#sparkchamber 063025 — Katerina Gimon
Leo Tolstoy said that music is the shorthand for emotion, which resonates completely today as #sparkchamber welcomes composer, improviser, and vocalist Katerina Gimon. Based near Vancouver, her dynamic, poignant, eclectic compositional style has earned her the well-deserved reputation across the globe as a distinct voice in contemporary composition. Katerina draws influence from a myriad of places — from the Ukrainian folk music of her heritage to indie rock, as well as from her roots as a songwriter. Her compositions are performed widely across Canada, the United States, and internationally, with notable performances at Carnegie Hall, Berliner Philharmonie, and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. [If you have 90 seconds, invest it here to experience the visceral power and vibrance of her work.]
In addition to her composing work, Katerina is a founding member — vocalist, electronics, co-composer — of the new music and AR/VR collective Chroma Mixed Media alongside multi-media artists David Soren and Brian Topp. Excited by the ever-evolving landscape of technology in today’s society, Chroma endeavors to explore new avenues and intersections for artistic expression by combining various art forms and new technologies to explore new possibilities and challenge audience expectations.
In everything she does, Katerina’s passion, intensity, and authenticity shine through. Tolstoy was on to something.
1.] Where do ideas come from?
They bubble up from the simmering soup of life that is you.
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
I’ve always been a dreamer at heart — endlessly curious and always falling down rabbit holes. I love the joy, the freedom, the rawness of creating. It pulls me into the present moment, anchors me in the real world, and helps me revel in the beauty of being human. And more than anything, I love sharing that joy — passing it on, spreading it around, hoping it sparks something in someone else.
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
Mornings are my creative sweet spot. I like to roll out of bed, grab a cup of tea, and dive straight into the work. Once I’m in the flow, it can be hard to stop — so I try to get all my heavy creative lifting done before lunch. Afternoons are better suited for lighter creative work, admin, and practical tasks. I’ve learned the hard way that if I write music too late in the day, I won’t sleep — I just lie there composing in my head on loop!
4.] How do you know when you are done?
If it weren’t for deadlines, I’m not sure I’d ever be done tinkering. There’s always one more thing I could tweak! But in all seriousness, learning when to let go of your work is one of the hardest parts of being a creative artist. It’s something I’ve gotten better at over the years — and I’m grateful to have a strong support network [my amazing husband and many composer friends] I can rely on to nudge me over the finish line when I get stuck in “is-it-done?” mode.