2025 reflections // Canada Tour + U.S. Premiere Announcements

I have been slow to pick up on 2026 after the whirlwind of the later half of 2025. I got to experience so many amazing places this Fall touring with my dear friend, Eli Wallace, with performances in the U.K. with the incredible Mark Sanders and Rachel Musson. Another Fall highlight for me was a residency at EMPAC in Troy, NY performing Stevie Manning's emotionally raw, honest and unapologetic opus, "We Will Not Be Composed." The ensemble featured visual artist, Xuan, Rocio Sánchez and Ha-Yang Kim on cellos, yours truly on electric guitar, Stevie on alto saxophone Devon Gates on upright bass, and Suzanne Farrin on Ondes Martenot. If you are not familiar with this instrument, it was one of the earliest invented electronic instruments and I highly recommend checking out Messian's epic Turangalila symphony, linked here. It is a rare experience to fall into such ease performing with artists that I have never worked with before For the entire week long residency it instantly felt like home working with these immensely talented artists and their daily commitment to realizing Stevie's piece. The premiere performance was packed and Troy showed up !!

Winter was monumental month for me with taking my doctoral comprehensive exams. Despite the intense travel and performance schedule coupled with multiple composition deadlines I somehow managing to spend every waking moment studying for what probably was one of the hardest things I have done in my academic career. One of the biggest takeaways was learning how to learn and gaining a deeper understanding of how my mind uniquely works for building knowledge and new skills. I discovered so much incredible music dating from the medieval into the 21st century - which will probably be a blog post for later - but now I can say it has left me with a lifetime of inspiration. The well music continues to leave me in awe with how infinite it can be.

A week after my exams I flew to Bangkok for the International Composers Institute of Thailand and the premiere of my composition, "To Grasp the Movement of the Sun." This piece is a continuing body of work inspired by my 2024 Arctic Circle Residency. I am elated to share that this piece one first prize and a $1500 USD commission to be premiered for the 2026 Festival. I could not have conceived this piece without the generous mentorship from Ken Ueno and Scott Wilson as well as the dedicated performance from the wonderful Tacet(i). I am excited to return this coming December, I just absolutely fell in love with Bangkok, hands down one of the top places I have visited.

Lastly, I am in the midst of preparing for a Canada running with various configurations of solo shows and old and new collaborations in Alberta and the Maritimes. Below are the date announcements. If you are in the area or have friends who might be interested, please share! I will also be premiering two new exciting works in Maine and Florida in early March including my first chamber opera with text from Charlotte Bronté's "The Wood"

Ackerley Alberta + Maritimes Tour

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February 14th Edmonton, Alberta - New Music Edmonton w/ Jarius Sharif, Mustafa Rafiq and Ron Dejong

February 15th Calgary, Alberta - High Line Brewing, Bug Incision Presents

February 21st. Edmonton, Alberta - O.N.C.E. - with Nico Arnaez, Ron de Jong, Paul McGurk, Afarin Nazarijou, Melvin Picazo, Alicia Proudfoot, Kelly Ruth, Jason Lee Scott, Maryam Soufisiavash, Eric Weiden, Jonathon Wilcke

February 23rd Edmonton, Alberta - Workshops and Concerts at MacEwan University and University of Alberta: XiME

February 25th Calgary, Alberta - Workshop at University of Calgary

February 26th Halifax, Nova Scotia - Workshop at Dalhousie University

February 26th Canning, Nova Scotia - The Annex, opening for Andrew Mackelvie's Many Worlds

February 27th Fredericton, Nova Scotia - Gallery 78 w/ Andrew Mackelvie, presented by Piu

February 28th Halifax, Nova Scotia - The Seahorse, opening for Andrew Mackelvie's Many Worlds

March 1st Halifax, Nova Scotia - Merry Time Music, workshop and solo concert featuring my Arctic project

March 3rd Truro, Nova Scotia - Workshop featuring my Arctic project

March 3rd Halifax, Nova Scotia - Halifax Public Library w/ Sam Wilson

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United States World Premieres

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March 5 to 7th Waterville, Maine - SPLICE Festival at Colby College, Premiere of "Svell" for SPLICE ensemble

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March 8th Orlando, Florida - Timucua  Arts, Opera World Premiere of "The Wood" featuring soprano, Keri Lee Pierson

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