Rob Teehan Receives JUNO Nomination for Classic Composition 'Dreams of Flying'

Toronto-based composer and tuba player Rob Teehan has been nominated for a 2010 Juno Award for "Dreams of Flying" in the Classical Composition of the Year category. "Dreams of Flying" appears on the CD/DVD set "Selections from the 2009 National Tour" by the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, which commissioned and premiered this work on its concert tour last summer, conducted by Alain Trudel. This recording also received a Juno Award, for "Classical Album of the Year: Large Ensemble or Soloist(s) with Large Ensemble Accompaniment".

At age 27, Teehan is one of the youngest composers ever to be nominated for a classical music Juno. "It's a great honour to receive this recognition so early in my career," says Teehan. "Looking at the list of nominees and past winners, it's a 'who's who' in Canadian music. To see my name included in that group is incredible."

"Dreams of Flying" is Teehan's first work for orchestra, and he drew inspiration from the Youth Orchestra's students. Says Teehan: "The music is meant to capture the feeling of flying, which many of us dreamt about as kids. It's fast, exciting, and, I hope, beautiful. It's also a metaphor for the career of a young artist about to take flight, full of energy and wonder - so it's somewhat autobiographical, too. The musicians of the Youth Orchestra got it right away and brought it to life." Teehan is himself an alumnus of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, which is Canada's elite training program for classical musicians and produces a professional recording every summer. The NYOC's 2009 CD/DVD box set, "Selections from the 2009 National Tour", along with Rob's work, features Mahler's 6th Symphony and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. http://www.nyoc.org/store

Rob Teehan will be Composer-in-Residence at the Colours of Music Festival this fall in Barrie, and holds the same position at Toronto's Church of the Redeemer. He has been commissioned by many prominent Canadian groups including the Vancouver Chamber Choir, the Calgary Stampede Showband, and the Hannaford Street Silver Band. Teehan is also an active performer, singing professionally in choirs and playing tuba and sousaphone in rock bands, including local singer Saidah Baba Talibah's "SolRawkestra", which recently headlined the 2010 Kuumba Festival at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre. Rob Teehan studied tuba and composition at the University of Toronto and Indiana University. He lives in Toronto. For more information, please visit http://www.RobTeehan.com

The Juno Awards take place April 12 - 18 in St. John's, Newfoundland.

Photo Credit: Lindsay Lozon