Accordionist and composer, Emmanuel Gasser would like to share his latest composition, “Boreal Rhapsody No. 1”. He said, “ I tried to express the rugged and primitive beauty of the Boreal Forest and this is what I came up with. Enjoy !
I wrote the Boreal Rhapsody No. 1 trying to express the rugged and primitive beauty of the Boreal Forest in which I live. The piece starts with a Pentatonic minor scale portraying the vast unknowns and potential dangers that may lay in the forest. The following Pentatonic major scale represents the serenity felt among the unmovable friendly giants: the trees. The lighter delightful keys bring out the beauties and playfulness of God’s treasures and creatures which live hidden within.
Two sinister parts contrasting the up-beat themes represent a snow storm, the ferocity of some predatorial animals and a waterfall. The reason why it is called Boreal Rhapsody No. 1 is because one piece of music is not capable to hold the diversity of such a massive ecosystem. I already have ideas for future Boreal Rhapsodies.
“Boreal Rhapsody No. 1 ” was entered in the Composition contest hosted by the Trophee Mondial in Aveyron, France.
Here is some additional information about the Boreal Forest (some of this is included in the beginning of the video)
What is the Boreal Forest?
The boreal forest is one of the great wonders of the natural world. It spans much of the Northern Hemisphere, from North America and Asia to parts of Europe, and is considered public land. The forest is home to unique plants, animals and human cultures that have coexisted for thousands of years. Those who live and work in Canada’s boreal region consider it a critical part of their culture, economy and collective future.
The Boreal’s Ecology
Canada’s boreal region covers almost 60 percent of the country’s land area, essentially spanning from the Atlantic to the Pacific. At 2,000,000 mi², (over 5,740,000 km²), it is one of the largest and most complex ecosystems on the planet.
The boreal is fantastically diverse and complex. An ecosystem of lakes and wetlands moderates the climate, produces oxygen and purifies the water supply for its inhabitants. Much of the world’s freshwater is in the boreal’s lakes, rivers and streams. More than 208 billion tons of carbon are stored in the boreal’s trees, soils, water and peat, meaning that the forest has a significant impact on the planet’s ability to regulate the levels of carbon in the atmosphere.”
The 21 year old award winning accordionist, Emmanuel Gasser, lives in St. Charles, ON. He has been playing accordion with great enthusiasm since the age of nine and practices several hours a day. He is recognized as one of the best young accordionists in North America, winning numerous trophies and awards in many North American and International competitions, as well as representing Canada at the Coupe Mondiale, Trophée Mondiale, FIF Castelfidardo, IAWK Germany and IAC Switzerland.
Despite being young in years, Emmanuel has exceptional musical maturity, having composed over 40 original pieces. He has won First Place in the International Elsie Bennett Composition Competition hosted by the American Accordionists’ Association with his compositions in 2016 and 2017. In the past he has studied with several world champion accordionists and is currently studying with Alexander Sevastian. In future he hopes to develop a career as composer and performer; performing solo, with ensembles and orchestras.
More recent awards include First Places in the Carmen Carrozza Memorial Competition and Elsie M. Bennett Composition Competition both hosted by the American Accordionists’ Association at their annual Festival last July.
He is an excellent musician and has won several trophies and awards at the Kimberley International Old Time Accordion Championships in BC, in 2010, 2011 & 2012 , at the American Accordionist Association Festival in Charleston, SC in 2011, at the ATG in Chicago IL in 2012, at the Victoria International Accordion Competitions in BC in 2012, at the Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration in 2013 and 2016.
Emmanuel also won first place in the International Elsie Bennett Composition Competition hosted by the American Accordionist Association in 2016 with one of his compositions. Emmanuel won the Youth Entertainment Award in recognition of his outstanding talent at the 2010 Las Vegas International Accordion Convention. In 2011 he won the “Frank Marocco Scholarship” for being an outstanding and dedicated accordionist. Emmanuel has successfully represented Canada in prestigious international competitions such as Coupe Mondiale, CMA, PIF Castelfidardo in Italy, IAC in Switzerland, IAWK in Germany. Emmanuel also won the 2017 NLFB Meltdown. The NLFB Meltdown is a session of auditions for the NLFB (Northern Lights Festival Boréal ) which took place on July 7 – 9, 2017. It is an annual music festival of many different genres held in Sudbury, Ontario.
His musical talents have been nourished and developed by the assistance of several world champion accordionists. He is currently studying privately with concert accordionist Alexander Sevastian from Toronto. Emmanuel has also completed various internet and survey courses on Classical Music and Music History with Prof. Robert Greenberg ( San Francisco Conservatory of Music ), Classical Composition with Prof. Peter Edwards ( University of Singapore ) and on Jazz Improvisation with Gary Burton ( Berklee College of Music ).
Congratulations to Emmanuel Gasser!
For further information: emmanuel_gasser@yahoo.com
