The Redshift Music Society was founded in 2001 in Vancouver, with a focus on bringing the music of contemporary Canadian composers to the general public through unique musical events, mostly in public venues.

For the last five years, a primary cornerstone of Redshift productions has been the Vertical Orchestra. Situated in the beautiful, reverberant atrium of the Vancouver Public Library, musicians are spread throughout seven levels, creating a unique, captivating soundscape. Vertical Orchestra 2008, presented with the support of VANOC as part of the Cultural Olympiad, was by far our most successful event to date, attracting hundreds of people from all walks of life. In this respect, Vertical Orchestra is unquestionably one of Canada’s most successful new music events; Redshift brings the vitality and diversity of Canadian composers out of the concert hall, and directly to the public. Many of BC’s leading composers have written works especially for Redshift, including Giorgio Magnanensi, Christopher Butterfield, Jocelyn Morlock, Owen Underhill, Jennifer Butler, James Maxwell, Chris Kovarik, Colin MacDonald, Marci Rabe, John Burke and Jordan Nobles.

In addition to free public events, Redshift presents formal concerts of contemporary music. Recent concerts have included performances by Tiresias, the Colin MacDonald Pocket Orchestra and the Vancouver Miniaturist Ensemble. Until 2008, these concerts were presented at the Western Front; they now take place at Christ Church Cathedral, in the heart of downtown Vancouver.

In 2007 Redshift Music launched Redshift Records, a CD line that focuses on contemporary composers. Our first release, Delicate Fires by the flute/piano duo Tiresias, features music by Barbara Pentland, Murray Adaskin, Jocelyn Morlock, Rodney Sharman and Jennifer Butler. Delicate Fires was subsequently nominated for a 2008 Western Canadian Music Award. Upcoming releases include Different Stones, featuring Canadian works for multiple flutes, and Cosmophony, a solo piano project by Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa.

The Redshift Music Society is a registered non-profit organization, and is able to present many of its events thanks to the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the British Columbia Arts Council, the City of Vancouver, VANOC, the Spirit of B.C. Arts Fund, the BC Gaming Commission, the Canadian Music Centre, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Vancouver Public Library, Christ Church Cathedral, and The SOCAN Foundation.