The Snow Queen awakes

by Christine Elmgren

Mix snow, ice, enchanted mirrors, and reindeer, add a string quartet and narrator, and the stage is set for a magical retelling of a classic Hans Christian Andersen tale. This winter Canadian composer Patrick Cardy’s adapted score of The Snow Queen for string quartet and narrator will finally achieve the grand vision of the late composer in a spectacular new production created at The Banff Centre.

The Snow Queen tells a story of friendship through adversity and of a brave journey guided by courage and love. Working with the Centre’s Music & Sound, Theatre Arts, and Creative Electronic Environment departments, Canadian actor Alon Nashman and the Toronto-based Tokai String Quartet participated in a two-week residency at the Centre, enabling The Snow Queen to be realized for the first time as a full theatrical production incorporating image projection, lighting design, and audio support.

The end result was a string of sold-out performances that enchanted hundreds of Alberta children.

“The Centre acted as a catalyst for bringing this project to life,” says Barry Shiffman, director of music programs for The Banff Centre. “I knew of the work, having performed it with the St. Lawrence Quartet and Alon. Wanting to ‘take it to the next level’ and have it benefit from proper staging, lighting, etc., I introduced Alon to the Tokai Quartet and they have taken the project and run with it. This was the first professional staging of this important work by composer Patrick Cardy and I'm so thrilled to make this production a reality through Music & Sound’s community engagement program funds.”