JAMIE THOMPSON, FLUTIST
Jamie Thompson is a member of the flute faculty of the Royal Conservatory, and is a founding member of The Junction Trio. Combining classical music with urban exploration, Jamie celebrates space with sound on his blog, Urban Flute Project.
1. What are we interrupting (i.e. what music-related activity are we taking you away from to write this)?
Just this week (Friday, May 31), along with members of The Junction Trio, we wrapped up our fourth season of Post-Industrial concerts at the fabulous St. Anne's Church in Toronto's west end. We had a huge turnout for our “Rave with Ravel” concert, an all-French program that culminated in Ravel's exquisite Introduction and Allegro, a septet for harp, flute, clarinet and string quartet. These St. Anne's concerts are causing quite a stir, as the trio has moved in a decidedly collaborative, multi-disciplinary direction, featuring as many as 15 performers including liquid light projectionists and movement artists from Toronto's Plastique Animée Ensemble. It's been a full season, with nine different programs presented both at St. Anne's and the Arts & Letters Club, so I'm ready for a break!
2. What, if anything, are you most looking forward to as an audience member between now and September 7?
Well, I'm about to head off for a full-on week of teaching at the TDSB's Music by the Lake camp, and, having taught there for a couple of years now, I'm really looking forward to some amazing performances by students and faculty alike in that wonderful, rustic setting. MBTL makes for a wonderful gateway to summer, I find!
3. How about as a music maker/player?
I have a few ideas simmering along, both solo as well as with The Junction Trio. Immediately upon my return from music camp, I will be collaborating in a vocal performance at Toronto's Heliconian Hall with the Cabbagetown Classical Youth Choir, and with my trio, we will be re-mounting a recent program, “Exploring the Acoustic World of The Group of Seven,” as part of ASK, an annual arts festival up in King City. In addition, I will be attending the first ever Canadian Flute Convention as both a presenter and performer. Having had the wonderful opportunity to teach in Switzerland this past year, I'm hoping that some of my stealth recording might include a visit to Europe's largest underground lake, a couple hours from Geneva.
4. What are you already preparing for musically beyond the summer? And (how) do your summer plans tie in with these longer term plans?
The RCM makes a great home base, and I find that in the summer there's a different rhythm to lessons and everything is just a little more laid back. For the fall, there's season five to map out for our Post-Industrial series. And I'm excited to be re-launching my Urban Flute Project site in the coming weeks, so I'm really looking forward to posting a wealth of stories about the musical adventures I've been having as an urban explorer here in Toronto and abroad!
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