Women on the Verge was formed in 2016 by American soprano Emily Martin, Canadian soprano Elizabeth McDonald and Canadian pianist Kathryn Tremills.

The trio is connected by the performers’ mutual desire to explore the common thread of women’s lives through the millennia, including their strengths, struggles, and collective experiences. These concerts are a forum to share information and experiences, to explore our knowledge and understanding of the music and text, and provide the audience an opportunity to learn about and reflect on situations and issues that have confronted women for a lifetime.

Women on the Verge is committed to commissioning new music written by women that reflect the stories of women from the contemporary world around us. The 2018 commissioned composer is Canadian Emilie LeBel who set found texts to a theme of cultural displacement based on the current worldwide refugee crisis.  This work, Blue of the Distance, was premiered in Toronto, ON and with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, received its European Premier in Paris, France.

Their 2018-19 program “Expectations and Desires”, supported by a Touring and Circulation Grant from the Canada Council, will be performed in London, UK, Reykjavik, Iceland, throughout Alberta and Washington State, on King FM Radio in Seattle, WA, and in their hometowns of  Toronto, ON and Lewisburg, PA. They will present master classes at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Iceland University of the Arts, the Universities of Alberta, Calgary and Lethbridge. For more information on the trio, please visit www.womenontheverge.ca

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country.