Latest news with #Aucoin
Boston Globe
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Already at the top of the opera world, Matthew Aucoin has composed his most audacious piece yet
Now, at 35, Aucoin has produced a singular musical work that is being hailed as revolutionary, an uncategorizable vocal symphony that represents a major departure — not just for Aucoin, but perhaps for operatic music more broadly. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Aucoin will conduct the 70-minute piece, 'Music for New Bodies,' with players from the company he cofounded, the American Modern Opera Company, at Tanglewood on Aug. 7. Advertisement Matthew Aucoin (conducting, bottom center), led instrumentalists and vocalists during the New York premiere of "Music for New Bodies" at the Lincoln Center. Lawrence Sumulong/Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Sellars, who is staging the work at Tanglewood, said Aucoin's composition is closely attuned to the current cultural moment, as many people are distracted, overwhelmed, and apprehensive in their personal lives, while also coping with the existential upheaval brought on by generational challenges such as climate change or artificial intelligence. He compared 'New Bodies' to the work of Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi, a pivotal figure in the creation of what is today called 'opera.' Advertisement 'In the history of music, there's this moment where music has to step in for things that we are still not able to describe because they're too new,' said Sellars, who called it an emergent consciousness. 'Matt's piece is one of those turning-point pieces, which just begins to look forward and resists looking backwards. It's trying to open into a way larger realm of experiences that we all know, and yet we have received inadequate language to describe.' Traveling between the personal, the commercial, the mythic, and the cosmological, 'New Bodies' is musically dense. It pushes performers to the edge of what's technically possible, while also drawing on a wide range of musical traditions, from Gustav Mahler to synth pop. The work grew out of a conversation Aucoin had with Sellars after the director saw a short piece by Aucoin that set to music a poem by Jorie Graham, a Pulitzer-winning poet at Harvard University and one of Aucoin's early mentors. Working without a traditional commission, Aucoin said he was free to develop 'New Bodies' without many of the logistical constraints that follow a commission, when music must carry the opera's narrative, scene changes, and other practical considerations. 'I think what defines this piece is creative freedom,' said Aucoin, who will conduct 'New Bodies' at Tanglewood. 'We basically just made the piece that we wanted to make, and then found people to present it.' Sellars called the creative process 'one of the things you dream of for a composer — not just write music to order, but really to explore with an open-ended sense of searching.' Opera director Peter Sellars, shown working with young musicians during a rehearsal of "Music for New Bodies" in 2024, called the work a "turning point." MERIDITH KOHUT/NYT 'Matt was on his own: He had no deadline, no assignment, and he could write something that was not following anybody's instructions or that needed to respond to anybody's programming needs,' he said. It's a 'piece of music that is appearing spontaneously from something that's on his mind and in his heart.' Advertisement The resulting work sets to music a number of Graham's poems from the past decade or so, when she underwent cancer treatment. Enlisting five singers, a chamber orchestra, and electronics, 'New Bodies' wrestles with questions of mortality, ecological devastation, technology, and the medical industrial complex. The singers frequently shift perspectives, alternately inhabiting the voice of a cancer patient, medical professionals, chatbots, the natural world, and even cancer-fighting pharmaceuticals as they make their way through her body. At a Lincoln Center performance earlier this month, varying hues of light raked the stage as Sellars had instrumentalists play alongside vocalists, forming and re-forming temporary musical clusters to create a dynamic soundscape. At the Lincoln Center performance, Sellars had instrumentalists play alongside vocalists, forming and re-forming temporary musical clusters to create a dynamic soundscape. CREDIT: Lawrence Sumulong/Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Aucoin said one aim of the piece 'was to try to capture what it's like to be alive right now in all of its contradictory, overwhelming intensity.' 'It might feel like a total fever dream to some people because the music and the poetry are our guide,' he said. 'But that felt, in a way, more honest to being alive right now than telling a nice, neat story.' With no explicit plot, 'New Bodies' loosely follows a woman after she learns she has an aggressive form of cancer. It articulates the emotional chaos that follows the initial diagnosis, as the speaker considers nonreligious forms of immortality such as cryofreezing and grows anxious when she struggles to recognize what she sees in the mirror. Advertisement The piece then leaves the human realm, traveling to the bottom of the sea, where it sings of ecological degradation: 'There is nothing in particular you want—you just want.' When the music surfaces, the woman is undergoing a potentially life-saving (or ending) surgery. The score turns synthetic and cheery as she succumbs to the anesthesia, a trippy passage where the voice of the drugs seems to speak from inside her body. As she emerges from this journey, the protagonist can hear a calmer, more powerful voice: the Earth and the forces that created it. 'Our rule was: Let's follow the music,' said Aucoin. 'It felt exciting to locate that question through Jory Graham's poetry, because she's been writing from this predicament of having cancer and wondering what it means to have a body and to be mortal in a moment when we seem really interested as a species in living virtually and surpassing having a body.' Critics have compared 'New Bodies' to Mahler's sprawling 'Das Lied von der Erde' ('The song of the Earth'), but Aucoin, who once played keyboards in an indie band, has channeled a broad range of influences — jazz, percussion, even the quartz action of a clock — that goes far afield of traditional orchestral music. 'A lot of us today grew up playing jazz and improvised music,' said Aucoin, who, like other young composers, is seeking to push the boundaries of the art form. 'We have experience playing various kinds of pop, or at least hearing a huge range' of music. 'It's never made sense to me to say, 'Well, I must brand myself in a narrow way.' ' Aucoin, who is the son of Globe theater critic Don Aucoin, has been on Advertisement "New Bodies" grew out of a conversation Aucoin had with Sellars after the director heard an earlier piece by Aucoin that featured Graham's poetry. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff He first got to know Graham when he took her poetry workshop at Harvard. (Both Sellars and Aucoin graduated from Harvard, and all three artists have received MacArthur 'genius' awards.) The poet gave Aucoin her blessing when he asked to set more of her work to music, giving him free rein to work with the material. 'My work of imagination was already done,' said Graham, who added that 'New Bodies' is a collage that combines portions of multiple poems and books. 'If my words inspire them, that's a contagion: I need them to do whatever they need to do.' Despite the work's range, Sellars said 'New Bodies' retains a feeling of human warmth. 'The beauty of what Matt and Jorie are doing is that it is personal, and it is intimate,' he said, calling it a balm in an era of 'giant, obnoxious public address.' 'It has this sense of a private and unique moment that turned into an immense project.' For Graham, who attended the Lincoln Center performance, the title of the work could not be more apt. 'It made every part of my body have to come into operation,' she recalled, adding the performance engaged not only her intellect, but also the part of the body 'that absorbs and distinguishes between shades of colors and all those instruments and voices.' Advertisement 'It's a music that will give you a new body,' she said, 'and certainly a body, I think, more capable of resistance to some of the ways in which our era wishes to shut it down.' Malcolm Gay can be reached at
CBC
24-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Acadians in Chéticamp area a step closer to getting new provincial riding
Nova Scotia's electoral boundaries commission is considering creating a new constituency in the Chéticamp area and if approved by the government, it would become the fourth protected Acadian riding in the province. Jules Chiasson, who is originally from Chéticamp and is director general of the Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse in Halifax, said the French-speaking people of northern Inverness County deserve their own representative in the legislature. "We didn't have anybody for the past 100 years, so it's time to give justice to Chéticamp for all the injustice that was done throughout the years," he said Wednesday after a public hearing by the boundaries commission. He said Chéticamp used to have its own hospital and several banks, service stations and fish plants, and being part of the larger riding of Inverness has hurt the community's economy. "If we had had an effective representation at the [legislature], I think we could have at least kept some of that economic boom that we had at the time," he said. "I think we lost all that because nobody was there to speak for Chéticamp." One presenter said the community landed $85 million worth of lobster and snow crab in the past year, but Chiasson said that money does not get reinvested in the community. He said that's one economic reason why the region needs its own representative in provincial affairs. Darlene Doucet said Chéticamp used to have its own large hospital and has had to struggle to keep its long-term care facility in the community. When those are lost, the community loses access to French-language services, she said. "We're looking for somebody who can fight for the needs that we have and health care," said Doucet. The ridings of Argyle, Clare and Richmond have been set aside for Acadians for years and Preston has been designed to ensure effective representation for Black Nova Scotians. Despite requesting a protected riding since 1992, French-speaking people around Chéticamp have been lumped in with the rest of the Inverness constituency. Réjean Aucoin argued and won the case for Chéticamp in Nova Scotia Supreme Court last year. The boundaries commission has since drawn up four possible scenarios for a new Chéticamp riding running from Meat Cove at the northern tip of Inverness to roughly the Margaree Harbour area. 'It's the only possible one' Aucoin, who's also a senator from Chéticamp and spoke at the boundaries commission hearing this week, said afterward he was only there as a citizen. But he said the first scenario, whose southern boundary is at Doyle's Bridge on the Margaree River, is the best one. "Even with [that scenario], we're under 50 per cent electors that speak French, so it's the only possible one," Aucoin said. "Every other scenario would have like 25 or 30 per cent." Aucoin said the Margaree River has historically been a physical boundary between the French and English communities. He said he expects that first scenario will be recommended to the government, with a slight boundary adjustment to include the mountains and Pembroke Lake in the Acadian territory. "It's going to happen that we will get a riding for the Chéticamp area," Aucoin said. "The only question to decide is where is the south line going to be." He and others at the hearing also called on the boundary commission to recommend the Acadian riding be made permanent, and asked the commission to recommend the provincial government call a byelection within six months of its final decision. Several pointed out that the French-speaking population has declined over the years, saying any further delay in creating the riding makes it more difficult to ensure the elected representative is an Acadian. Boundaries commission chair Ken Deveau said even if a new riding is carved out to include people of Acadian descent, there's no guarantee the elected representative will be Acadian. He said that's up to political parties, riding associations and voters. "The hard part in all of this is not the commission's work," Deveau said. "It's what will come after for the people in the community. That's up to the electors after that." The commission expects an interim report will be available for public comments next month and its final recommendation to the province is due by the end of January.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Habitat for Humanity building new homes starting at $175,000
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Habitat for Humanity is building a new middle-class neighborhood with affordable housing on an abandoned golf course in Terrytown. 'Rising Oaks is our newest 150 home development that was a golf course that sat dormant for decades. So, it is changing something that was vacant and empty into 150 homes for working families,' said Alix Aucoin, New Orleans Habitat for Humanity director of development. Two single moms part of Habitat For Humanity get $100 Winn Dixie gift cards No longer Plantation Estates Golf Course in Terrytown. Now off Behrman Highway, Habitat for Humanity is developing this new neighborhood. Rising Oaks is a new affordable housing community where up to four-bedroom homes are being sold, and they range in price from $175,000 to $275,000. 'We're really targeting that working family who have been priced out of traditional mortgages, and the families that also don't qualify for government subsidies,' Aucoin said. 'This is for our first responders, firefighters, police officers, teachers, our service industry and nurses.' New Orleans Habitat for Humanity wins climate resiliency award Aucoin said that all these new homes are built in the mid-century modern style. 'You'll notice the ceilings are vaulted to give it that bigger feel,' Aucoin said. Habitat for Humanity said it will also be building a FitLot, fitness trails, playgrounds and a butterfly garden to add to the community feel of the new neighborhood. Aucoin said all the homes in the neighborhood are being built to be hurricane-resilient. 'They have impact resistant doors and windows,' Aucoin said. 'They are fortified gold homes. The slabs are built on pilings, and they are built with insulation that will withstand the next storm.' Typically, volunteers build the homes for Habitat for Humanity, but these homes are being built by contractors and construction workers. If you'd like to apply for one of these homes, visit the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity website for more information. The homes will be completed by Orleans' Jones Academy hosts Color Run to benefit students Lane of Bonnet Carré Spillway closed after overnight commercial vehicle trailer fire From racetrack to ballpark: Bristol's MLB transformation shifts into high gear Best New Car Warranties in 2025 Heat advisory issued for Wednesday until 7 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Global News
09-05-2025
- Health
- Global News
Nova Scotia expanding STI home testing to include HIV screening
Nova Scotia Health is expanding its STI home-testing kit program to include HIV screening. The STI Care Now initiative has been helping Nova Scotians get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea since last summer. Since then, thousands of kits have been mailed out. Those kits contain everything from instructions to swabs. And it seems to be working. 'Out of those 3,000 kits, there were 120 positives,' said Dr. Todd Hatchette, STI Care Now Medical Director. 'We are reaching people. We are finding STIs and we are treating those individuals.' Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Nova Scotia Health's decision to expand the program to include HIV screening is being done in partnership with the Health Equity Alliance of Nova Scotia. The alliance's executive director, Chris Aucoin, says there have been more cases of the virus over the last year and the at-home screening will be vital in identifying who needs further testing. Story continues below advertisement 'The point of care test we're using is a screening test. That person will then be linked in to get proper bloodwork to ensure we can prove whether they have HIV or not,' said Aucoin. The alliance recommends anyone who is sexually active should get tested, and warns that infections are possible without symptoms. A kit can be requested by filling out an online questionnaire through Nova Scotia Health's website or the Your Health NS app. Aucoin applauds the inclusion of HIV screening and hopes the program will expand even further down the road. 'Sexual health testing in Nova Scotia capacity-wise has been abysmal for decades. It has been a real challenge,' said Aucoin. 'We want to add syphilis as well, but the point of care test that does that, we have to prove that it works in a home setting when an individual administers it themselves.'
CBC
08-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Moncton won't explain $2.1M jump in new police station cost
Price of building, set to open this year, climbed from $57M to $59M Moncton city staff won't say what led to a $2.1 million increase in the cost of a new Codiac Regional RCMP station slated to open this summer. On Monday, councillors voted 8-2 to approve the spending, which brings the total cost of the Albert Street building to $59.2 million. A city document refers only to "a number of unforeseen factors and expenses that have arisen." City staff wouldn't elaborate and suggested further increases are still possible. "As indicated, it's various reasons and the project is still under construction right now," Elaine Aucoin, the city's general manager of sustainable growth and development services, told CBC News after the vote. "So at this point, that's not even a firm number. That's an estimate of what we predict where we'll be at. So that's as much information as we have right now." Image | Moncton police building construction oct 2023 Caption: The building under construction in October 2023. When the construction contract was awarded, the building was supposed to be ready by 2024. That got moved to March of this year, then April, May, and now the end of July. (Roger Cosman/CBC) Open Image in New Tab The $59.2-million figure includes land the city purchased, remediation of the site, planning and design, new equipment and furniture for the station, and public art. The project's cost has risen several times. In 2021, CBC News reported that the estimated cost of the building had risen from $46 million to $57 million, partly because of the cost of materials escalating during the pandemic. Quebec-based Pomerleau Inc. was awarded the contract in 2022 to build the 6,680-square-metre facility. It is designed for up to 376 officers and civilian staff. A dispatch centre at a fire hall in Dieppe will be moved to the new station. The new building will replace the station on Main Street, which is too small for the current police force and has various problems, including water leaks. Codiac RCMP also have a rented office space on Main Street that's expected to remain when the new building is complete. Moncton council initially approved the latest cost increase during a closed-door meeting in February. Monday's vote ratified the decision. Councillors Bryan Butler and Daniel Bourgeois voted against the motion. "We're so far along we pretty well have to support it," Butler said before voting against it. He was the only councillor who spoke before the vote. Timelines for completion have also shifted. When the construction contract was awarded, the building was supposed to be complete in 2024. That was moved to March of this year, then April, May, and now the end of July. Once complete, officers and staff are expected to gradually move in. Aucoin said everyone should be moved in by the end of September. "With the project of this size and magnitude and complexity, some delays are expected," Aucoin said in an interview. "We had some weather situations as well that impacted the some of the working days, as well as some other factors just with the the construction."
