Music

About ChamberFest West

ChamberFest West (CFW) is building its board of directors to ensure continuation of the success achieved over the first three years of operation. CFW presents an intensive summer chamber music festival in Calgary, Alberta, that features internationally renowned musicians, explores unique and immersive thematic programming, and creates original, engaging musical experiences for its audiences. CFW is also in its first year of presenting a “shoulder season”, bringing the exciting music heard during the summer festival to audiences in Calgary and other Alberta locations, in the spring and fall. 

About the Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors contributes significantly to the organization’s strategy and governance and provides specific expertise to support our Artistic Directors and General Manager. During our first three years of operation, the Board met monthly, either virtually or in person, to advance ChamberFest West’s mission and goals and to oversee the development of the festival and other programming. As we have become more established, the Board intends to increase staff and move away from operational work necessarily performed over the first three years.  The Board will continue to provide governance and make strategic decisions along with staff.  This will allow for a move to quarterly meetings.  

In addition to Board meetings, board members chair and/or participate in various committees and do all they can to promote and support the organization’s events and projects. 

The Opportunity

ChamberFest West is looking for individuals with an interest in the arts and the skills necessary to ensure the CFW Board is equipped to govern the organization, as well as to make connections in the community to help expand both audience numbers and fundraising capability.  The term of office is three years, with the possibility for additional terms.  

General expertise with not-for-profit boards is desired.  Knowledge of and/or an appreciation for music is an asset.  Candidates with specific skills and experience in the areas of law, finance, fundraising or marketing will be given priority.  

For further information about ChamberFest West, please consult our website, chamberfestwest.com, where you will also find links to social media and YouTube.  

To Apply

Please forward your cover letter and CV to info@chamberfestwest.com with the email subject line “Board Recruitment.”

This research was conducted in six waves over the course of 2020 and 2021. This is a community resource that is FREE to access and results from the sixth wave of research are now available.

Findings for Alberta organizations from Wave 6 results include:

• Comfort has developed into a very predictable pattern that follows case numbers and now vaccine rates.
• Albertans will return at their own pace; participation hinges on personal comfort but also personal risk tolerance.
• There is a consensus that there will be less of a return to “normal” but rather a new way of doing things moving forward.
• Because Albertans have spent the past year and half discovering new things to do, the selection of what they can choose from now is quite vast.
• Spending habits are in flux, and at this point it is difficult to predict where Albertans will direct their money in the short term.

What are the implications for Alberta organizations?

• Even as restrictions have been removed, organizations still need to deal with comfort. As it stands, there is clear hesitancy in the audience and it will be important to communicate safety measures to make audiences comfortable when re-engaging.
• Organizations should keep in mind that public sentiment is a more useful barometer over government announcements. Gauging expectations for increased participation to occur will be based on a combination of comfort and risk tolerance.
• Organizations should expect more permanent (structural) changes to stick around – specifically related to organizational transparency, flexibility with refunds, new payment options, etc. These should be things that organizations consider keeping even if they are no longer required by the government.
• The main consideration for organizations remains flexibility – in terms of payment options, participation options, etc. This will allow for consideration on different levels as Albertans suss out how they want to direct their spending.

Download the reports:

• Alberta Report
• Calgary Report
• Edmonton Report

About the project

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts is pleased to be a funding partner in this collaboration with Stone-Olafson and other community leaders to develop a long-term research investigation and evaluate how current conditions will reshape Albertans’ attitudes and behaviours towards social and group activities, across a variety of sectors. The purpose of this work is to give leaders of community sports, recreation, arts and culture, professional sports, active living, heritage, tourism or hospitality sectors relevant facts about local audiences that they will need to bring life back to our communities.

The initiative was funded by:

• ActiveCITY Collective
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts
• Angus Reid
• ATB
• Calgary Arts Development
• Calgary Foundation
• Edmonton Arts Council
• Edmonton Community Foundation
• Rozsa Foundation
• Stone-Olafson
• Travel Alberta

We're pleased to share a special shout-out to Alberta artists who brought home 2022 Juno awards. Congratulations to all of the incredible artists on their wins:

• Maria Dunn: Traditional Roots Album of the Year 
  • She received two AFA Music Individual Project Funding grants for her Joyful Banner Blazing album: art production grant to assist with the recording; and marketing grant for publicity. Catch her live in Leduc and Sherwood Park in 2022/2023.
• Andrew Wan: Classical Album of the Year (Small Ensemble)
  • Andrew is an accomplished musician born in Edmonton. He was also a 2008 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award recipient.
• Brett Kissel: Country Album of the Year   
  • ​Brett celebrates win in his What is Life? album. Catch Brett on tour in Alberta this summer (Calgary and his hometown, St. Paul).
• Caity Gyorgy: Vocal Jazz Album of the Year
  • Originally from Calgary, Catiy won for her EP Now Pronoucing: Caity Gyorgy.
• Fawn Wood: Traditional Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year 
  • Fawn is a Cree and Salish musician from Saddle Lake who won for her album, Kakike.
• Garth Prince: Children's Album of the Year 
  • ​Edmonton-based African artist won for his Falling in Africa album.

For a complete list of the winners and nominees, check out junoawards.ca. All the best to them on their future endeavours! We're proud of their talents and appreciate their magnificient work for all of us to continually enjoy!