Olivia Shortt
Wednesday, March 22 at 5 p.m. ET
Available to stream for six months
Join us for a vibrant and exciting program headlined by rising artists, pushing the boundaries of storytelling, sound, and creative expression.
noondaadiwag (an Ojibwemowin word that’s pronounced: “noon-DAH-dee-wahg” and meaning “they hear each other”), from Anishinaabe-irish artist Olivia Shortt in collaboration with Canadian duo Orbit (Aliayta Foon-Dancoes and Isidora Nojkovic) and soprano Alexandra Smither, features new works for voice, strings, and saxophone, highlighting improvisation, Indigeneity, and the many shapes that the voice can take. Performed using an audio score that sometimes strains what is being heard, the audience is both aware and not aware of the sonic landscape this performance inhabits.
Cast & Creative Team
Olivia Shortt, composer, baritone saxophone
Alexandra Smither, soprano
Aliayta Foon-Dancoes, violin
Isidora Nojkovic, cello
Producer: Meaghan Froh Metcalf
Manager, Digital Content: Taylor Long
Head Front of House Technician: Aiden Nagle
Camera Operator/Switcher: David Leaver
Sound Technicians: Michael Kerwin and Brian Vaters
makwa
Olivia Shortt
bagaskaadagaazii
Alexandra Smither, Isidora Nojkovic
miskwiiwidaamikane: bloody jaw for solo voice
Alexandra Smither
The Museum of the Lost and Found: gaakaazootaadiwag for violin, cello, and soprano
Alexandra Smither, Isidora Nojkovic
It is a joy to be able to finally share this concert with you all.
noondaadiwag is a very special digital recording from Anishinaabe-irish artist Olivia Shortt (they/them) in collaboration with Canadian soprano Alexandra Smither and the Canadian duo Orbit, consisting of Aliayta Foon-Dancoes and Isidora Nojkovic.
The performance you’re about to take in was recorded as part of our Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre Presented by TD Bank Group and is something that took over two years to come together!
The idea first originated from a conversation we had with the COC’s advisory body, the Circle of Artists, in discussing ways the company could support Indigenous storytelling and artistry–especially throughout the early pandemic.
Given the challenge of creating new work during the height of rolling lockdowns, you’ll notice the theme of collaboration recurs throughout the piece, as well as the spirit of experimentation and invention that arises when artists cannot share a physical space.
Another important part of the program is bagaskaadagaazii, an Ojibwemowin word which is pronounced “BAHH-gash kah-duh GAAH-zee” and means “s/he wades splashing through the water.” The piece speaks to the lack of clean drinking water on many Indigenous reserves throughout Canada and, together with Olivia, we chose March 22, World Water Day, to release this video, highlighting the vital importance of safe, clean drinking water for all.
I hope you enjoy our presentation including thoughts from Olivia Shortt throughout on their inspirations for the concert.
-Meaghan Froh Metcalf
Lead Donor, Digital Initiatives
Digital Infrastructure Support
The Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre is presented by:
The Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre is supported by the Free Concert Series Endowment Fund, established in honour of Richard Bradshaw by an anonymous donor. 
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