THE AUTUMN MELODY COLLECTIVE IS A GROUP OF LIKE-MINDED ARTISTS WHO CELEBRATE THE AMAZING ARTFORM THAT IS CHINESE OPERA.
Though from diverse artistic backgrounds, the members of the Autumn Melody Collective came together through a deep love of Chinese opera and a desire to share this exquisite artform by annually producing shows in Ottawa.
We produce an annual Chinese Opera event, showcasing the rich and ancient cultural treasure that is Chinese Opera. (Recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage in 2010)
OUR VALUES
Respect for artistic practices and cultural traditions • highest quality of work • a specific focus on Chinese-Canadian talents • an interest in international and intercultural collaboration • support for a collective approach to artmaking • a sense of community that reflects our need as artists to feel connected
OUR COLLECTIVE
William Lau is a graduate of York University’s Master of Fine Arts program in dance. A refined performer, he was trained in both Chinese traditional dance and Western classical ballet and now specializes in the Dan (female roles) in Chinese opera. William has been an ambassador for Chinese performing arts for the past 25 years, conducting workshops, lectures and demonstrations at various academic institutions and artistic companies as well as museums and cultural organizations and has shared the richness of Chinese dance and opera with a wide range of audiences nationally and internationally. He has pushed the boundaries of traditional art practices by collaborating with professional artists of different artistic disciplines and diverse cultural backgrounds.
Laura Astwood is a creator and performer of original theatre works as well as a coach and teacher of physical theatre skills. She has led numerous stilt workshops in Ottawa and elsewhere, specializing in teaching the use of stilts as a theatrical tool. She was the Artistic Director of the Ottawa Stilt Union for 9 years. With the OSU she was involved in the creation of 20 original performances and performance events. In Ottawa, Laura has also collaborated with Zoopyra Productions to create Six: at Home, a site-specific work that won two Rideaux Awards, and with Two Little Birds on and then it happens, which appeared in the 2012 Undercurrents Festival. In 2013 Laura directed Occupy Me, a play by Bronwyn Steinberg & Sarah Waiswisz which was performed at the Ottawa Fringe Festival, the Hamilton Fringe Festival and various other venues in Canada and the US. Laura collaborated with Sarah Conn on Split, produced by STO Union for the 2015 SubDevision Festival.
Marjolaine Fournier A graduate of the Conservatoire de musique du Québec, Marjolaine has been a member of the double bass section of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra since 1991. Long-time cohost of the podcast “Explore the Symphony”, she enjoys studying and playing music of times and places other than her own and is always ready to adopt a new sound. She is a member of the Toronto Chinese Orchestra and the children’s concert duo “Les Marjo”, dedicated to creating original kids’ musical adventures.