Please note that weekly rehearsal take place every Monday from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM at the Dalhousie Arts Centre, room 111.
The Halifax Queer Ensemble is a community of 2SLGBTQ+ musicians of all skill levels, instruments, and backgrounds. We are passionate about supporting queer composers and artists, sharing skills, and having fun with concert music.
Guided by queer and trans conductors, we strive to create a safe and open environment for queer sound while deconstructing the colonial and heteropatriarchal norms that have shaped traditional musical teaching, value, and performance.
We welcome all instruments! Generally, people in the ensemble play a string (violin, viola, cello, bass), wind (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone), brass (trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba), or percussion instrument. If you play something other than those instruments, we will find a way to include you!
Location: Dalhousie Arts Centre (6101 University Ave.) room 111. To find the room, enter the main doors of the arts centre on University Ave. The room has chairs, music stands, and any other gear we may need. Washrooms are just around the corner on the same floor. There are also single stall washrooms on the ground level in the new wing of the Arts Centre.
Participation Fee: Although the HQE strives to be as low barrier as possible, there are fees that need to be covered. Rehearsals cost $10 a week to participate. We know that people have many circumstances, so this is a pay-what-you-can fee. If you are not able to pay each week you are still more than welcome to participate. If you are able to pay more than $10 to help cover the costs, we appreciate your generosity.
Photo Release: As part of the promotion for the ensemble, we may occasionally take photos and videos of rehearsals and performances. These may be posted on social media with your consent.
What you need to bring: We will have all music printed and ready for you. You will need an instrument to play in the ensemble. If you need to rent one, Long and McQuade rents by the week for quite reasonable rates. Otherwise, there is nothing you need to bring other than your instrument and yourself!
About the conductors:
Jessica Amador (She/Her) is a graduate of UPEI's Bachelor of Music program, Jessica is currently active as a hornist, singer, and collaborator based out of Halifax, NS. Born in the Philippines and raised in Charlottetown, PE, she quickly became immersed in the music culture of the island. Jessica competed twice in the Kiwanis Music Festival, and both times went on to represent PEI at the National Music Festival of Canada, also performing at the Indian River Music Festival. In 2019, she received the Suzanne Brenton Award and was invited to play with the PEI Symphony Orchestra as a featured soloist in their opening concert for the 2022 season.
During her time at UPEI, Jessica studied choral and instrumental conducting, directed the UPEI Multicultural Choir, and led UPEI choir and chamber ensemble as a guest conductor. She has also helped in roles as assistant or guest conductors for various small ensembles and groups over the years. With experience in classical, contemporary, and popular music, Jessica has performed with a variety of ensembles across the Maritimes including the PEI Symphony Orchestra, Luminos Ensemble, Galileo Chamber Choir, Nova Sinfonia the Confederation Brass Quintet, and the UPEI Wind Ensemble.
Jacob Caines (He/Him) is a conductor, musicologist, and clarinetist based in Nova Scotia, Canada. Jacob is a professor of musicology, theory, aural skills, and wind music at the Fountain School of Performing Arts at Dalhousie University. He is presently a PhD Candidate in Queer Geographies and the ontology of Queer+ classical music at Concordia University in Montréal. He is the recipient of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council doctoral grant for his research which relates classical music performance to the urban scenography of gaybourhoods and community structures.
Jacob is the founder of ClassicalQueer.com, an online publication which features interviews with Queer+ performers from around the world. He created the Canadian Database of Queer+ Classical Musicians, a digital directory and resource for Queer+ classical music in Canada. He presently co-hosts the monthly CQ podcast with trans astrophysicist Sammi Jane Smith.
