Banff Centre
The
Banff Centre is a highly respected arts, cultural, and educational institution in
Banff, Alberta Canada. The Banff Centre for the Arts was created as an autonomous institution in 1978 in one of Canada's three most important
Arts towns, and is Canada's oldest major summer school of the arts. Famed for the
theatre, the centre also has a rich history of concerts and teaching by resident string quartets often playing newly commissioned
music, as well as
opera and
dance performances.
The three divisions of the Centre are the Banff Centre for the Arts, The Banff Centre for Management, and the Banff Centre for Conferences. The Centre for the Arts is the largest and best known division and is Canada's oldest major summer school of the arts. The Centre has been a year-round facility since 1979. The centre holds the Banff International String Quartet Competition and hosts a number of
art galleries and international art exhibitions particularly with a focus on contemporary
prints and multiples.
The Centre was founded in 1933 by the
University of Alberta, Department of Extension. It began with a single drama course, funded by a grant from the
Carnegie Foundation. Its initial success led to rapid expansion of its fine arts programs and it became known as the Banff School of Fine Arts in 1935.
*
Music in Canada*
Theatre in Canada*
Banff Centre official site*
Banff International String Quartet Competition official site*
Walter Phillips Gallery*
Encyclopaedia of Music in Canada entry
