview.
Along with conducting a major North American metropolitan orchestra, Hirzer is committed to fostering education for youth.
“I think that it’s super important for young people to learn about music, learn about the arts,” he says.
When the pandemic prevented in-person events in 2020, Hirzer spearheaded an educational web series called “An Orchestra Adventure.”
“It was super fun to film. I wrote all the episodes and acted in a very caricaturized version of myself as the host,” Hirzer says.
“It’s had actually a huge amount of success, it has a lot of views on YouTube and I know that it’s been used in school curriculums.”
Hirzer has been working with Symphony Nova Scotia during the “Open Waters Festival” since it kicked off last Friday.
He says the new festival celebrates music that goes against the grain.
“The theme of the festival is chance and improvisation. Music that is different, every time we go though the piece there are moments where they are absolutely no rules. It’s a bit of a free for all.”
The festival’s last concert takes place at St. Andrew’s Church in Halifax Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available online.
