Oh Canada!

Nov 29 2006
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John Rapson
John Rapson

John Rapson is Principal Clarinet with Symphony Nova Scotia and teacher of clarinet at Dalhousie University Music Department, positions he has held since 1979. He is well-known in Canada as recitalist, soloist and chamber musician, having performed and recorded for over thirty-five years. Many broadcasts for CBC and BBC are to his credit, including the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto with the CBC Vancouver Orchestra and the highly acclaimed CBC SM5000 recording of Patrick Cardy’s [i]Virelai [/i]with CBC Vancouver Orchestra and Mario Bernardi. He has also performed with the Vancouver Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic, BBC Welsh Orchestra, and the National Ballet of Canada. His solo performances with orchestra have included concertos by Mozart, Nielsen, Weber and Spohr, all of which have been broadcast by CBC. He has given workshops and taught privately at University of British Columbia, Scotia Festival of Music, and Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto).

John Rapson has studied with some of the world’s finest teachers, including Avrahm Galper (Toronto Symphony Orchestra), Daniel Bonade, Stanley Hasty (Eastman School of Music), Robert Marcellus (Cleveland Orchestra) and Yona Ettlinger (Israel Philharmonic).

John has guest conducted orchestras in Europe and Canada and has attended advanced conducting workshops in the Czech Republic and Canada. His arrangements for orchestra and small ensembles have been lauded with high praise. On the lighter side, he has enjoyed “salon” or “light” music with the ensemble RHAPSODY QUINTET, which has four CDs to its credit, two nominations for the East Coast Music Awards and the Best Classical CD for 2005 Award with the Music Industry of Nova Scotia (MIANS).

In addition to his performing career, John has directed several organizations. He was Director of the Maritime Conservatory of Music from 1989-1994, Music Director of Chebucto Orchestra
(local amateur orchestra) for three seasons, founder/director of Halifax Chamber Musicians in the mid-1980s, and Music Director of Kalina Singers.

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A question: How can we endow our orchestras?

I believe this is generally considered an essential part of financing our orchestras, and yet in Canada we have made relatively little progress with our endowment funds. Perhaps it’s time to make a concerted effort to install a system which will encourage the creation and growth of these funds.

A few points for discussion:

1. With our politicians, orchestras are a difficult sell, especially when we consider the pressures they have from so many other special interest groups, not to mention competing motherhood issues such as health care. And many of them don’t really appreciate the great value orchestras provide in our society. How can we get them on board, not only for more support with operating costs but for support in preserving the future of orchestral music?

2. Can we tap into “individual” wealth more effectively? This has to be done quickly; therefore an immediate strong influence is required. We know that in the US the famous capital gains tax holidays provided an opportunity and encouragement for individuals to cash in their investments, take the capital gains freely and create their own private foundations, for whatever purpose they deemed useful. If symphony subscriber “A” put his/her million or two into a fund earmarked only for the local orchestra, that could provide a helpful $50,000 plus each year in perpetuity. (Canada has recently taken step one of this process – we can now donate an investment which has appreciated, with no tax on the gain, and get a receipt for the entire amount.)

3. This system would help all charities and not-for-profit cultural groups, thereby increasing the size and influence of the lobby group.

4. It would also ease the pressure on governments to make these difficult decisions – which they probably see as no-win anyway, since they can’t please everyone…and don’t!

I know there are more ideas, but I have to run now to a rehearsal to earn a few dollars for my own struggling endowment fund.

About the author

John Rapson
John Rapson

John Rapson is Principal Clarinet with Symphony Nova Scotia and teacher of clarinet at Dalhousie University Music Department, positions he has held since 1979. He is well-known in Canada as recitalist, soloist and chamber musician, having performed and recorded for over thirty-five years. Many broadcasts for CBC and BBC are to his credit, including the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto with the CBC Vancouver Orchestra and the highly acclaimed CBC SM5000 recording of Patrick Cardy’s [i]Virelai [/i]with CBC Vancouver Orchestra and Mario Bernardi. He has also performed with the Vancouver Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic, BBC Welsh Orchestra, and the National Ballet of Canada. His solo performances with orchestra have included concertos by Mozart, Nielsen, Weber and Spohr, all of which have been broadcast by CBC. He has given workshops and taught privately at University of British Columbia, Scotia Festival of Music, and Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto).

John Rapson has studied with some of the world’s finest teachers, including Avrahm Galper (Toronto Symphony Orchestra), Daniel Bonade, Stanley Hasty (Eastman School of Music), Robert Marcellus (Cleveland Orchestra) and Yona Ettlinger (Israel Philharmonic).

John has guest conducted orchestras in Europe and Canada and has attended advanced conducting workshops in the Czech Republic and Canada. His arrangements for orchestra and small ensembles have been lauded with high praise. On the lighter side, he has enjoyed “salon” or “light” music with the ensemble RHAPSODY QUINTET, which has four CDs to its credit, two nominations for the East Coast Music Awards and the Best Classical CD for 2005 Award with the Music Industry of Nova Scotia (MIANS).

In addition to his performing career, John has directed several organizations. He was Director of the Maritime Conservatory of Music from 1989-1994, Music Director of Chebucto Orchestra
(local amateur orchestra) for three seasons, founder/director of Halifax Chamber Musicians in the mid-1980s, and Music Director of Kalina Singers.

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