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“Tributum for Celtic Bagpipes and Orchestra,” originally created for the Celebrate World Music Concert produced by Burmer Music and The Composition Lab, recently won a silver medal at the 2022 Global Music Awards. The composition was created by local composer Nan Avant and first appeared in a CD concert compilation recorded at Studio X in Seattle. In 2021, it was recorded on the Navona Records label for full orchestra with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow, Scotland.

The Global Music Awards, established in 2011, is an international competition celebrating independent musicians. The music is evaluated on its merits, not on record sales or fan base.  Judging is a multi-layered process that includes listener impact, technical quality, uniqueness and styling.

The Celebrate World Music concert, which presented world-premiere works that highlighted instruments and rhythms from around the globe, was a sell-out event at Benaroya Hall when it premiered in spring 2013. On the stage that day were eight composers (including Avant), 11 solo artists, more than a dozen traditional instruments from around the world, one Grammy-winning conductor, and a top symphonic orchestra.

To prepare for the concert, each composer was invited to create an original work for an instrument associated with a particular country or culture. The instruments were selected based on their seminal role in the music and dance of that region. 

Avant chose Scotland and Ireland because “I love the music of these countries and the dramatic tone of the drones,” she said. “I was familiar with the Great Highland Bagpipes of Scotland because my husband had been taking bagpipe lessons for several years.  Then I heard recordings of the Uilleann Pipe from Ireland, which I was not as familiar with. But the music of Ireland, the lyrical folk tunes and heartfelt storytelling really resonated with me.  As I began the composing process, I researched these instruments and learned from experts in the field.”

In addition to the Global Music Awards, the Celebrate World Music concert CD was named a winner in the Contemporary Classical category of the 13th Independent Music Awards Vox Pop poll, the fan-determined portion of the prestigious international award program for independent artists. A second IMA Vox Pop award that same year went to Avant for the “Tributum” composition.

“Composing ‘Tributum for Celtic Bagpipes and Orchestra’ was an inspiring, satisfying and rewarding time,” said Avant. “With a great deal of research and study into these unfamiliar instruments, excellent guidance from skilled pipers, the music flowed freely and the melodies are poignant. ‘Tributum’ is exactly how it was meant to be.”

Glenna Burmer’s Nana korobi, Ya oki, won the award for Best New Animation Style at CLIMAX, a virtual streaming film festival based in Spain that focuses on excellence in film from around the world.

Nana korobi, Ya oki follows the tale of a young Japanese girl who overcomes seven trials to save an orphan during a snowstorm. The animated short film was created and produced by Glenna Burmer with assistance from artistic director Gaby Breiter of Deep Sky Studios in Portland, Oregon. It also features an original score with woodwinds and strings, composed by Glenna Burmer.

Burmer’s film was selected by a CLIMAX jury from a field of 20 animated films submitted by talented filmmakers from 12 countries. The short film had also been nominated in the Best Creative Environment and Best Animated Film categories.

Released in 2021, Nana korobi, Ya oki  has won more than three dozen awards in festivals in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia and the Mideast. View a 2-minute preview here.

Nana korobi, Ya oki uses a dreamy animation style that reflects sumi-e art, a Japanese artistic style which employs black ink and distinctive brush strokes. The style was chosen as a tribute to Burmer’s mother, who was a sumi-e artist.

Nana korobi, Ya oki , a short animated film with original music and story by Glenna Burmer, just received the award for Outstanding Animated Film at the 10^th annual Short Circuit Pacific Rim Festival in Victoria, British Columbia. The film was judged against 10 other contenders in the “Brought to Life” category.

The Pacific Rim Film Festival runs through the month of May.  From May 1-7, the films could be seen in person at The Vic Theatre. Now through the end of May, 50 films in all eight screening categories can be viewed online.  Get tickets here.

Burmer’s animated film has won more than 50 festival awards worldwide since it was completed in spring 2021. Among top honors are awards won at several prominent Pacific Northwest festivals, such as the Seattle Film Festival and the Oregon Short Film Festival.

The film was created by music producer and filmmaker Glenna Burmer and produced and animated by Deep Sky, led by art director Gaby Breiter. The original music featuring woodwinds and strings was composed by Glenna Burmer. Not only is the film female-led in the areas of production, musical score and on-screen animation, but it was inspired by Burmer’s mother who was a sumi-e artist, a genre that influenced the film’s dreamy animation style.

Nana korobi, Ya oki, or Seven Falls, tells the inspirational story of a young girl who undergoes seven challenges to save a dear friend from the cold. The film’s title is from a Japanese proverb which says:  “Seven times you may fall, but get up the eighth.”  

Nana korobi, Ya oki , an animated short film with original music and story by Glenna Burmer, is part of the line-up at the 2022 Short Circuit Pacific Rim Film Festival in Victoria, British Columbia.

This year, the festival will be a hybrid model. Films can be seen in-person at The Vic Theatre from May 1-7. Starting May 8, 50 films in eight screening categories can be viewed online through May 31. Nana korobi, Ya oki will be screened with 10 other animated films in the “Brought to Life” category.

Get more information on the Victoria screening here.

Burmer’s animated short has won more than 50 film festival awards worldwide since it was completed in spring 2021, including top honors in several prominent Pacific Northwest festivals, such as the Seattle Film Festival and the Oregon Short Film Festival.

The film was created by music producer and filmmaker Glenna Burmer and produced and animated by Deep Sky, led by art director Gaby Breiter. The original music featuring woodwinds and strings was composed by Glenna Burmer. As a female-led film in three areas — production, musical score and on-screen — it’s a beautifully animated story inspired by Burmer’s mother who was a sumi-e artist.

Deep Sky has posted a series on Instagram with a behind-the-scenes look at the film that can be viewed here.

Nana korobi, Ya oki ,or Seven Falls, tells the inspirational story of a young girl who undergoes seven challenges to save a dear friend from the cold. It illustrates having the courage and determination to overcome obstacles in order to do the right thing.  

The film’s title is from a Japanese proverb which says:  “Seven times you may fall, but get up the eighth.”