By Lawrence Cherney
Featured image: Soundstreams TD Encounters: Poitu Varen. Featuring: Chris Pruden, piano; Zoe Markle, bass; Kalaisan Kalaichelvan, composition. Photo credit: Cylla von Tiedemann
Whether you’re a leader in the arts, an artist, a donor, or a lover of arts in any form, you know the arts matter to Canadians. According to the Canada Council, the arts make three impressive contributions: build the economy, express uniquely Canadian experiences, and improve quality of life and well-being.
Arts and culture leaders need to constantly communicate this importance to government decision-makers, potential sponsors, donors, community leaders and audiences.
Musical mentorship and diversity of voices
Soundstreams was founded as a charitable organization in 1982 with the goal of showcasing Canadian musicians and composers who fundamentally transform the way we hear our world. We have over 40 years of experience in the development and curation of new music, cultivating meaningful artistic and development relationships along the way. We’ve probed compelling Canadian themes and stories through new works in music and music theatre that resonate with our audiences, reflecting the times we live in, and where they live.
Year after year, diversity and mentorship remain central to our activities, enabling artists to create work that challenges norms and broadens perspectives. For audiences, this work offers access to a richer, more inclusive cultural narrative that reflects the complexity of our world. For donors, it allows for meaningful cultural engagement and impact.
This way of working resonates far beyond our own borders; our work is now sought after by the world’s most prestigious festivals and venues, including London’s Southbank Centre. One of our recently commissioned and produced works shed light on under-represented voices. Two Odysseys: Pimooteewin/Gállábártnit was the first-ever opera written in the Indigenous languages of Cree and Sámi.
We truly believe that our unique forms of mentorship and curation have been central to our success and relevance. Following are two major examples.
Bridges emerging composers’ program
Bridges helps talented emerging national and international composers launch their careers. This week-long program is designed to further their professional development and equip them with the skills, networks, and mentorship needed to support their careers. It offers a unique combination of technical guidance, collaborative engagement, and individualized support. For example, this past season, musical composers benefited immensely from working with acclaimed composer Tarik O’Regan, whose mentorship style was approachable, insightful, and tailored to each composer’s distinct writing style and background. He fostered an environment of open dialogue and mutual respect, encouraging the composers to explore their own creative paths while offering expert guidance grounded in real-world industry experience.
The Bridges program is particularly effective in creating a sense of artistic community among the participants—fostering relationships that are likely to extend well beyond the program itself. For many participants, the experience was described as a pivotal moment in their artistic growth—one that affirmed their creative instincts and offered a meaningful pathway forward in their careers.
This notion of artistic community extends beyond the actual participants, bringing into its scope our audience and donor base. Each year, this program offers a public masterclass that provides a rare glimpse into the rehearsal process and the collaborative relationship between musicians and composers as they work together to create a world premiere work. Audience members and donors appreciate a glimpse into the creative process, and the chance to meet artists on the cusp of renown.
Canadian composer Cecilia Livingston is a notable alumna of this program who has gone on to become a composer-in-residence at the Canadian Opera Company. One of this year’s international Bridges composers, Josema García Hormigo, was awarded First Prize and Gold Medal at the 2025 Rachmaninoff International Competition. These are powerful examples of the impact that Soundstreams has on emerging composers, and the national and international scope of the Bridges program.
New voices curator mentorship program
New Voices provides opportunities for emerging artists and arts professionals to curate larger-scale productions, and to gain experience in the production and presentation of new music within a mid-size performing arts company. This is the only program of its kind in Canada, and another way that we build discovery into our offerings for donors and audiences.
For example, as a socializing and networking opportunity, Bridges and New Voices alumni were invited to a recent Bridges performance featuring the touring Vancouver Chamber Choir, as well as the reception that followed the concert, giving our current cohort the opportunity to mingle with past professional development program participants. Our alumni were also invited to the 2025 New Voices concert, and the reception that followed. Our goal is to increase events where alumni, current, and upcoming participants can mingle freely, continuing to build this community fostered by Soundstreams.
Beyond these two programs, our free annual TD Encounters program allows a broad community of music lovers to discover new music through accessible outreach and education programs featuring performances, discussions, and audience participation.
Values-driven philanthropy and the future of new music in Canada
Soundstreams believes that philanthropy is about more than financial support; it’s about joining a community that believes in the transformative power of new Canadian music. We offer our donors a chance to shape the future of music in Canada by directly supporting mentorship and exciting emerging composers, and the diversity of Canadian voices.
Our supporters share a common passion: ensuring that artists and audiences alike continue to discover fresh perspectives through sound. They are drawn to Soundstreams because we do things differently. We pair emerging talent with world-class mentors, premiere their works in major venues, and create opportunities for donors to engage in conversations with composers and their artistic interpreters through pre- and post-show gatherings, salon-style fundraisers and donor appreciation events, and backstage access to the rehearsal process.
This approach resonates because it turns support into participation. Donors sustain concert programming by building meaningful relationships that can span decades. They help to grow a community where curiosity, imagination, and artistry thrive. In this way, values-driven philanthropy fuels mentorship, fosters belonging, and secures the future and legacy of new music in Canada.
The 2025-26 Soundstreams season in Toronto kicks off with the first of its free Encounters concerts October 28, and main stage concert Mass for the Endangered on November 22. Visit Soundstreams.ca to learn more.
Lawrence Cherney, Founding Artistic Director, Soundstreams – Lawrence began his career as an oboist, performing under the direction of Igor Stravinsky, and went on to achieve international distinction, commissioning over 150 works and touring worldwide. In 1982, he founded Soundstreams, where for more than four decades he has championed Canadian and global new music. Often called Canada’s “Ambassador of New Music,” Lawrence has led Soundstreams to become one of the world’s leading contemporary music organizations. His honours include the Order of Canada, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Toronto Musicians’ Association.
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