Last night, tonight and Saturday (May 26-28), the Calgary Philharmonic (in a new collaboration with the Fort Macleod International Festival) presents its third annual celebration of contemporary music, “exploring the best and most imaginative masterpieces of the 20th and 21st centuries.”

All three concerts will be led by CPO resident conductor Melanie Leonard, and they will be hosted on-stage at Calgary’s Grand Theatre by well-known Calgary composer Allan Bell.

What’s on the program? Well, it’s a wide-ranging survey of orchestral and chamber music from the 20th and 21st Century. Canadian works include Jacques Hetu’s Symphony No. 3, a new piano quintet by Anton Kuerti (also featured as soloist), and Spirit Trail by Allan Bell. Early and mid-20th century include offerings by Schreker, Hindemith, Penderecki and Cage. Building on the Fort Macleod International Festival’s international relationships, concerts will include a number of world premieres of new works by international composers, including Benjamin Ellin, Aurél Holló and Stephen Montague. FMIF artistic director Rivka Golani will be featured in new works for viola by the last two composers.