Cantos Music Foundation Preserving Canada’s Musical History
In A Bold And Innovative Way.

Today, Cantos has nearly 2,000 musical artifacts in its collection including one of the largest collections of keyboard instruments in the world, vintage recording equipment and the latest technology in recording and sound synthesis.

The future is a symphony of opportunity for Cantos Music Foundation. We are currently working on building the National Music Centre at the site of the King Edward Hotel in Calgary’s East Village.

This 110,000 sq.ft., $120-$130 million project will give Canada a place that amplifies the love, the sharing and the understanding of music.

Like nothing else in Canada, the National Music Centre will tell Canada’s music story in a cohesive way through expanded collections and exhibitions, extensive programming and national outreach through partner organizations.

Cantos acquired the custodianship of the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame Collection in 2009 from Deb Buck who had been looking for an organization that would take good care of the collection and help fulfill Gary Buck’s vision for it as a basis for programs that promote the legacy of Canadian country music.

Currently, there are two pieces to the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame: the Collection, now under the custodianship of Cantos Music Foundation, and the commemorative plaques honoring past and future inductees to the Hall of Fame – an annual process governed by the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA). The plaques are currently under the custodianship of the Merritt Walk of Stars in Merritt, BC.

The future of this collection is at the National Music Centre currently in development by Cantos Music Foundation.

The Hall of Fame Collection is a big part of that vision.

The Centre is scheduled for completion in 2012/2013 at which time this collection will move from its home on the Stampede Grounds just a couple of blocks south to East Village.

The National Music Centre is the vehicle for realizing Cantos Music Foundation’s vision to be a national catalyst for discovery, innovation and renewal through music.

It gives Canada a place that amplifies the love, the sharing and the understanding of music.

NMC will offer a variety of collection exhibitions and programs on local, regional and national levels.

After an international competition that garnered interest and media coverage all over the world, Allied Works Architecture was chosen to design the National Music Centre. Here’s what they have to say about the design: “The National Music Centre is an extraordinary instrument, silent and powerful, brought to life by its programs, collections and performances.

The new building forms rise as sentinels around the re-born King Eddy, marking the entry to the East Village and new Music District.

The towers are beautifully crafted cases, inspired by musical instruments that hold the specific potential of a rich musical experience.

Thus the building is a gathering of resonant vessels that exists to be ‘played’ — to emanate music, light and a myriad of activities . The new design draws from the iconic landscapes of Canada: evoking the canyons and mountains of the west, the silence of the prairies and the energy and diversity of urban space.

These forces and influences are concentrated into the National Music Centre, creating a spirit of architecture that inspires, renews and evokes the spirit of Canada.”

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