Scarboro Foundation Distinctive Artists Concert Series 2023

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PROARTS@NOON CONCERTS PRESENTS

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The ProArts@Noon Concert Series is pleased to announce a unique series of five concerts during 2023 featuring particularly distinctive performing artists.

The Scarboro Foundation recently awarded Calgary’s ProArts Society funding to undertake the Distinctive Performers Concert Series, which will feature a diverse selection of performing arts genres.

This special series will be part of the ProArts@Noon weekly schedule of Wednesday concerts.

Once again this year, the Scarboro Foundation has given ProArts Society Artistic Director Damon Johnston free rein to select the artists for this unique series, and he’s had fun making the choices. Johnston offers the following quote to illuminate his process of judgement:  

The world is a complicated place, and there’s a lot of division between people. The performing arts tend to unify people in a way nothing else does.

David Rubenstein

Now celebrating its twenty-first season, the ProArts@Noon Concert Series is a free, noon hour concert series presented by the ProArts Society, who rent the historic Cathedral Church in the heart of Calgary’s Cultural District for their weekly concerts.

THE SCARBORO FOUNDATION DISTINCTIVE PERFORMERS SERIES 2022

1. March 01 Bijan Maysami Trio (Iranian fusion)
2. May 17 Harmony Guzheng Ensemble (traditional Chinese zither)
3. June 28 Hymmelodies (world fusion) 
4. July 12 Anastassiia Alexander & Fiona Malena (Flamenco Music & Dance)

Artist Biographies

Bijan Maysami Trio   March 01, 2023

Bijan Maysami started playing music when he was 6 years old with his uncle Master DR. Hossein Meysami, and after four years went to Master Majid Kiani’s classes and was his student for 16 years. He was the winner of the Iranian student music festival (2002 at Amir Kabir Univesity) and formed a Hoorami music band. Since 2006, he has been living in Calgary, Canada, and had several performances in multi-cultural events and festivals such as TEDx Calgary, Silk Road, Global Festival, and road cross festival. He is currently working on fusion music with Iranian and non-Iranian musicians. In 2015 he formed Hymmmelodies Fusion music band in Calgary.

Find them on Instagram and YouTube.

Harmony Guzheng Ensemble May 17, 2023

The Guzheng, also known as the Chinese Zither or harp is a traditional Chinese string instrument that has been around for more than two thousand years. The Guzheng is not just an instrument but also a storyteller—having the ability to paint pictures of the beautiful sceneries and stories of Ancient China through its fluid and elegant sounds.

Harmony Guzheng Ensemble is a Calgary based non-profit music organization for Guzheng lovers. The ensemble is lead by Shirley Wong, a former GuZheng instructor of Hong Kong GuZheng Performers Association. Since established, it has been consistently demonstrating and promoting Chinese music culture in many community activities and charity activities with this treasured musical instrument. It is also a happy family of Guzheng lovers.

Hymmelodies June 28, 2023

At a regular HYMMMelodies set, listeners will experience Iranian santur, Arabic oud, electric bass, guitar, clarinet, saxophone, percussion, and vocals. The band’s sound is a frenzy of jazzy, traditional (and contemporary) melodies from around the world. The group was featured at TEDxYYC, and notably by CKUA during the launch of Alberta Music Week.

Anastassiia Alexander & Fiona Malena July 12, 2023