Wallace Halladay, saxophone Hailed as “one of Canada’s leading performers of contemporary music,” saxophonist Wallace Halladay has premiered and commissioned numerous works for his instrument. Having begun his studies in his native Toronto, he holds a Bachelor’s degree with Honours from the University of Toronto Faculty of Music in Performance and Composition, and a Master’s degree from New England Conservatory of Music. A scholarship student, he also received consecutive Chalmers awards from the Ontario Arts Council. With a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, he completed post-graduate studies in the Netherlands at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with internationally renowned saxophonist, Arno Bornkamp.

Wallace has performed in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia, with broadcasts on CBC, WGBH (Boston) and Radio Nederland. He has performed the concerti of Ibert, Husa, Scelsi and Donatoni. He worked with Michael Colgrass on the Canadian premiere of his concerto Dream Dancer, and with Mauricio Kagel on the North American premiere of his concerto for baritone saxophone and choir, Burleske. Most recently, he premiered Scott Good’s new concerto, Babbitt, with the Esprit Orchestra in May 2006. His orchestral experiences include regular performances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra; he has also performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the National Ballet Orchestra of Canada, and as a fellow of the Tanglewood Music Centre.

Wallace recorded the two saxophone Sequenzas of Luciano Berio for NAXOS Records, and will record the Colgrass concerto in 2007. He has been presented by and performed with new music groups across the country, including Kumquat, New Music Concerts, Continuum, Sound Symposium, Esprit Orchestra, CCMW, 5-Penny New Music, Earshot!, and Toca Loca. Wallace was the Artistic Director of the Scelsi Centenary Project (2005) and the Franco Donatoni Project (2006).

Wallace is a scholarship doctoral student at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, with a grant from the Canada Council. In 2004-05 he was visiting Lecturer in Music Theory and professor of saxophone at Memorial University in St. John’s. He presently teaches saxophone at the Universities of Toronto and Rochester.

Max Christie, clarinets

Max Christie is the principal clarinet of the National Ballet Orchestra and the Esprit Orchestra in Toronto, where he is also a member of the new music collective Continuum. He also performs frequently with New Music Concerts both as soloist and as an ensemble member. He is often heard on CBC Radio's Two New Hours, and has recorded the music of Michael Torke, Rudolph Komorous, Melissa Hui, Harry Somers and R. Murray Schafer.

Mr. Christie received his bachelor's degree from the University of Western Ontario, where he studied with Robert Riseling. He continued his studies in Toronto with Joaquin Valdepenas, and went to Yale University to gain a master's degree and study with Keith Wilson, with the support of grants from the Canada Council and the Ontario Arts Council. He has performed across North America and Europe, and has appeared as a soloist with the Toronto Symphony, the Kitchener Symphony, the Calgary Philharmonic and the Esprit Orchestra. He instructs privately and at the Universty of Toronto Faculty of Music.