Фестиваль новой музыки SALT возвращается в Викторию с темой связи искусства и природы

Greater Victoria music festival returns to explore our connection to nature Published 10:39 am Thursday, August 27, 2026 Victoria’s SALT New Music Festival will return in September with a program exploring the connections between music, nature, place and the act of listening. The festival, founded in Victoria in 2011, will feature musicians and composers from British Columbia, across Canada and abroad. Organizers say this year’s theme, “proximity,” encourages audiences to experience music through close listening and interaction with performers. “Every event is an invitation to listen more closely — in the hall, in the park, and in conversation with the artists,” said co-director Ajtony Csaba. The festival opens with Montreal’s Ensemble Paramirabo before bringing the group together with Berlin’s Zafraan Ensemble for a program featuring world and Canadian premieres, including Csaba’s new work Taajuu. Other performances will explore the physical elements of sound, including breath, resonance, vibration and movement. The festival will also feature a performance by the Vancouver Percussion Collective and a program marking the 100th birthday of composer György Kurtág. A major focus of the festival will be Birdsong – a four-event series developed with Climate and the Arts and in partnership with Friends of Uplands Park. The series will combine birdwatching, outdoor music, multimedia presentations and an immersive concert. It will begin with a guided listening and birdwatching walk through Uplands Park. The weekend will continue with an outdoor morning concert at Mount Tolmie, a presentation at UVic’s School of Music and an evening concert featuring new works inspired by birds found in British Columbia. Young composers from B.C. and beyond have created short pieces inspired by species such as the coastal vesper sparrow, northern spotted owl, western screech-owl, long-billed curlew, marbled murrelet, and black swift. Following indoor concerts, audiences will be invited to meet performers and composers in the lobby. The festival runs from Sept. 1 to 20 at venues including the University of Victoria, Uplands Park and Mount Tolmie Park. All concerts are by donation, with advance registration required. A complete schedule and registration information are available at tsilumos.org/salt2026.