The premiere of my song cycle Newly Out is fast approaching!
Wednesday, August 7, 2024 7:00 p.m. St John's Cathedral, Saskatoon Hosted by Saskatoon Opera as a part of the Saskatoon Summer Proms Series Starring Oli Guselle (mezzo-soprano) and Matthew Praksas (piano) Visit the facebook event for more details: www.facebook.com/share/PqsBr72FMgc3huR3/
This song cycle was made possible thanks to the Canadian Art Song Project's Chung-Wai Chow and John Wright Mentorship Program. Thank you so much, CASP, for this opportunity
March 2024
Life needs to slow down for a while.
Being neurodiverse in a world not built for people like me has taken a huge toll on my health. As I slow down and unmask, I find that I am able to hear my own voice better, and that voice asks me to rest. That voice asks me to connect to all the people and places that rejuvinate my soul. That voice is slowly coaxing out the wonderful woman who has been within me all along.
So while I do this, professional activity is at a standstill.
I will slowly tinker away at updating the website to better reflect who I am and the work I am going to put out into the world - but only as energy allows. For now please feel free to peruse what is here. If you're curious about what my journey is looking like, you're best bet is to follow me on insta and look at my stories. I'm legit just posting whatever the hell I feel like on there - it's really refreshing.
Stay healthy, be kind, make space. x Kendra
January 2024
When life makes it so that you can not sleep, you take that moment and you make a pot of coffee, and you take advantage of the large blanket of snow the previous night's blizzard is offering as a marketing ploy for the art song you recorded over 2 months ago.
This song began as a funny moment that happened in 2017, and has now blossomed into a fully fledged art song.
Performing: Kendra Harder (contralto) Matthew Praksas (piano)
May 2023
Feministory Open Access Library
Thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts, I get to start on a dream project - commissioning living composers to create arrangements of works by marginalized composers for primary and secondary wind band! These arrangements will be made available free of charge to music educators for use in their band programs. The goal of this Open Access Library is to help diversify the music curriculum, and to help remove barriers for music educators in accessing new music for the band programs.
I hope to be able to grow this library every year, but for now we are getting a great head start on 12 commissions. The plan is for the library to launch in 2024. Stay tuned!
March 2023
I have some incredibly exciting news! I have been selected for Canadian Art Song Project's Chung-Wai Chow and John Wright Art Song Mentorship Program. I will be mentored by the amazing Cecilia Livingston while I work on a new cycle of art songs titled "Newly Out." These art songs will look at my experiences of being newly out as a queer women, and will be written for contralto/flex as a way of honouring my own vocal range, but also creating more repertoire for diverse voice types.
Thank you so much to CASP for this honour. Read more here.