Made in Canada Duo
Bredeson and Ibsen gave captivating performances in Made in Canada: New Music for Guitar. Their selection of repertoire showcased a wide range of Canada’s brightest living composers, and their presentation of the material was both thought-provoking and exhilarating.
-Sanjeev Sivarulrasa, Director of Sivarulrasa Gallery, Almonte Ontario
The Made in Canada Duo (Michael Ibsen and Nathan Bredeson) performs new Canadian music for solo and duo classical guitar, with the goal of showcasing the depth and diversity of the Canadian classical guitar repertoire, as well as encouraging its development. They have been described as giving “a highly professional performance and engaging stage presence,” and bringing “sensitivity to the instrument and creativity to their curation”, with a “powerful and varied” program. Michael Ibsen and Nathan Bredeson believe that contemporary music is a living and breathing genre which requires collaboration from performers and composers, and by focusing on music by living composers, they invite audiences to experience and understand that process.
'Danse Burlesque' by Daniel Mehdizadeh
Nathan and Michael first met in 2015 at the Montreal International Guitar Festival, and quickly formed a friendship around a shared love for contemporary music, Shostakovich, craft beer, fantasy and sci-fi films and games, and sarcastic humour. Michael and Nathan’s long-distance friendship spanned across several years meeting at various guitar festivals before they collaborated in 2017 for the first time in a concert in Vancouver. In 2019 the Made in Canada Duo received a grant from the Canada Arts Council for their inaugural tour across Ontario, In which Michael premiered Nathan’s first sonata for solo guitar, an homage to Dmitri Shostakovich. The tour also featured music by Canadian composers Daniel Mehdizadeh, Craig Visser, Christina Volpini, Tova Kardonne, Jason Noble, Sean Clarke, Patrick Roux, and William Beauvais.
“Mike and Nathan performed a powerful and varied program of guitar music at the CMC as part of their Made in Canada tour. Both artists bring a sensitivity to the instrument and a creativity to their curation and interpretation that draws in the audience. As an organization that coordinates various residencies, workshops, and concerts in order to connect a wide audience to contemporary art-making, we so enjoyed the convergence of openness and virtuosity in their approach.” - Matthew Fava, Canadian Music Centre Ontario Region Director
“The Made in Canada Duo offers a program that showcases new music in an engaging and interactive way. A fascinating look at Canadian guitar writing from two of Canada’s outstanding young musicians.” - Emma Rush, Artistic Director of Guitar Hamilton