Rudolf Komorous and the Aesthetic of the Wonderful

TPE presents a landmark seven-decade retrospective of the magical world of Canadian composer Rudolf Komorous, beginning with a daring minimalist work first presented in an underground exhibition of the interdisciplinary art group SMIDRA, of which he was a co-founder in his native Czechoslovakia. Olympia (1964) for two performers reveals a unique sound world with an unusual assortment of instruments including bass mouth-harmonica, flexatone, acolyte bells, ratchet, alto melodica and nightingale. Since coming to Canada in 1971, Komorous has been one of the most continually inventive and influential composers of the past half century active in this country. Although his music is of paramount importance to many in his native Czech Republic and here in Canada, a more comprehensive consideration of his artistic contribution is overdue. Rudolf Komorous and the Aesthetic of the Wonderful traces through-lines and new developments over the past 60 years, while showcasing the special ongoing relationship he had with TPE including his 2010 composition Minx written for us. The concert concludes with one of his most recent works Solo (2023), a virtuosic elegy for his own instrument, the bassoon, performed by TPE’s Ingrid Chiang.