Creativity Workshop | Christos Hatzis, Aaron Tsang

4 PM - Creativity Through Courage | Non-Linearity as a Feature

By: Christos Hatzis and Aaron Tsang

Creativity Through Courage: Christos Hatzis & Aaron Tsang Return to IMSTA FESTA

Following their unforgettable debut last year, composer and University of Toronto professor Christos Hatzis and producer-engineer Aaron Tsang return to IMSTA FESTA Toronto for a Creativity Workshop unlike anything else on the schedule. This time, they set aside the slides and bring you inside GOING HOME STAR: Truth and Reconciliation: the Royal Winnipeg Ballet production that won the JUNO for Classical Recording of the Year.

What does it take to tell a story as harrowing as the Residential Schools through sound?

Join Christos and Aaron as they deconstruct how a full symphony orchestra, MIDI-driven electronics, the Northern Cree Singers, and the internationally renowned throat singer Tanya Tagaq were woven into a single, searing musical canvas, It was a year of composing, eight months of mixing, and a non-linear narrative that demanded every ounce of creative courage they had.

But this is far more than a technical post-mortem, it is a masterclass in what creativity truly demands when the subject matter is sacred and the stakes are human. Hatzis and Tsang will share candid stories of the obstacles, ethical questions, and artistic breakthroughs they encountered in giving voice to pain, memory, and exorcism through music, and how non-linear thinking became not just a technique but an act of empathy. Whether you are a composer, producer, engineer, or performer looking to break free of safe, linear habits, this deep, thought-provoking session, with its live listening, real-world stories, and open conversation, will challenge how you think about your craft and why it matters. Bring your curiosity, your questions, and your boldest ideas; the conversation starts the moment the music stops.