The Kensington Sinfonia was founded in 1988 by John Lowry, Associate Concertmaster of the Calgary Philharmonic, and freelance musicians. From 1993 to 2020, the star studded line up of Edmond Agopian, Donovan Seidle, and Laura Reid built the Sinfonia and established its reputation as Alberta’s premier chamber ensemble. In 2021, Andrea Case and Genevieve Micheletti took the helm of the organization and embraced its unique role as an artistic sandbox in which contemporary composers and ... Read More
The Kensington Sinfonia was founded in 1988 by John Lowry, Associate Concertmaster of the Calgary Philharmonic, and freelance musicians. From 1993 to 2020, the star studded line up of Edmond Agopian, Donovan Seidle, and Laura Reid built the Sinfonia and established its reputation as Alberta’s premier chamber ensemble. In 2021, Andrea Case and Genevieve Micheletti took the helm of the organization and embraced its unique role as an artistic sandbox in which contemporary composers and musicians collaborate and play. With 21 commissions and premieres in their 5 year tenure, they have chosen to spotlight the contributions of BIPOC and gender diverse composers to the classical canon.
The Sinfonia's programs cover a wide range of chamber music and string orchestra repertoire, from the Baroque to present day. Since its inception, it has frequently commissioned works by Calgary composers, as well as presenting the Calgary premieres of many Canadian compositions. The Sinfonia has been frequently broadcast on both regional and national CBC Radio programs. Its debut recording "Views from the Americas", was recorded by CBC Radio. “Forces of Nature,” Kensington Sinfonia’s 2023 recording, featured Sonny Ray Day Rider’s “The Grief Eater Firaga,” which was toured and is regularly broadcast across Canada. Their most recent recording, “Tapestries,” is slated for release in November 2026 and features composers Chris Sies, Evan Ware, Jens Ibsen, and Mark Limacher.
The musical intimacy between players and the audience is extremely important in the Sinfonia's performances. It is with this in mind that the Sinfonia chooses to perform at the wonderfully intimate and acoustically satisfying St. Stephens Anglican Church. 2017 saw the addition of a new concert series, the Village Sessions, at Village Brewery. These concerts pair the Kensington Sinfonia String Quartet with Alberta artists from various genres including: Ginger Beef, Walter Whitebear, FOON YAP, Wakefield Brewster, Noble Oney, and many more. Kensington Sinfonia can be heard on several genre crossing albums, including Ellen Doty’s “Every Little Thing” and Daniel Pelton Collective’s “Violins of Hope”.
Kensington Sinfonia’s educational efforts remain at the forefront of the classical sphere, including pay what you can tickets for children, adult tickets that include childcare for small children during concerts, and original in school and brewery presentations that introduce students to their new favourite BIPOC and gender diverse composers.
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