The Brandon University New Music Ensemble (BUNME), under the direction of Professor Megumi Masaki, is dedicated to the creation and performance of diverse, interdisciplinary, cutting edge works of living composers and artists that engage with cultural and global issues. BUNME has worked closely with composers from across Canada, U.S., Iceland, Mexico, Latvia and the UK. BUNME has performed at established festivals including the Dark Music Days Festival Reykjavik Iceland, CoLab Festival London UK, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra New Music Festival, Nuit Blanche and the Brandon University New Music Festival (BUNMF). BUNME is honoured to co-commission composers Ollie Hawker, Keith Hamel, Michael Ducharme and Melody McKiver and to collaborate with Pete Stollery, Sound Scotland Festival and the Any Enemy Ensemble on Project Lockdown Composing.
BUNME 2020-2021 members:
Azaria Neuschwander (soprano), Léa Liu (flute), Jichen Wang (clarinet), Naomi Cord (bass clarinet), Sheva Schwartz (cello), Ren Wang (percussion), Reanne Vanden Brink (piano), William Neufeld (piano) and Megumi Masaki (conductor/piano)
Megumi Masaki is a pianist, interactive multimedia performing artist, educator and curator. Megumi has established an international reputation as a leading interpreter of contemporary music and innovator that reimagines the piano and pianist to create new immersive and expressive environments through new technologies. Megumi frequently collaborates with composers, visual artists, writers, and choreographers on interdisciplinary projects. Forty-eight new works have been created for/together with Megumi and she has premiered over 100 works. Megumi is the New Music Ensemble and New Music Festival director and Full Professor of Piano at Brandon University.
