Norman Adams, Principal Cello

Norman Adams is principal cellist of Symphony Nova Scotia, the Artistic Director of suddenlyLISTEN music, and Music Director of Gwen Noah Dance. A student of Hans Jørgen Jensen, Bernard Greenhouse, and American new music pioneer Pauline Oliveros, Norman has been a soloist with Symphony Nova Scotia and Les Jeunes Virtuoses de Montréal, and has performed chamber and improvised music throughout the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. His performances have also been heard across the country on CBC Radio One and Two.

In addition to his work as a classical cellist, Norman is becoming increasingly well known across Canada as an improviser and electronic musician, playing free and creative music. Norman has collaborated with many leading artists including Lori Freedman, Barry Guy, Eddie Prévost, Pauline Oliveros, Buck 65, Jerry Granelli, Marilyn Crispell, and Lee Pui Ming. 

Since 2000 Norman has been the Artistic Director and Producer of suddenlyLISTEN Music, an organization that presents an annual series of eight concerts of improvised music, featuring a broad range of local, Canadian and international artists. He is also dedicated to sharing music with all people, co-leading the suddenlyLISTEN-sponsored, bi-weekly Improv Workshop with Tim Crofts for the past four seasons.

This past season Norman performed chamber music around Nova Scotia, often with his wife, violist Susan Sayle, and Symphony Nova Scotia concertmaster Robert Uchida. He performed and recorded with Pauline Oliveros and EHRES in Banff, spent a week on creative electronic projects at STEIM in Amsterdam, released the CD Sonomatopia with Tim Crofts and Lukas Pearse, toured to festivals in Québec and New Brunswick, and performed at the Festival des Musiques du Creation de Jonquiere, the OK, Quoi?! Contemporary Arts Festival, and the Atlantic Jazz Festival. In 2009/10, Norman will play concerts with Jean Derome, Jerry Granelli, and Miya Masaoka, begin work on a solo CD, and play a concert for the 50th Anniversary of the Canadian Music Centre.

Visit suddenlyLISTEN at www.suddenlylisten.com.

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