With ISCM Canadian Section President Rodney Sharman set to step down from our National Council at the end of June, the CLC is thrilled to announce that Bekah Simms will take over as Canadian Section President while Gordon Fitzell will step into the role of vice-president.
It is difficult to exaggerate Rodney’s contributions, not just to the Canadian Section, but to the CLC as a whole. Since rejoining our National Council for the second time in 2017, Rodney has helped oversee a complete revitalization of the Canadian Section. He was crucial to the successful hosting of the 2017 World New Music Days in Vancouver; he was a driving force behind the creation of the CLC / ISCM Indigenous Commissioning Project; he has forged warm ties between the Canadian Section and several international Sections, and most recently, he spearheaded the successful honorary membership bid of Linda Catlin Smith.
I want to extend an enormous thank you to outgoing President Rodney Sharman. Rodney is not only a fantastic composer and teacher but also a tireless community member, volunteering his time to ensure the visibility of Canadian composers and the viability of the artform. He recognises that the success of any Canadian composer is a success for us all. I am thrilled to assume the role of ISCM Canadian Section President after serving as Vice-President under Rodney for the past few years, and am eternally grateful to have learned from him in this capacity.
-Bekah Simms
