KENDRA HARDER
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  • About
    • Bio
    • Press
    • CV
  • Music
    • Listen
    • Catalogue
  • Feministory
  • Work with me
    • Commissioning
    • Arranging
    • FAQ
  • Contact
  • Shop
KENDRA HARDER

Curriculum Vitae

COMPOSITIONS
Current & Upcoming Projects
Feministory
Research Project and online platform creation
Sponsored by SK Arts

Newly Out, Libretto by Kendra Harder
Art Songs for contralto/flex* and piano

*Vocal range of E3 - D5 with lower and upper extensions to allow for a variety of voices
Past Compositions
OPERA & ART SONG
Message in the Snow, Libretto by Kendra Harder (2020, 2023) - contralto and piano
Developed at two separate 24-hour Compose-a-thons​

But Réamann, Libretto by Kendra Harder (2022) (first draft) – mezzo-soprano and piano 
Developed at the Fresh Squeezed Opera Vocal Lab 2022
 
Silver Linings, Libretto by Christine Parcells (2021) – soprano and piano
PWYC Commission Consortium led by Danielle Strong and Matthew Praksas

Orpheus & Eurydice: Nox
, Libretto by Michelle K. Telford, Dramaturgy by Cori Ellison (2021 – 2022). Unfinished. Principals: contralto/flex*, mezzo-soprano, soprano, and baritone; Chorus; Piano and violin
​Funded through SK Arts, Canada Council for the Arts, and a crowdfunding campaign on Ko-Fi; and has been workshopped thanks to the in-kind donations of Musique 3 Femmes, Dan School of Drama & Music, and the University of Saskatchewan

​
*this is a flex-role with alternate lower and higher notes to create space for transgender opera singers
 
É Amore un ladroncello (re-imagined) (2020) – mezzo-soprano and chamber ensemble
Commissioned by the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with Saskatoon Opera, Free Flow Dance Company and Collectif for Mozart Re-Reimagined directed by Danika Loren
 
Book of Faces, Libretto by Michelle K. Telford (2018 – 2019) – soprano, mezzo-soprano and piano
Winner of the 2018 Mécénat Musica Prix 3 Femmes – English Language Prize
 
Orpheus and Eurydice…ish, Libretto by Michelle K. Telford and Kendra Harder
(2017) – 2 soprani, flute, oboe, clarinet, alto saxophone, horn, bassoon, and piano
Commissioned by the Strata Festival of New Music in collaboration with Little Opera on the Prairie
 
Myriads, Text by Kendra Harder (2014 – 2017) – mezzo-soprano, piano and guitar
SOLO
Sea of Dead White Men (2019 – 2022) – classical guitar and video
Commentary on the programming of operas as reflected in a local library’s collection of operatic DVDs – all works available were composed by white men who have long since died
 
Babbit (2016) – classical guitar
CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
Scandalous (Homage to Chiquinha Gonzaga) (2023) – guitar and flute duo
Commissioned by the Azuline Duo

​Middle of the Road (Nathan Coppens), We’re Gonna Do This Thing (2021) – violin, cello and piano
Commission for the processional and recessional for a private wedding
 
All the Different Parts (2021) – wind quintet
Workshopped with Mistral 5 thanks to the in-kind donation of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra
Project was funded by the SK Arts' Independent Artist Grant
 
Time Loop Trio (2020) –contrabassoon, pipe organ and double bass
Commissioned by the Strata Festival of New Music
 
Sore Thumbs (2020) – Multi-composer composition tag with Emmett Fortosky, Jane Waddell, Kyle Rausch, Emma Kramer-Roger, Spencer Krips, Rory Lynch, Kirsten Ewart and Tiess McKenzie. Organized and led by Kendra Harder.
 
Verboden te Storten (2020) – saxophone quartet
Created at the 24-Hour Composition Extravaganza
 
Sketches of Saskatoon (2019) – baritone/alto saxophone, violin, cello and percussion
 
Cat Fight (2018) – clarinet and percussion
Commissioned by the Goodchild Grady Duo
 
Carrot Sandwich (2018) – oboe, soprano, mezzo-soprano, and piano
Created at the 24-Hour Composition Extravaganza
 
Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Double Bass (2017) – oboe, bassoon and double bass
 
It Won’t Be Ready Next Week (2017) – cello and piano
Commissioned by the family of Charmaine and Joseph Taylor
LARGE ENSEMBLE
When You Accidentally Wish Upon a Satellite (2022) – Big Band
PWYC Commission Consortium led by the Footnotes Jazz Collective
 
Oostende (2020) – Level 3+ High School Wind Band
PWYC Commission Consortium

ARRANGEMENTS
​How Can He Live Without His Euridice? (from my opera Orpheus & Eurydice…ish) (2022) – soprano and wind octet
Commissioned by Steven D. Davis and Anya Pogorelova supported by the UMKC Martha Jane Starr Library Research Award
 
Mozart Re-reimagined (Mozart) (2021) – reduction of orchestra parts of various Mozart arias for COVID-sized orchestra
Commissioned by the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra
 
Schlafendes Jesuskind (Hugo Wolf) (2020) – COVID-sized string orchestra
Commissioned by the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra
 
Julia Florida (Agustìn Barrios) (2018) – wind quintet
 
Can She Excuse (John Dowland) (2018) – soprano, ATB, guitar, violin, and double bass
 
Opus 64 (Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64) (2017) – big band


PRESENTATIONS & PROJECTS
February 2023 – Onwards – Feministory
Researcher & Organizer
Sponsored by SK Arts
  • Collating and expanding research from “Musical Herstory” to include gender diverse composers, and BIPOC composers of any gender
  • Creation of online platform that will function as a growing library of resources on composers from historically marginalized demographics

February 2023 - Telling Story Through Music
Visiting Artist Workshop
Listen to 'Dis
  • Creating and leading an online music class about creating music for stories aimed at people with varying music experience

May 2022 – Orpheus & Eurydice: Nox
Composer-in-residence
University of Saskatchewan 
Sponsored by Musique 3 Femmes
  • 3-day music workshop of my opera-in-progress, Nox, culminating in a semi-staged performance for future collaborators, Opera Q
 
February 2022 – Opera, as in: Writing One
Co-panelist with librettist Michelle K. Telford, and music director Jennifer Szeto
University of Saskatchewan, Department of Music
  • Fine Arts Lecture and Recital Series (FARLS) hosted via Zoom
 
February 2022 – Orpheus & Eurydice: Nox
University of Saskatchewan
  • Due to COVID, the original workshop planned with Musique 3 Femmes was postponed
  • In lieu of original 3-day workshop, together with Cori Ellison over Zoom, I spent the afternoon with vocal students and alumni of the U of S who workshopped the music of Act I of opera-in-progress Nox under the coaching of Kathy Gable
 
October 2021 – Music in Canada
Guest Speaker
University of Saskatchewan
  • Spoke about my work and experiences as a composer living and working in Canada today in Dr. Amanda Lalonde’s online class
 
June 2021 – Trans and Non-Binary Composer and Musicians Panel
Moderator and co-organizer
Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra
  • A panel highlighting trans and non-binary composers and musicians where they could talk about their work and the issues they face from their perspective
  • On the panel were inti figgis-vizueta, iT Boy, Dr. CN Lester, respectfulchild, Camille Rogers
 
May – June 2021 – Herstory 2.0
Researcher and teacher
Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra
  • Six-week online course about female composers looking at how historical and living women have been kicking ass in the “sacred male” genres
 
September – October 2020 – Musical Herstory
Researcher and teacher
Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra
  • Six-week online course about female composers and the historical reasons behind why their music has been intentionally forgotten

BOARD EXPERIENCE
Canadian League of Composers
Advisory Council – Advocacy (co-chair), and Equity
2022 – Present

Strata Festival of New Music
​
Board Member
2019 - Present

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Music, Individualized: Classical Guitar
University of Saskatchewan, BMus'18

Business Office Specialist 
Records Information Analysis     
Saskatoon Business College, 2012

Associate of Arts in Music
Private Saskatchewan College, AA'06

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2022 – Fresh Squeezed Opera Digital Vocal Lab – Fresh Squeezed Opera
2021 – One-on-One Mentorship with Vel Omazic (CMI Co-founder and Executive Director) – Canada’s Music Incubator and Creative Saskatchewan
2018 – Mécénat Musica Prix 3 Femmes (English Language) – Musique 3 Femmes
TEACHERS & MENTORS
Niloufar Nourbakhsh (composition)
New York, NY | Composer, Pianist, Educator
2021 – 2022 
 
Alexandra Gardner (composition and entrepreneurship)
Baltimore, MD | Composer
2020 – 2021 
 
James Rolfe (composition)
Toronto, ON | Composer
2019
 
Paul Suchan (composition)
Saskatoon, SK | Composer, Performer, Educator
2018
 
Shelley Marwood (composition)
Toronto, ON | Composer
2018
 
Walter Hofmeister (classical guitar at the University of Saskatchewan) 
Saskatoon, SK | Guitarist, Performer, Educator
2014 – 2018 
 
Chris Kelly (voice at the University of Saskatchewan) 
Saskatoon, SK | Baritone, Performer, Educator
2013 – 2014 
 
Laurien Gibson (voice)
Saskatoon, SK | Soprano, Performer
2013
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