This show is presented by the Cluster: New Music + Integrated Arts Festival and is produced with the support of the Manitoba Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, FACTOR Canada, and the SOCAN Foundation
/ fear : reimagined / is a feature-length concert that will take place on Tuesday, June 22, 2021 as part of the 12th annual Cluster: New Music + Integrated Arts Festival. This concert features 2020 Polaris Prize-nominated alt-diva, Begonia performing eight re-imagined chamber arrangements of music from her 2019 critically-acclaimed album, Fear. Cluster has commissioned collaborative reimaginings of Begonia’s music by composer Julian Beutel for piano, violin, viola and cello, performed by Begonia, Naomi Woo, Rodica Jeffrey, Greg Hay and Natanielle Felicitas.
Pegged as Canada’s breakout alt-diva, Begonia launched into the Canadian music scene on the strength of her critically acclaimed 2017 EP Lady In Mind. The indie pop singer has received media praise and numerous awards, and had two #1 songs on Canada’s CBC national radio chart. As Begonia, Alexa Dirks has blossomed into a glittery supernova who feels like music’s best-kept secret to her fans.
Begonia went on to release her audacious debut full-length album Fear in September 2019. Fear is a deeply personal album bursting with ruminations on solitude, self-doubt, anxiety, and panic, all bundled up in that serene feeling that comes with an artist fully embracing their past and present self. She wrote and co-produced the record with a close-knit team of collaborators: Matt Schellenberg and Matt Peters of Royal Canoe, along with Marcus Paquin, who has previously worked with The National, Arcade Fire and Local Natives.
Fear was included on the 2020 Polaris Music Prize Long List and chosen as one of Exclaim!’s Most Underrated Albums of the Year, in addition to making numerous end of the year recommendation lists. Her singles “Beats” and “Hanging on A Line” were named as CBC Music National Radio Fan Favourites of 2019, and her album Fear spent 10 straight weeks as the #1 album in the country on !earshot’s National Top 50 chart. Songs from the album can be heard in numerous productions on Netflix & Oprah Winfrey Network, and NPR named Begonia is one of 10 Artists You Need to Know.
Begonia has been touring major festivals and playing to sold-out audiences at small clubs across North America. Begonia was finally set to make her European touring debut in May 2020. Due to COVID-19, the remaining dates on Begonia - The Fear Tour were cancelled upon arrival in New York where Begonia was set to play The New Colossus Festival. Just two weeks earlier, a camera crew recorded the FIVE consecutive sold-out shows in her hometown of Winnipeg, Canada. The February 2020 performances captured the imagination of a whole city.