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MAY – SEPTEMBER EVENTS GUIDE

Oki. Taan-shi. Dâ âûch yahine.

Gwanistłi naniya. Bienvenue.

Welcome.

We recognize, with deep respect and gratitude, our home on the side of Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain. In the spirit of respect and truth, we honour and acknowledge the Banff area, known as “Mînî hrpa” (translated in Stoney Nakoda as “the waterfalls”) and the Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney Nakoda)— comprised of the Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Goodstoney Nations— as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy comprised of the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Shuswap Nations, Ktunaxa Nations, and Métis Nation of Alberta, Rockyview District 4. We acknowledge all Nations who live, work, and play here, help us steward this land, and honour and celebrate this place.

Welcome to the Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival

Canada’s celebration of art in the mountains since 1950

WHAT BRINGS THE WORLD TO BANFF IN THE SUMMER?

Pristine views, immaculate nature, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to experience the best in arts and culture.

Every summer, the festival features a variety of programming, including Walter Phillips Gallery exhibitions (celebrating its 50th anniversary), the Banff International String Quartet Festival, opera, film, dance, music, Indigenous performance, and more.

From the studio, to the concert hall, to the amphitheatre, to the club—the Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival brings every inch of campus to life with artistic creation, for every interest and every taste.

Come explore the gem of Banff National Park in 2026, and see campus revealed like never before.

WHAT IS BANFF CENTRE?

Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is a post-secondary institution dedicated to training in arts, leadership, Indigenous culture, and mountain culture.

We run world-renowned residencies and programs that inspire artists to deepen their craft, whether they’ re an established name looking to expand their horizons or a new creator on the cusp of their first major discovery.

Every arts residency at Banff Centre finishes with a publicfacing event to showcase each participant and their unique practice: a concert, a reading, a performance, a studio tour.

As you explore this guide, you'll see program descriptions as well as associated events that audiences like you can enjoy. Have fun plotting the course for your summer experience!

Opposite: Banff, Alberta, courtesy of Travel Alberta/ROAM Creative.

It’s one of the most spectacular outdoor experiences you could find.

Banff Centre’s President and CEO, Chris Lorway, and Executive Director, Arts, Josephine Ridge, share how campus comes alive in summer.

CHRIS LORWAY: To kick off the Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival, we’re sitting here in the beautiful Shaw Amphitheatre—the spot on campus that most says “summer” to me.

JOSEPHINE RIDGE: The campus is beautiful all year round, but in the summer, the amphitheatre is really special. To be able to sit here and be surrounded by the mountains and relax to some music or catch a film? It’s one of the most spectacular outdoor experiences you could find.

CHRIS: I feel that way about the patio at Maclab Bistro, too—the whole idea of being able to stare out at the Bourgeau Range and enjoy some food and drink with friends. Whether you’re here for an AMP Sessions concert or the views, it’s an important part of the festival atmosphere.

JOSEPHINE: So is CLVB ’33. Especially because this year, it’ll be open on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday throughout the whole summer. I’m really excited for that intimate space to not only provide an outlet for anybody who’s on campus, but for residents and visitors in town.

CHRIS: It’s part of that festival experience of packing a day with as many different experiences as possible. With CLVB ’33, AMP Sessions, and throughout the summer programming, you can spend a lot of time on campus taking in different events.

JOSEPHINE: I don’t think it’s a platitude to say that there really is something for everybody. Especially during the summer, it’s the most intense burst of creative energy on campus all year.

CHRIS: We’ve both spent a lot of time at festivals around the world, and we’ve seen so often that audiences start to define their own interests based on what they’ve gravitated toward in the past. But you always learn so much from the things you didn’t think you’d like.

Part of what we’re offering is the opportunity to take a risk and try something you’ve never tried before. Maybe you’ll find you really enjoy it. And either way, people shouldn’t be concerned if they don’t like something, or find it challenging. That’s an essential part of the experience.

What’s On This Summer

utterances,

past is always connected to our present. Throughout this guide, this icon marks events featuring Banff Centre alumni The symbol appears next to the names of artists and faculty members who have completed a Banff Centre residency.

indicates a free event. Some free events require a ticket in advance.

Opposite: Chris Lorway and Josephine Ridge, photo by Rita Taylor. Rodney Konopaki and Rhonda Neufeld, Walking Banff, 2009, Collection of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Peak Summer

Incredible views and extraordinary experiences draw thousands to Banff National Park in summertime, but great art is also waiting amidst the mountains, in town, on campus, and in spaces you've never seen before.

“As with many post-secondary schools, a lot of what happens is behind closed doors. This is the period in which we really fling open those doors. You can come to campus and get a sense of what happens here year-round in a concentrated way.”

Chris Lorway, President & CEO

It’s no secret that Banff consistently dazzles the world. Every summer, people from around the world come to this town to reconnect with nature, conquer new challenges, and take in an assortment of environmental, cultural, and culinary delights.

What’s lesser known is this: to bring your Banff summer experience to the next level, visit the Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival. Those who want to find new perspectives on a hike also find their minds expanding with a concert, reading, or gallery visit—with peace of mind, far away from the maddening crowds. The 2026 festival is once again bringing beloved programs to life with a new cohort of exciting international artists: Art of Piano, Summer Opera, Chamber Music, and more will

deliver the same virtuosic performances audiences have come to expect from Banff Centre. Names like the jazz-funk legends Pink Martini and Canadaʼs star violinist James Ehnes are returning. And Walter Phillips Gallery celebrates 50 years of artistic experimentation and development.

But there are new and exciting ways to explore campus. CLVB ’33, our intimate cabaret space, will officially join Banff’s roster of venues with weekly programming of comedy, karaoke, music, DJs, and more from Thursday to Saturday. AMP Sessions—free, outdoor concerts with Alberta favourites—return in a new music festival format this July. Audiences are also invited to take a stroll into rarely seen spaces on campus with a new bi-weekly tour (spaces are limited, so sign up soon!), or into town to find one of our signature concerts illuminating new off-campus venues. One lucky group of visitors will even step inside the stunning Leighton Artist Studios, usually off-limits to the public.

In a park renowned for its views, this summer will shift your perspective in unexpected ways. Banff Centre campus, and the artists that enliven it, is a gem worth exploring on its own.

Jenny Belzberg Theatre, photo by Abigaile Edwards.

Summer Events

Banff Centre Campus, photo by Rita Taylor.

Listings

INDIGENOUS ARTS

Decolonizing the Narrative Conversation Series

Since 2021, Decolonizing the Narrative has invited leading Indigenous artists to talk about their practices and processes. Explore and deepen your understanding of how these artists use their creativity as a tool to decolonize the systems around us all.

Indigenous Arts is generously supported by RBC Foundation.

Marina Alefosio

Can’t make it in person? All talks will be streamed so you can watch from anywhere at any time.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 | 7 PM | FREE

MAX BELL AUDITORIUM

Marina Alefosio is an Aotearoa-born Samoan spoken-word poet, storyteller, and arts practitioner whose work bridges creative expression and community empowerment. Her artistic practice includes hip-hop, theatre, songwriting, and mentorship, centring Pasifika and Indigenous voices while exploring themes of identity, justice, and collective healing.

Jules Koostachin & Shane Belcourt

Catherine Blackburn

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 | 7 PM | FREE

MAX BELL AUDITORIUM

Jules Koostachin and Shane Belcourt are Indigenous filmmakers who have paved the way for the next generation. Koostachin’s expansive media arts practice involves film, photography, documentary, creative writing, and installation. Belcourt is a four-time Canadian Screen Award-nominated director, with narrative and documentary works in both film and TV.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 | 7 PM | FREE

MAX BELL AUDITORIUM

Catherine Blackburn is a multidisciplinary artist and jeweller who addresses Canada’s colonial past through personal narratives, mixed media, and fashion. Her work has been shown internationally, from galleries to fashion runways. A member of the English River First Nation, she has received a Governor General’s History Award and the Melissa Levin Emerging Artist Award.

Top to Bottom: Marina Alefosio, photo by Diana Hu. Jules Koostachin, photo by Karolina Turek, Shane Belcourt, photo by Jules Koostachin. Catherine Blackburn, photo courtesy of the artist.

In this residency, Indigenous creators dive into storytelling as an artform through weeks of dialogue, exchange, faculty and guest artist mentorship, and realworld practice. Drawing from Indigenous perspectives and traditional practices, these participants explore how cultural knowledge, lived experience, and creative expression shape the stories passed down through song, art, and the spoken word.

Stories and Voices Cabaret

THURSDAY, MAY 28 | 7 PM | FREE CLVB ʼ33

Experience powerful Indigenous storytelling in an intimate environment. This casual event features faculty and participants from our three-week Story Sharing residency, which supports Indigenous storytellers in deepening their creative practice among a supportive, land-based, and peer-informed environment.

Hosted by faculty member January Rogers, a Mohawk/Tuscarora writer and media producer.

Story Sharing

Above: Literary Arts Horror Writing, photo by Abigaile Edwards.

Below: January Rogers, photo courtesy of the artist.

Banff Centre recognizes National Indigenous History

Month as a time for learning, honouring, reflecting, and engaging with Indigenous cultures. You are invited to participate in events and activities throughout June.

June is National Indigenous History Month

MONDAY, JUNE 1 | 4 PM | FREE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE, RM. 103

Visual Arts Open Lecture Series: Maïa Tellit Hawad

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3 | 5:30 PM | FREE MAX BELL AUDITORIUM

Story Sharing – With Duane Mark, Suzan Marie , Anders Hunter, and Deborah Green

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 | 6:30 PM | FREE KINNEAR CENTRE, RM. 303

Dance Workshop – With Olivia and Julian Tailfeathers and Stephanie Brave Rock

WED & THU, JUNE 17 & 18 | 1:30 PM | FREE ÎETHKA MÂKOCHÎ AHOGI CHI PA BI TI: ÎETHKA TERRITORY HOUSE OF RESPECT

Jewelry Workshops – Mini Moccasins

FRIDAY, JUNE 19 | 2 PM | FREE JEANNE AND PETER LOUGHEED BUILDING, TELUS STUDIO

Cheryl L’Hirondelle Publication Launch

JUNE | FREE | ONLINE Virtual Art Market and Online Films

View the full schedule of all events. banffcentre.ca/celebrate

"Lacey’s voice is that rare human element that makes you feel like something is right with the world. All of her ancestors sing through her, and they are a magnificent crew."

Tara Beagan, playwright

Lacey Hill

Indigenous soul. That’s how Lacey Hill describes her emotion-filled sound, which grew out of a lifelong love for music-making. Experience the passionate, guitar-backed songwriting of this Six Nations independent singer-songwriter, part of Oneida/Mohawk Wolf Clan.

“The kind of music that the world needs now.”

Desiree Dorion, musician

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 7:30 PM | $ MARGARET GREENHAM THEATRE

Lacey Hill, photo by Shane Powless.

MUSIC

CLVB ’33

Banff Centreʼs club for summer weekend nights returns. With regular programming from June through August, come to CLVB ’33 for a refreshing drink, a tasty bite, impeccable vibes, and a night of impromptu creativity. Who knows where the after-after-party will be?

Regular programming occurs Thursday to Saturday from June through August. Find details on our website at banffcentre.ca/CLVB33

Cabarets Literary Journalism Summer Writers Computational Writing Crime Writing

Cabaret & Music

André Wickenheiser Quartet

LowDown Brass Band

The Three Sisters

Timothonius and Jane Shewchuk

Karaoke

Hosted by Miss Rizz

Live DJs

DJ Rob Faust

Live Comedy

Jon May, Drums; Nathan Hiltz, Guitar; Mark DeJong, Saxophone; Laura Hubert, Vocals; and Joanna Borromeo, Piano in John Alcornʼs Diva Cabaret, Banff Centre, 2025, photo by Rita Taylor.

Nomadisms

Nomadism is a mode of existence determined by movement, alternative cartographies, and attention to the earth. This summer, artists consider how this shapes aesthetics and gestures of art-making and collaboration.

Visual Arts Open Lectures Nomadisms Dance Party

MAY 28, JUNE 1 & 8 | 4 PM | FREE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE, RM. 103

THURSDAY, MAY 28

Martha Kirszenbaum

A Paris-based independent curator in both traditional institutions and experimental contexts, Martha Kirszenbaum will discuss practices related to Middle Eastern and North African popular culture and its intersections with visual arts, music, and performance.

MONDAY, JUNE 1

MaÏa Tellit Hawad

This talk by the Paris-based artistscholar Maïa Tellit Hawad examines Saharan (North African) Tuareg Indigenous gestures of resistance, resilience, and fugitivity to resignify the desert as a space of creative possibility and transnational solidarity.

MONDAY, JUNE 8

Meriem Bennani

The creator of ground-breaking video installations and sculptures, New York-based artist Meriem Bennani combines elements of reality TV, documentary films, telenovelas, and animated cartoons. She exaggerates media tropes to comment on Moroccan life, online and off.

SATURDAY, JUNE 13 | 9 PM | FREE CLVB ’33

This faculty- and participant-led event brings together films, performances, and DJ sets to explore nightlife as a space of community building. Night cultures dissolve boundaries to open a site of freedom, encounter, and collective expression: bodies gather, rhythms connect, and community is forged in the dark.

Nomadisms Open Studios

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 | 4 PM | FREE GLYDE HALL

Open Studios are an opportunity for the public to visit the studios of this summer’s Nomadisms residency. Engage with participating artists about their processes as you explore their ideas in development and works-in-progress.

Visual Arts is generously supported by Fondation David R. Graham and the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Outstanding Artist Program.

Top to Bottom: Martha Kirszenbaum; Maïa Tellit Hawad; photos courtesy of the artists. Meriem Bennani, photo by Valentina Somma.

LITERARY ARTS

Literary Journalism

Literary Journalism brings together writers working on longform journalism, narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism, and reported essays. Participants focus on deeply researched, real-world storytelling— where reporting meets literary craft.

Literary Journalism is generously supported by the Flanagan Foundation, Fondation David R. Graham, and the Rogers Communications Chair in Literary Journalism Endowment.

JUNE 4, 9 & 11 | 7 PM | FREE CLVB ’33 | DOORS OPEN AT 6:15 PM

THURSDAY, JUNE 4

Chapter 1 Hosted by Cheryl Thompson

A leading scholar and public intellectual, Dr. Cheryl Thompson brings archival research, cultural history, and contemporary journalism into dialogue.

TUESDAY, JUNE 9

Chapter 2 Hosted by Manjula Martin

The author of the national bestseller The Last Fire Season: A Personal and Pyronatural History, Manjula Martin is a widely respected literary journalist and editor whose work bridges environmental writing, cultural criticism, and personal narrative.

THURSDAY, JUNE 11

Chapter 3 Hosted by Shawn Micallef

A celebrated urban journalist and cultural commentator, Shawn Micallef explores cities, civic life, and everyday culture through a blend of reportage, criticism, and observation.

Left to Right: Cheryl Thompson; Manjula Martin; Shawn Micallef; photos courtesy of the artists.

DANCE White Space (Avant Premiere)

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham

THURSDAY, JUNE 4 | 7:30 PM | $

JENNY BELZBERG THEATRE

Questioning form and expectations, and jostling between theatrical and somatic ideals of confrontation and conversation, White Space is a new evening-length work for 11 captivating dancers in a restless and thought-provoking world fueled by a vast movement vocabulary consisting of Abraham’s signature blend of classical and contemporary dance with a hip-hop underbelly.

The work brings together acclaimed composers, Jason Moran and Nico Muhly, for a haunting new collaborative score that pierces the heart of choreographer Kyle Abraham’s newest dance. White Space marks the second time that Abraham is collaborating with world-renowned visual artist, Glenn Ligon, on scenic design. Other collaborators include noted costume designers, Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung, and longtime lighting collaborator, Dan Scully.

Dance

See the next great dance before anyone else in these public performances, finishing Banff Centreʼs summer residency.

After three weeks of development, experimentation, and technical production fine-tuning guided by faculty and staff, two unique, mesmerizing pieces will meet audiences in a key part of their creative journey.

Dance is generously supported by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music and the Arnold Spohr Distinguished Guest Artist Endowment for Dance.

First Looks

Waihona Kino (Body Archive)

FRIDAY, JUNE 19 | 7:30 PM | FREE MARGARET GREENHAM THEATRE

Waihona Kino (Body Archive) brings two internationally recognized Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) artists to Banff. Dance and visual art join forces through choreographer and dancer (Tau) Peter Rockford Espiritu and cultural bearer Marques Hanalei Marzan. Rounding out the team is Hawai‘iborn director Roberta Uno and award-winning projection designer Joan Osato.

ON SECOND THOUGHT

SATURDAY, JUNE 20 | 7:30 PM | FREE JENNY BELZBERG THEATRE

The title of this new piece by choreographer Bret Easterling and the Los Angeles-based company BEMOVING evokes the improvisation at the core of their process. In ON SECOND THOUGHT, each dancer creates movement from their second impulse. These second thoughts form a shared vocabulary that reflects how queer individuals navigate instinct, hesitation, and self-awareness.

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, Whitespace, Kyle Abraham, Mykiah Goree, photo by Carrie Schneider.

Art of Piano

Inspired faculty and emerging musical talents meet in Art of Piano. Join us as musicians push their instruments to new heights in skill and expression, sharing their unique perspectives and creativity.

Art of Piano is generously supported by lead donor Heather Edwards.

Additional support provided by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music, Helen Graham, and the Yolanda Freeze Master Artists Music Fund.

Timo Andres, Éric Le Sage & Art of Piano Musicians

FRIDAY, JUNE 5 | 7:30 PM | $ ROLSTON RECITAL HALL

Grammy- and Tony-nominated piano-composer Timo Andres’ solo recitals include appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Wigmore Hall. His collaborators include Becca Stevens, Philip Glass, and more.

An internationally established representative of the French piano school, Éric Le Sage has performed as a soloist with orchestras like the LA Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, and Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra.

Joanna MacGregor , David Kaplan & Art of Piano Musicians

SATURDAY, JUNE 6 | 7:30 PM | $

ROLSTON RECITAL HALL

Back after audience-favourite appearances in 2024 and 2025, Joanna MacGregor is a world-renowned performer, composer, and conductor whose versatility has captivated audiences in over 80 countries.

David Kaplan’s playing has been called “excellent and adventurous” by The New York Times. His solo album New Dances of the League of David was released in 2024 to rave reviews.

Tema Blackstone , Éric Le Sage & Art of Piano Musicians

THURSDAY, JUNE 11 | 7:30 PM | $ ST. GEORGE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, TOWN OF

BANFF

Tema Blackstone’s influential work involves an impressive concert career encompassing both solo and duo performances, as well as advocacy of music as a force for personal and societal well-being. A faculty member at Juilliard, she believes in passing on great music to new generations.

She’s joined by Art of Piano faculty member Éric Le Sage , famed French classical pianist called “one of the leading pianists of his generation” by the LA Philharmonic.

Hung-Kuan Chen , Tema Blackstone & Art of Piano Musicians

FRIDAY, JUNE 12 | 7:30 PM | $

ROLSTON RECITAL HALL

Faculty member at Juilliard for over 10 years, Hung-Kuan Chen is a deeply expressive pianist and a familiar face at Banff Centre, both onstage and in the classroom. He has performed in many of the world’s foremost concert venues and is the recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant.

Fellow Julliard faculty member, Tema Blackstone, also returns as Art of Piano faculty. She and husband Hung-Kuan Chen often teach and perform together worldwide.

Michelle Cann & Art of Piano Musicians

SATURDAY, JUNE 13 | 7:30 PM | $

ROLSTON RECITAL HALL

Michelle Cann is one of the most sought-after pianists of her generation. Recent engagements include appearances with Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. She won a Grammy Award in 2025 for Beyond the Years: Unpublished Songs of Florence Price, recorded with soprano Karen Slack.

Opposite, Left to Right: Tianhao Wu, Art of Piano 2025, photo by Rita Taylor. Timo Andres, photo by Michael Wilson. Éric Le Sage, photo by Nicolas Gueri.

Above, Left to Right: Joanna MacGregor, photo courtesy of the artist. David Kaplan, photo by Dario Acosta. Tema Blackstone, photo by Linda Li Photography. Éric Le Sage, photo by Nicolas Gueri. Hung-Kuan Chen, photo by Linda Li Photography. Michelle Cann, photo by Titilayo Ayangade.

Pink Martini All-Stars

Thomas Lauderdale’s globe-trotting Pink Martini arrives at Banff Centre with its famous blend of classic pop, big-band sound, and Hollywood glamour.

Featuring songs in over 25 languages, this joyous all-star concert features three of the group’s favourite voices: NPR legend Ari Shapiro, soulful Edna Vazquez, and America’s Got Talent finalist Jimmie Herrod.

Marking three decades of global phenomena, Pink Martini has sold over 3 million albums worldwide, performed sold-out shows from Carnegie Hall to Paris’s L'Olympia theatre, and been inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. Don’t miss the chance to see these music legends on the intimate Jenny Belzberg stage.

“A mix of Brazilian samba and the party sounds of 1930s Cuban dance music, all wrapped up with a bow of Parisian cafe cool.”

SF Classical Voice

SATURDAY, JUNE 27 | 8 PM

JENNY BELZBERG THEATRE

Pink Martini with Thomas Lauderdale, photo by Chris Hornbecker.

MUSIC

Keep the Pink Martini Party Going!

Banff Centre Celebrates

For more info and table tickets, contact Jennifer at development@banffcentre.ca

On June 27, along with the Pink Martini All-Stars concert, make it a night to remember at Banff Centre Celebrates, our signature fundraiser.

Your evening begins with an exclusive cocktail reception— an intimate gathering of fellow arts champions—followed by a beautifully prepared three-course dinner in a stunning mountain setting. Then take your premium seats for Pink Martini All-Stars and stay late for an after party with a DJ, conversation, and celebration.

More than an unforgettable evening, this ticket is a direct investment in the artists who come to Banff Centre to create what the world will see next.

*A tax receipt will be available for supporters following the event for the maximum allowable amount. Supporter recognition throughout select marketing materials.

Two Shows

One Package Deal

For more information head to banffcentre.ca

Pink

Martini All-Stars and IN A

LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the WildTM

Two can’t-miss festival highlights are happening back-to-back for an undeniable weekend of music.

Start with jazz and funk with Pink Martini All-Stars, continue with DJ sets in the CLVB ’33 after party, then hear concert hall-level piano in the beautiful outdoors with IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the WildTM with Hunter Noack. Get access to all three, plus a hotel stay only steps away from the action, in one convenient package.

Piano in the Park – An Interview with Hunter Noack

“What we hear so often is that people are surprised they like the genre. A huge part of that is what the landscape brings to the show.”

Hunter Noack first visited Banff Centre to participate in a summer 2010 piano residency. Although he came for the purpose of making music, he soon found himself taking long hikes by the Bow River.

“Banff totally takes my breath away,” he said in an interview. “We can practice inside anytime, but to be able to experience that incredible wild landscape? For most artists, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Today, the Oregon-born musician no longer has to make a distinction between playing piano and exploring the wild. Since 2016—when he participated in another Banff Centre residency, Concert as Theatre—he’s toured IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild TM, an immersive classical music experience, to hundreds of outdoor locations across North America: plains, lakes, ranches, hot springs, deserts.

Protected by a custom-built flatbed trailer, Noack’s nine-foot Steinway piano travels from landscape to landscape. He plays to audiences wearing wireless headphones, allowing for concert-hall-level audio despite the wildness of the elements.

In 2024, Noack brought IN A LANDSCAPE to Banff Centre’s mountainous Shaw Amphitheatre. The concert returns on June 28—and the pianist is already thinking about how the environment might enrich the music.

“There will be pieces that are especially good for watching leaves dance in the wind, or for looking out over great vistas,” said Noack. “My hope is that, with what I say between each piece and the pieces that I choose to perform, the music is a soundtrack to the audience’s experience of that particular place.”

“Fortunately I’ve spent some time at Banff Centre, so I know that you can see Mount Rundle, for example. Those vistas will affect the arc of the program.”

One of Noack’s favourite things about performing among striking landscapes is that it encourages audiences to hear music in new ways—he even encourages listeners to lie down, wander, or sit on the stage below him to feel the piano’s vibrations.

“If there’s something that’s unexpected about the environment or the circumstance in which we’re experiencing a piece of art, then it can sometimes open us up to absorb the art in a way that we wouldn't otherwise,” said Noack.

“I think part of the reason IN A LANDSCAPE has been successful is that, for about a third of our audience, this is their first time listening to live classical music—and what we hear so often is that people are surprised they like the genre. A huge part of that is what the landscape brings to the show.”

“If I were to just go sit in the Shaw Amphitheatre for an hour—with no music, no performance—I would leave feeling better,” he continued. “Then you add some beautiful music with a bunch of people that are all there with the intention of connecting? It only amplifies the beauty.”

This beauty is part of why Noack plans to follow in the path of his younger self and do some extra exploring around campus. “Before shows, especially, I love to get out and go for a hike,” he said.

by Jessica Keaveny.

Photo

IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild TM

SUNDAY, JUNE 28 4 PM | $ SHAW AMPHITHEATRE

Nature and music unite in this immersive concert experience from pianist Hunter Noack . Since 2016, IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the WildTM has brought a 1912 Steinway grand piano to hundreds of natural landscapes, from national parks to urban oases. Now, it returns to the gorgeous mountain environment of Banff Centre’s Shaw Amphitheatre. Listen through wireless headphones and wander afield, with the music as a soundtrack to your experience in the wild.

Photo by Arthur Hitchcock for IN A LANDSCAPE

WALTER PHILLIPS GALLERY

1976

Walter Phillips Gallery opens under leadership of artist and educator Takao Tanabe with an exhibition of works by the Gallery’s namesake, Walter J. Phillips.

1983

The Second Link — Viewpoints on Video in the Eighties organized by Walter Phillips Gallery was later presented at numerous institutions including Museum of Modern Art, New York and Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.

1991

Rebecca Belmore’s Ayum-ee-aawach Oomamamowan: Speaking to Their Mother and Jin-me Yoon’s Souvenirs of the Self in its original postcard form are commissioned for Between Views and Points of View, alongside four additional projects.

VISUAL ARTS

A vital hub for contemporary art on Banff Centre’s unique mountain campus, Walter Phillips Gallery is celebrating its 50 th anniversary this summer. Visit us and be a part of its legacy.

2001

Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller’s Paradise Institute represents Canada at the 49th Venice Bienniale, presented by PlugIn ICA, Winnipeg and contributing partner, Walter Phillips Gallery, winning the La Biennale di Venezia Special Award.

2010

Ragnar Kjartansson and Davíð Þór Jónsson‘s The End (2009) was exhibited at the Icelandic Pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale, produced with support of Banff Centre and exhibited at Walter Phillips Gallery in 2010.

Installation

2018

Caroline Monnet’s Like ships in the night opens at Walter Phillips Gallery.

Walter J. Phillips, Flying Island, 1923. Colour woodblock print, 27.5 cm x 24.5 cm. Collection of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Ragnar Kjartansson production shot The End (2009). Photo: Laura Vanags. Courtesy of the artist, Luhring Augustine, New York and i8 Gallery, Reykjavik.

Jin-me Yoon, Souvenirs of the Self (Lake Louise), 1991, printed 1996. Chromogenic print transmounted on Plexiglas. Collection of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, The Paradise Institute (2001). Installation view from mixed media installation. Courtesy the artists and Luhring Augustine.

view of Caroline Monnet’s Proximal I, II, III, IV, V (2018) and Transatlantic (2018) in Like ships in the night, Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Photo by Rita Taylor.

Cover of exhibition catalogue, The Second Link — Viewpoints on Video in the Eighties, published by Walter Phillips Gallery, The Banff Centre School of Fine Arts, 1983.

Cheryl L’Hirondelle : where the voice touches

(((acts, utterances, transmissions for freedom)))

Co-curated by Tarah Hogue and Jacqueline Bell

FEBRUARY 13 — JUNE 21 | FREE

WEDNESDAY – SUNDAY | 12:30 – 5 PM

WALTER PHILLIPS GALLERY

Cheryl L’Hirondelle : where the voice touches (((acts, utterances, transmissions for freedom))) is the first career survey on the celebrated multidisciplinary artist and singer-songwriter’s expansive multi-decade practice.

The exhibition’s title references L’Hirondelle’s persistent interest in ideas of echolocation as a means of listening to place and responding; it also reflects how her use of sound and song has deeply informed her visual art practice.

Often prioritizing modes of reception that run counter to the constraints of the white cube, L’Hirondelle’s works in net.art, socially engaged practice, and performance underscore her commitment to both her own artistic freedom and to a nēhiyawin (Cree worldview) understanding of freedom, where one’s self-responsibility moves in tandem with self-determination.

Publication Launch

FRIDAY, JUNE 19 | 2 PM | FREE

JEANNE AND PETER LOUGHEED BLDG, TELUS STUDIO

Family ARTventures

JUNE 13, JULY 11, AUGUST 8, SEPTEMBER 12 | FREE 10 AM – 12 PM | WALTER PHILLIPS GALLERY

Drop in to this new workshop series for children and youth at Walter Phillips Gallery!

Join us on the second Saturday of every month for Family ARTventures—creative artmaking activities for all ages. The workshops are drop-in with materials provided. See our website for more information on each workshop.

The Family ARTventures Program is generously supported by:

One arc in colour, another in time

JULY 6 — JANUARY 3 | FREE

JEANNE AND PETER LOUGHEED BLDG, MAIN FLOOR

In recognition of its 50th anniversary, Walter Phillips Gallery will send out postcards, featuring Misty Bow River, 2022 by Steven Beckly , to as many past exhibiting artists as possible with the ask of returning it along with a memory of their time. As responses arrive and are displayed throughout the remainder of the year, visitors will encounter a growing archive of firsthand recollections and renewed connections.

Conversation with Jin-me Yoon

SATURDAY, JULY 25 | 1:30 PM | FREE

JEANNE AND PETER LOUGHEED BLDG, RICE STUDIO

Join us for a conversation with widely acclaimed Governor General’s Award-winning artist Jin-me Yoon . The artist will speak about her broader practice and returning to Banff National Park, the location of the production of her seminal work, Souvenirs of the Self, 1991, that originally took the form of postcards and was commissioned by Walter Phillips Gallery.

Jin-me Yoon, photo by Jae-Woo Kang.

Diane Borsato : A Clean Place to Swim

Curated by Jacqueline Bell

JULY 18 — DECEMBER 13 | FREE

WEDNESDAY – SUNDAY | 12:30 – 5 PM

WALTER PHILLIPS GALLERY

In A Clean Place to Swim, Diane Borsato presents new and past works that explore the liberating, intimate, and communal possibilities of being in water. Acts of teaching/ learning and encounters across backgrounds—as well as our shared right to clean, wild environments to swim in— are brought together under a title drawn from Alexander Wilson’s book The Culture of Nature Borsato is an award-winning artist, writer, and educator who has worked closely with other artists and amateur naturalists, including coordinating a day-long foraging and stargazing event for amateur mushroomers and astronomers (Terrestrial/Celestial), creating a performance of silence and stillness with 100 beekeepers (Your Temper, My Weather), and planting a rare community apple orchard as ongoing public art (ORCHARD), along with many other multidisciplinary projects.

FRIDAY, JULY 17 | 4 – 7 PM | FREE WALTER PHILLIPS GALLERY

Opening Reception

AUGUST 19 | 5:30 PM | FREE WALTER PHILLIPS GALLERY Exhibition Tour

Image: Still (composite) from the video A Clean Place to Swim (Ukrainians), 27 mins. Diane Borsato, 2025.

Swim Like an Artist – An Interview with Diane Borsato

This summer, Walter Phillips Gallery presents the exhibition A Clean Place to Swim by Diane Borsato , featuring new and past works exploring the liberating, intimate, and communal possibilities of being in water. A frequent Banff Centre collaborator, we asked her about the impact of the landscape on her work.

What do you find inspiring about creating art that’s in conversation with the outdoors?

As an artist, I’ve always found natural spaces to be infinitely more stimulating than an empty white studio. Underneath the sensory experience of a mountain—or even a single mushroom—there are deep histories and possibilities for meaning.

You have a long history with Banff Centre. What continues to excite you about the landscape here?

My favourite part of the landscape are the smaller-scale encounters: bunches of witch’s hair lichen growing from the trees, or pairs of enormous elk lounging on the trails. And those mischievous long-tailed black and iridescent blue magpies are so beautiful—every time, they surprise me.

I also love the landscape of human encounters I have here—with artists, playwrights, dancers, musicians, designers, performers, and more—that have been so important to the development of my work, and to expanding my friendships around the world. It’s a landscape as full of artists as it is with birds.

“[Banff Centre is] a landscape as full of artists as it is with birds.”

Do you have any favourite spots on campus?

I love to swim, and so my favourite spot on campus is the Sally Borden Fitness and Recreation pool. By day, you are surrounded by a view of those impossible mountains and then at night, you can float around under an uncanny, overhead view of the pool itself, reflected in the glass ceiling.

I also love the glacier-cold Bow River, which I swam in during the hottest of summers, at our Outdoor School residency, in 2018. It’s meant to be an annual prompt inviting artists and researchers to swim together in the Bow. This year, the swimming date falls on Thursday, August 6 from 6 to 7 p.m. If you’re feeling up to brave the cold, you can show up and make it happen!

Outdoor School—the residency and resulting book— explored contemporary environmental art in Canada. How can lovers of the outdoors start to think like artists during their own outdoor activities?

For [co-faculty Amish Morrell] and I, the focus of our Outdoor School project is to draw attention to the ways artists think, learn, and respond to the outdoors.

It’s an ongoing proposal to practice being outdoors, whether it is by walking, swimming, foraging, mountain climbing, visioning, spell-conjuring, rabbit-hunting, trespassing, or even pumpkin-boat sailing—with humility, attention, and openness to new ways of thinking. Being together outdoors helps us to ask: What do we owe all the other beings we share the world with? And what do we owe ourselves?

Diane Borsato, photo by Yuula Benivolski.

Summer Opera

Join stage managers, directors, composers, conductors, and singers at the start of their careers in this residency. They grow their production skills and performance techniques while delivering new works from the greatest composers and librettists from across Canada and Europe.

Opera is generously supported by the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund and the Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Fund for Dutch Artists.

OPERA

R.U.R. A Torrent of Light Selected Scenes in Workshop

FRIDAY, JULY 10 | 7:30 PM | FREE MARGARET GREENHAM THEATRE

This dazzling contemporary opera tangos with the ethics of A.I., presented in collaboration with Toronto’s Tapestry Opera, Canada’s leading producer of new Canadian opera.

Inspired by Karel Čapek’s 1920’s science-fiction play Rossum’s Universal Robots, which introduced the word “robot” to the English language, R.U.R. A Torrent of Light offers a look into the near future, where humanoid bots start to prioritize their own learning over their creators’ instructions. Tech mogul inventors Helena and Dom soon realize they’ve reached a turning point in the A.I. tech race. But is humanity ready?

With compositions by the highly innovative JUNO-nominated Nicole Lizée and a libretto by award-winning writer Nicolas Billon, the opera made its Dora Award-winning world premiere at Toronto’s Tapestry Opera in 2022. It was the first Canadian work to win the best new opera award from the Music Critics Association of North America. Four years since its world premiere, this workshop presents updates to the piece’s A.I. language, incorporates motion capture, and new sections of movement and choreography.

With its daring, electronic-infused score and its complex reflections on the risks of A.I., R.U.R. A Torrent of Light couldn’t be timelier.

Collaboration with Tapestry Opera from Toronto.

Opera Pubs

JULY 3 & 17 | 8 PM | FREE

ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION, TOWN OF BANFF

Have you heard this one? A group of opera singers, a pianist, and an eager audience walk into a bar. Everyone has a great time.

Your favourite arias and ensembles are on tap at this casual, wild night, happening at the Banff Legion and featuring performances from this year’s Summer Opera participants.

Miroir de nos peines (Mirror of our

Sorrows) A Workshop Performance

SATURDAY, JULY 25 | 7:30 PM | FREE JENNY BELZBERG THEATRE

A global powerhouse of opera, Hèctor Parra, comes to Banff with an actionpacked story set in interwar France.

Commissioned by the Opéra national de Paris, composer Hèctor Parra’s Miroir de nos peines adapts Pierre Lemaitre’s novel of the same name with a libretto by Jean-Luc Vincent. The narrative plunges headlong into the madness of the Phoney War, as France—seized by the panic of a new European conflict—descends into chaos.

Miroir de nos peines isn’t the first time Parra has taken an interest in French-language literature: his adaptation of Jonathan Littell’s Les Bienveillantes premiered in 2019 to enormous acclaim, with the Barcelona newspaper La Vanguardia heralding it as “the most important opera of the 21st century.”

This free, work-in-progress showing isn’t to be missed.

Catalan composer Hèctor Parra, recipient of the Ernst von Siemens Composition Prize and the National Culture Prize of Catalonia, is internationally recognized for his dramatic and innovative operas.

Opposite: Ryan Nauta as Don Ottavio, Julia Dawson as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni; Opera in the 21st Century, Banff Centre, 2023, photo by Rita Taylor.

Below: Alyssa Samson, Opera Pub 2025, photo by Rita Taylor.

Chamber Music

Experience string, woodwind, brass, piano, percussion, and a mix of classic and modern compositions in this Chamber Music residency, historically performed in intimate settings such as salons and living rooms.

Music is generously supported by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music, and the Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Fund for Dutch Artists.

Chamber Music Concerts

Faculty and participants perform together as they celebrate the future of chamber music. Experience these blended faculty and participant concerts in two remarkable venues: the Rolston Recital Hall on campus, and St. George’s Anglican Church in town. After several years, Chamber Music makes its return to this offcampus site for a fresh atmosphere and gorgeous acoustics.

THURSDAY, JULY 16 | 7:30 PM | $ ROLSTON RECITAL HALL

SATURDAY, JULY 18 | 7:30 PM | $ ROLSTON RECITAL HALL

THURSDAY, JULY 23 | 7:30 PM | $ ROLSTON RECITAL HALL

FRIDAY, JULY 24 | 7:30 PM | $ ROLSTON RECITAL HALL

FRIDAY, JULY 17 | 1 PM | $

ST. GEORGE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, TOWN OF BANFF

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 | 7:30 PM | $

ST. GEORGE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, TOWN OF BANFF

Performing Faculty include:

Opposite: Tzu-Shao Chao, Quartett HANA. Banff International String Quartet Competition 2025, photo by Abigaile Edwards. Above, Left to Right, Chamber Music Faculty: Parker Quartet: Daniel Chong, Violin, Ken Hamao, Violin, Kee-Hyun Kim, Cello, Jessica Bodner, Viola, photo by Beowulf Sheehan; Joel Brennen, photo courtesy of the artist; Lee Allen, photo courtesy of the artist; Dai Fujikura, photo by Taichi Nishimaki; Andrew Johnson, photo by Curtis Perry; Nicolas Baldeyrou, photo courtesy of Atatürk Cultural Center; Olivier Doise, photo courtesy of the artist and Allie Su, photo courtesy of The Tianjin Juilliard School.

Allie Su, piano

Olivier Doise, oboe

Dai Fujikura, composer Lee Allen , trombone

Andrew Johnson, percussion Nicolas Baldeyrou, clarinet

Parker Quartet Joel Brennen , trumpet

Leighton Artist Studios

STUDIOS

The Leighton Artist Studios help creatives escape the demands of everyday life. Surrounded by the forested slopes of Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain, in a secluded area of Banff Centre campus, these standalone studios provide uninterrupted time and dedicated space to focus and create across music, visual arts, writing, design, and beyond.

The Leighton Artist Studios are generously supported through the Paul D. Fleck Fellowships.

Leighton Artist Studios Open House

SATURDAY, JULY 11 | 1 – 4 PM

LEIGHTON ARTIST STUDIOS

A one-day only chance to visit a rarely seen part of Banff Centre campus.

Walk along forested paths and visit our Leighton Artist Studios: private creative spaces that have hosted artists like Joni Mitchell and Yann Martel.

Explore the rich history—and vibrant artistic present—of these uniquely designed studios and the program that fills them.

Limited space is available, pre-registration is required.

The Gerin-Lajoie Studio, photo by Chris Amat.

Banff Artist in Residence

ARTS

Visual artists from from around the world at all career stages are welcomed to the inspirational setting of the Rocky Mountains in the Summer Banff Artist in Residence (BAiR) program.

Guided by renowned faculty, the results of each BAiR cohort inform new works, exhibitions, and collaborations for years to come.

Visual Arts is generously supported by Fondation David R. Graham and the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Outstanding Artist Program.

VISUAL

Basia Irland, TOME II (Fremont cottonwood — Populus fremont ii), 2009. Ice book, Rio Grande, Alberquerque, New Mexico. Courtesy of the artist.

Visual Arts Open Lectures

JULY 16, 20, 28 & AUGUST 4

events, encouraging sustainability in clothing; the Home Made Home initiative, exploring alternative forms of housing; and the League project, focused on play as a form of creativity. Her presentation will explore the value of hands-on making.

Kelly-Frère is fascinated by the myriad ways that cloth entangles cultures, histories, and technologies. His talk will discuss plant and material fibres, and their application in a new body of work exploring the ecology of the prairies and foothills regions.

Left to Right: Germaine Koh, photo by Tayu Hayward. Basia Irland; Mackenzie Kelly-Frère; photos courtesy of the artists. Patty Chang, photo by Amy Sadao; Parvin Hasanibesheli, Banff Artist in Residence Fall 2025, photo by Abigaile Edwards.

Summer Writers

LITERARY ARTS

The Summer Writers residency is one of Banff Centre’s most popular open-genre Literary Arts residencies, attracting participants working across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and hybrid forms to dive into works-in-progress under the gorgeous Rocky Mountain sun.

Literary Arts is generously supported by the Flanagan Foundation and Fondation David R. Graham.

JULY 9, 14 & 16 | 7 PM | FREE CLVB ’33 | DOORS OPEN AT 6:15 PM

THURSDAY, JULY 9

Chapter 1 Hosted by Dodie Bellamy

A legendary figure in contemporary American writing, Dodie Bellamy is known for her radical, intimate, and influential contributions to poetry, art criticism, and nonfiction.

TUESDAY, JULY 14

Chapter 2 Hosted by Jordan Abel

Author of the Governor General’s Award-winning novel Empty Spaces, Dr. Jordan Abel is an internationally recognized Indigenous writer who moves powerfully between poetry, nonfiction, and fiction.

THURSDAY, JULY 16

Chapter 3 Hosted by Adam Dickinson

A poet and interdisciplinary artist, Dr. Adam Dickinson explores the relationship between bodies, environments, science, and art.

Left to Right: Dodie Bellamy; Jordan Abel; photos courtesy of the artists. Adam Dickinson, photo by Scott Turnbull.

The Land is the Protagonist –An Interview with Jordan Abel

“When I’m here, my relationship with land is more immediately present, and that does something for writing—it’s inspiring.”

For Nisga’a writer Jordan Abel , language is a vital tool for exploring humanity’s relationship to land. In his Governor General’s Award-winning 2024 novel Empty Spaces, he shifted the focus away from people altogether. “The entire premise of the novel is about centring the land and nature,” said Abel, a faculty member for this year’s Summer Writers residency. “It’s a novel without any dialogue. Most of what happens in the book is descriptions of landscapes, and things that happen in nature.”

This unconventional literary approach arose, in part, because Abel—now based in Edmonton—felt disconnected from his grandparents’ community of Gingolx, a Nisga’a village around 1,500 kilometres north of Vancouver, where Abel was born.

“Gingolx is not a community that I’ve ever lived in, or even had a chance to visit much, and that’s a geographical space I absolutely should be in dialogue with,” he reflected, taking care to underline colonialism’s role in producing this distance. “Instead, I have relationships with different lands and territories.”

As a participant, faculty member, and guest speaker, Abel has been a frequent guest at Banff Centre, on Treaty 7 territory, where the mountains tend to make him even more reflective.

“The relationship that people have to land and nature here is inescapable. You step out of your front door and you’re confronted by it,” he said. “I find that when I’m here, my relationship with land is more immediately present, and that does something for writing—it’s inspiring.”

This July, Abel and fellow faculty members Adam Dickinson and Dodie Bellamy are hosting the three Literary Cabarets at CLVB ’33 for the Summer Writers residency. As for all Literary Arts programs, these events feature innovative writing from both participants and faculty; Abel framed them as rich spaces of international literary convergence.

“The writers who apply are from all over the world, so I think it’s really unique and special when all of those people come together,” he said. “You can interact with them, and hear what they’re writing about, in ways that aren’t always possible, even in more metropolitan cities. I’m absolutely stoked.”

Jordan Abel, photo courtesy of the artist.

MUSIC

AMP Sessions

Majestic views mix with free live music to create an unbeatable mountain atmosphere.

The Ramblin' Hey Ho Ha's. AMP Sessions 2025, photo by Abigaile Edwards.

Jazz & Sonic Arts pushes the boundaries of contemporary improvised music. Our faculty and participants experiment, collaborate, and invent new sonic possibilities on the cutting edge of musical artistry.

Music is generously supported by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music, the Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Fund for Dutch Artists, and the Yolande Freeze Master Artists in Music Fund.

MUSIC

Jazz & Sonic Arts Concerts

Performing Faculty include: Each evening of these live performances from Jazz & Sonic Arts faculty, often joined by the program’s participants, delivers a unique experience of experimentation, improvisation, and wonder. Join us for an unforgettable experience with returning faculty Simon Barker and Sissel Vera Pettersen, plus new faces like jazz pianist Kris Davis, saxophonist Melissa Aldana, and multidisciplinary artist Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 | 7:30 PM | $ MARGARET GREENHAM THEATRE

THURSDAY, AUGUST 13 | 7:30 PM | $ ROLSTON RECITAL HALL

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15 | 7:30 PM | $ MARGARET GREENHAM THEATRE

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19 | 7:30 PM | $ ROLSTON RECITAL HALL

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22 | 7:30 PM | $ MARGARET GREENHAM THEATRE

Jazz Jam Sessions

After each concert, follow the Jazz & Sonic Arts artists to CLVB ’33. These chill, spontaneity-filled evenings are structured like jazz itself: nothing is planned, and improvisation is king. It’s a casual, late-night atmosphere that fosters creativity and collaboration in the moment. Grab a drink, strike up a chat, and enjoy some freewheeling tunes.

AUGUST 8, 13, 15, 19 & 22 | FREE CLVB ’33

Kris Davis, piano Ole Morten Vågan, double bass Simon Barker , drums

Melissa Aldana, saxophone Sissel Vera Pettersen , voice Tomeka Reid, cello

Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch, composer and sound artist

Amir ElSaffar, trumpet, santur, and voice

Savannah Harris, drums

Opposite: Gabriela Laconsay, Jazz & Sonic Arts 2025, photo by Abigaile Edwards. Left to Right, Jazz & Sonic Arts Faculty: Kris Davis, photo courtesy of Caroline Mardok; Ole Morten Vågan, photo courtesy of the artist; Simon Barker, photo courtesy of the artist; Melissa Aldana, photo by Eduardo Pavez Goye; Sissel Vera Pettersen, photo courtesy of Juliane Schütz; Tomeka Reid, photo by Michael Jackson; Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch, photo courtesy of the artist; Amir ElSaffar, photo by Maria Baranova; Savannah Harris, photo by Antonio Porcar.

LITERARY ARTS

Crime Writing

Highlighting both the craft and popularity of crime writing, this debut residency brings together writers exploring these dark subjects through fiction, mystery, noir, nonfiction, or new forms that blend those boundaries.

Literary Arts is generously supported by the Flanagan Foundation and Fondation David R. Graham.

Literary Cabarets

AUGUST 20, 25 & 27 | 7 PM | FREE CLVB ’33 | DOORS OPEN AT 6:15 PM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20

Chapter 1 Hosted by Wayne Arthurson

Author of the Leo Desroches crime series, Wayne Arthurson is a seasoned crime novelist and literary agent whose work moves between classic detective fiction and contemporary Canadian noir.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 25

Chapter 2 Hosted by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

An award-winning Indigenous crime writer, David Heska Wanbli Weiden brings societal critique, moral complexity, and cultural depth to the genre.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27

Chapter 3 Hosted by Nita Prose

A global crime writing phenomenon and bestseller in Canada and The New York Times, Nita Prose is known for The Maid series which has sold over two million copies worldwide.

Top to Bottom: Wayne Arthurson, photo courtesy of the artist. David Weiden, photo by Aslan Chalom.

Nita Prose, photo by Dahlia Katz.

Computational Writing

Computational Writing unites writers and artists interrogating how technology, code, and artificial intelligence can be used as ethical, creative tools for producing new poetry and prose.

Literary Cabarets

SEPTEMBER 10, 15 & 17 | 7 PM | FREE CLVB ’33 | DOORS OPEN AT 6:15 PM

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

Chapter 1 Hosted by Nick Montfort

One of the world’s leading figures in computational literature and digital writing, Dr. Nick Montfort blends deep literary knowledge and technical innovation to make complex ideas about code and language engaging for live audiences.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

Chapter 2 Hosted by Kalen Iwamoto

An internationally recognized conceptual artist and pioneer of blockchain and NFT poetics, Kalen Iwamoto expands literary practice into objects, machines, and digital systems.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

Chapter 3 Hosted by Lillian-Yvonne Bertram

A groundbreaking poet and visual artist, Dr. LillianYvonne Bertram examines A.I., race, gender, and power through computational poetry.

Top to Bottom: Nick Montfort; Kalen Iwamoto; photos courtesy of the artists. Lillian-Yvonne Bertram Avatar, illustration courtesy of the artist.

INDIGENOUS ARTS

Celebrate Indigenous dance traditions from around the world. Uniting twelve international Indigenous dancers in Banff, this residency allows artists to deepen their own practice, share and learn from each other, and invite audiences to witness this unique exchange.

Indigenous World Dance Open Studios

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20 | 4 PM | FREE LASZLO FUNTEK BUILDING

Tour Banff Centre's beautiful dance studios while experiencing informal performances from the participants and faculty of the Indigenous World Dance Residency.

Faculty member Peter Rockford Espiritu will lead you from studio to studio as the dancers perform short but impactful choreographic excerpts developed during the three-week residency.

Indigenous World Dance

Indigenous Dance is generously supported by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music. Indigenous Arts is generously supported by RBC Foundation.

Opposite and Above: Tasha Faye Evans, Emily Solstice Tait, Kelly McInnes, in Cedar Women (an Indigenous World Dance Showcase) and Residency, Summer 2024, photos by Rita Taylor.

Photo by James Wheeler.

Program Supporters: David and Christine Anderson

Jenny Belzberg Future Fund

Sandra Green Anonymous

Banff International String Quartet Festival

September 3 – 6, 2026

Four days. International artists. Chamber music in the heart of the Rockies.

The Banff International String Quartet Festival (BISQFest) returns to Banff Centre with an exceptional lineup of performers, including internationally celebrated Calgary-born pianist and Banff Centre alumnus

Jan Lisiecki , performing with the Banff Festival Orchestra, and Grammy Award-winning cellist Steven Isserlis. They’re joined by Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC) laureates Afiara Quartet (2016) and Opus13 (2022) as well as the Dalí Quartet, champions of Latin chamber music.

Discover the full roster of guest artists, interdisciplinary collaborations, and weekend programming.

Festival Highlights

Friday, September 4

2:30 PM | ROLSTON RECITAL HALL | $ Opus13 , Wigmore Hall Prizewinners

8 PM | JENNY BELZBERG THEATRE | $

Jan Lisiecki with Banff Festival Orchestra

A rare orchestral performance featuring one of Canada’s most celebrated pianists.

A Rare Post-Concert Experience with BISQFest Director, Barry Shiffman

A one-night only gathering with Barry Shiffman , Jan Lisiecki , and fellow artists in support of BISQFest, including a Q&A, drinks, and hors d’oeuvres. Separate ticket required.

Saturday, September 5

2:30 PM | ROLSTON RECITAL HALL | $

Steven Isserlis & Connie Shih

8 PM | JENNY BELZBERG THEATRE | $

Copland’s Appalachian Spring & New Dance Works by Neshama Nashman

“BISQFest is fantastic! Such a gem in the Rockies. The performers give it their all every year. The programming is always interesting and sometimes surprising and continuously enjoyable. One of my favourite festivals of the summer.”

Audience member, BISQFest 2024 Get tickets at banffcentre.ca/bisqfest

Banff Centre

Box Office: 1.800.413.8368

James Ehnesʼ 50 th Canada Birthday Tour

One of the planet’s most renowned violinists celebrates his 50th birthday with a not-to-be-missed tour across Canada.

A Banff Centre favourite, Ehnes has won two Grammy Awards, three Gramophone Awards, and 12 JUNO Awards, the most of any classical musician. Joined by celebrated pianist Andrew Armstrong, the repertoire includes Brahms’s “Sonata No. 3,” Bartók’s “Rhapsody No 1,” and the world premiere of Carmen Braden’s “Imaginal,” co-commissioned by Banff Centre.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

7:30 PM | $ ROLSTON RECITAL HALL

MUSIC

James Ehnes, photo by Benjamin Ealovega.

FILMS

Outdoor Screenings at the Amphitheatre

Bring a blanket and the whole family for two nights of inspiring mountain films under the stars! These crowd-pleasing free screenings pair elite filmmaking with stunning views in the Shaw Amphitheatre.

In case of inclement weather, outdoor screenings will take place in the Max Bell Auditorium.

Mountain Culture Films

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 | 8 PM | FREE SHAW AMPHITHEATRE

These inspiring fan-favourite films from the 2025 Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour will take you on a journey spanning ski slopes, bike trails, glaciers, and beyond.

Cold Calls – Japan (Tour Edit) (USA, 2025, 6 min)

The Hive Architect (UK, 2025, 12 min)

Best Day Ever (USA, 2025, 47 min)

2025 Audience Choice Award Winner Deluge (Canada, 2025, 2 min)

A Baffin Vacation, Love on Ice (Canada, 2025, 26 min)

Iikaiksimatsa’pao’p & Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 | 8 PM | FREE SHAW AMPHITHEATRE

Banff Centre’s Mountain Culture and Indigenous Arts programs invite you to join us for a pair of shorts directed by Blackfoot documentarian Trevor Solway . Both films feature his community of Siksika Nation: one spotlights a climber’s journey of self-discovery through the sport, the other explores Indigenous masculinity.

Iikaiksimatsa’pao’p (Grateful to Be on the Land) (Canada, 2025, 13 min)

Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man (Canada, 2025, 77 min)

Outdoor film screening, 2025, photo by Rita Taylor.

Join us for nine epic days! Featuring films, speakers, and adventurers from around the world—plus mountains of free activities including exhibits and the Festival Marketplace.

PASSES ON SALE NOW

Chomolungma Festival Pass: Tickets to nine days of events, parking, VIP Reception, guest bag, poster, and online film pass.

Weekend Pass: Tickets to all events in the Jenny Belzberg Theatre from Oct. 31 – Nov. 2 or Nov 6 – 8

Passholders get Jenny Belzberg Theatre priority seating and first access to Banff Centre hotel bookings.

Scan to learn more.

Mira Capicchioni on Time to Power, Smith Rock, photo by Jules Jimreivat.

HOW TO FEST

Festival Itineraries

Want to take your Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival experience to the next level?

The following dates are packed with events for the adventurous culture-goer. Our curated festival itineraries are designed to encourage curiosity and exploration. Follow the art from venue to venue, and genre to genre, for an immersive look into the art-making process.

Pro tip: book an on-site hotel to maximize your time on campus.

June 12 – 14

MUSIC

VISUAL ARTS

Art of Piano Concerts | p. 18

Nomadisms Dance Party | p. 14

CLVB ʼ33 | p. 12

June 27 – 28

MUSIC

Experience a summer weekend at Banff Centre with a special package, including a hotel stay steps away from the shows! | p. 21

Pink Martini All-Stars | p. 20

CLVB ʼ33 | p. 12

IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the WildTM | p. 23

July 16 – 19

LITERARY ARTS MUSIC OPERA VISUAL ARTS

Summer Writers Literary Cabaret | p. 36

Chamber Music Concerts | p. 31

Diane Borsato Opening Reception | p. 26

Opera Pub | p. 29

AMP Sessions | p. 39

Guided Tours

JUNE – AUGUST | EVERY OTHER SATURDAY 10:30 – 11:30 AM | $ | p. 54

Add a campus tour to your Saturday morning! Get an artist’s point of view into life at Banff Centre and see areas of Banff Centre reserved only for participants.

AMP Sessions 2025, photo by Rita Taylor.

HOW TO FEST

Festival Tips

Use these tips to turn your Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival experience into an artistic oasis.

Arrive stress-free

Find free parking in the lot near campus’s south entrance, or the parkade beneath the Music and Sound building. If walking, take the tree-lined Ken Madsen Path from town. There’s also plenty of bike parking on campus, if you fancy a ride. (Check out page 55!)

Explore art and nature

Between shows, stroll campus to view our public outdoor artwork. As you roam, you’ll catch glimpses of the studios and workshops where our residencies come to life.

If hikes are your thing, head up the Tunnel Mountain Trail and get a gorgeous view of town below. Or, keep things low-key: find a quiet spot on campus to sketch, read, or listen to music.

Refuel and relax

Hungry? Head to Maclab Bistro—the patio view is the best around. Or enjoy a to-go meal on the Amphitheatre lawn. Groups also love the true-to-its-name Vistas Dining Room, a buffet-style restaurant. If you need a quick, healthy bite, the solution is Le Café: our grab-and-go snack and coffee counter.

Lengthen your retreat by staying at one of Banff Centre’s hotels. Rooms come with a pass to Sally Borden Fitness and Recreation, where you can swim, run, climb, or steam.

How to Buy Tickets

About Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Founded in 1933, Banff Centre is a post-secondary institution built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and leadership development.

Online banffcentre.ca

Phone or Email

1.403.762.6301 or 1.800.413.8368

Our Box Office team is available by phone Tuesday to Thursday, 12–4 p.m. MT. Please leave your name, number, and a short message.

Prefer email? Reach us any time at box_office@banffcentre.ca.

In Person

For live performances, the Box Office at the venue opens 45 minutes before showtime for in-person ticket purchases.

Accessibility Requests

If you require any accessibility accommodations, please advise our Box Office as soon as possible to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience.

Board of Governors of The Banff Centre (operating as The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity) is a corporation that operates under the Post-Secondary Learning Act in Alberta. Banff Centre is also a registered charity (registration # 11921 4955 RR0001), and under section 149 of the Income Tax Act in Canada is exempt from income tax.

Banff Centre is supported by funding from the Government of Alberta through Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education, Alberta Infrastructure, and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Arts programs are supported by funding from the Government of Canada through the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canada Arts Training Fund. The experience at Banff Centre is also enriched through generous support from individuals, corporations, and foundations.

What started as a single course in drama has grown to become a global organization leading in arts, culture, and creative decision-making across dozens of disciplines, from the fine arts to Indigenous Wise Practices. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to move everyone who attends our campus artists, leaders, thinkers, and audiences to unleash their creative potential and realize their unique contribution to build an innovative, inspiring future through education, performances, convenings, and public outreach.

Banff Centre Curatorial Team

President & CEO

Chris Lorway

Executive Director, Arts

Josephine Ridge

Director, Literary Arts

Derek Beaulieu

Director, Walter Phillips Gallery and Collections

Jacqueline Bell

Director, Mountain Culture Joanna Croston

Director, Music

Michael Falk

Director, Theatre Arts Amiel Gladstone

Senior Manager, Leighton Artist Studios and Independent Residencies

Karen Howard

Producer, Banff Centre Presents Tambry Kopp

Director, Digital Arts

Christopher Lane

Director, Banff International String Quartet Festival Barry Shiffman

Director, Visual Arts

Haema Sivanesan

Program Director, Jazz & Sonic Arts Piotr Turkiewicz

Director, Indigenous Arts

Janine Windolph

Managing Director, Program Operations, Arts Kameko Higa

Opposite: Maclab, photo by Chris Amat. Below: Lloyd Hall hotel suite, photo by Donald Lee.

HOW TO FEST

See you on campus!

Banff Centre is located on the side of Sacred Buffalo Guardian

Mountain, easily accessible from downtown Banff but still off the beaten path.

Here’s how to reach us:

On Foot

Campus is a quick 15–20 minute walk from Banff up the Ken Madsen path. Prepare for stairs!

By Bike

Once you make it up the hill on St. Julien Road, Banff Centre has plenty of bike parking.

By Car

Travelers from outside of Banff can easily access Banff Centre off Highway 1 and Banff Avenue. We also offer free parking for audiences in our parkade.

Join a Campus Tour!

JUNE – AUGUST | EVERY OTHER SATURDAY

10:30 – 11:30 AM | $

Go behind-the-scenes with knowledgeable Banff Centre staff and take a walk in an artistʼs shoes. Visit rarely seen workshops, private studios, and even some programs in process.

Find more information and register now.