Canadian composer, Sylvia Rickard moved
from Toronto to Vancouver in 1948. After studies in piano and theory
for many years, Rickard took a couple of composition courses at
U.B.C. with Jean Coulthard. Rickard got her B.A. degree there in
French and Russian, 1959.
After travelling, and living in
France, U.S.A., India and West Germany, Rickard began, after 11
years of "absence" from music, private composition lessons in
earnest, with Jean Coulthard. Through this marvelous mentor a
jump-start to prize winning, CBC radio broadcasts and performances,
by star performers, Rickard’s career in music began.
At the Okanagan Composers’ Festival, Rickard began to adjudicate compositions of
younger composers. Piano composition gave way to songs, strings,
solo harp, chamber music-both vocal and instrumental-orchestral and
choral music, and cabaret songs. In 1999 Taras and Gaelyne Gabora
very kindly invited Sylvia Rickard to be the first resident composer
of the (Oberlin) in Casalmaggiore International Chamber Music
Festival, in Italy. Since that time, her works continue to be played
there.
Rickard's passion for music is parallel with her passion
for animal welfare. A vegetarian, she is a crusader for animals and
the world’s green and wild spaces. Her 2007 composition is: SONG FOR
THE EARTH, for cello and piano. Lyricism, drama and humour dominate
the music of this composer. Her musical output is about half and
half: vocal and instrumental. Performances of her music are across
Canada, and in the U.S.A., Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Italy, England,
and Japan - to date.
Rickard’s affiliations are: associate
composer of the Canadian Music Centre (voting member of B.C.
region), League of Composers, SOCAN member, life fellow of the
Cambridge International Biographical Society.
In 2007 the Paris
Conservatoire’s Bibliothèque Bozidar Kantuser, Médiathèque Hector
Berlioz invited Sylvia Rickard to submit scores and recordings to
their library. 8 are currently on file there.
