Author: ailynn@leaf.music

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Reviving Music and Drama at the Mannheim Court

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Das Neue Mannheimer Orchester, led by artistic director Anders Muskens, releases Cannabich: Médor et Angélique as the fourth instalment of its ongoing recording project dedicated to the musical legacy of the eighteenth-century Mannheim Court. The release forms part of the ensemble’s 300-year jubilee series honouring Carl Theodor, whose court fostered one of the most influential orchestral cultures of the Enlightenment.

During Carl Theodor’s residence in Mannheim (1742–1778), the court became a major centre for artistic and intellectual exchange, attracting musicians, philosophers, scientists, and artists from across Europe. Within this environment, the Mannheim Court Orchestra developed a distinctive style noted for its expressive orchestral writing, dramatic gesture, and narrative clarity—qualities that would later influence composers such as Mozart. Despite its historical significance, much of this repertoire has remained underrepresented in modern performance.
This fourth instalment presents Christian Cannabich’s Médor et Angélique, ou Roland furieux, composed in Mannheim around 1768 and performed at the Mannheim Opera Theatre during the March Fair of 1770. Based on an episode from Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando furioso, the ballet follows the story of the wounded youth Médor and Angelica, Queen of Cathay, whose unexpected union unfolds amid conflict. The work reflects the Mannheim School’s engagement with the ballet en action and melodrama, genres that sought to merge music with narrative, gesture, and dramatic effect.

For this recording, Das Neue Mannheimer Orchester collaborates with concertmaster Rachael Beesley and historical-acting specialist João Luís Veloso Paixão, whose French narration restores elements of declamation and dramatic context integral to the work’s original conception. The recording is performed on period instruments. Through the integration of text, music, and historical gesture, this release offers a considered approach to Cannabich’s musical storytelling, situating it within the broader theatrical and aesthetic culture of eighteenth-century Mannheim.

Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Nashville, Tennessee, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across North America. Our growing catalogue of solo, orchestral, and chamber music is distributed by Naxos of America to the world’s most important music retailers, download providers, and streaming services. Leaf Music is also a provider of professional audio and video production, post-production services and integrated music marketing and distribution in North America.

CARL THEODOR JUBILEE COLLECTION

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Tacamis Records Bach’s Goldberg Variations for Double Reed Trio

“Each…a fine soloist in their own right, performing now as a tightly knit, cohesive ensemble…listeners…discern individual contrapuntal lines woven throughout the Baroque tapestry of sound.” – Winnipeg Free Press 

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music and the Tacamis Trio announce the release of their new recording, J.S. Bach Goldberg Variations (LM307), in digital and physical formats. The beloved work is arranged for double reed trio by Caitlin Broms-Jacobs.  

One of the most profound musical creations, Bach’s Goldberg Variations was composed for harpsichord around 1741, inspiring numerous interpretations because of its unparalleled counterpoint, harmony and expressivity. With its steady, 32-bar bass line (ground bass) and expansive emotional range from tranquillity to complex and fast-paced variations, Bach’s monumental work is highly adaptable to re-instrumentation. Now reimagined for oboe, English horn and bassoon, this timeless masterpiece receives a new warmth and transparency with Tacamis Trio. 

Formed within the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Tacamis Trio comprises Caitlin Broms-Jacobs (oboe/arranger), Tracy Wright (English horn) and Allen Harrington (bassoon). The artists conceived the project during the pandemic, and out of isolation came a celebration of resilience and collaboration with the framework of Bach’s 30 variations. Featured several times on the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra’s main concert series, their performances of the Goldberg Variations have been critically acclaimed by the Winnipeg Free Press. 

Caitlin Broms-Jacobs is principal oboist of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, praised for her “gorgeous singing tone” and “sensitive musicality” (Winnipeg Free Press). She performs widely across Canada as a soloist and chamber musician and is one half of the oboe-piano duo Fierbois; their debut album on Leaf Music, Sing to Me Again was released in January 2025 to critical acclaim. 

Tracy Wright is the English hornist of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and performs with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Known for her expressive sound and collaborative artistry, she appears regularly in chamber, orchestral, and new-music performances across the Prairies.  

Allen Harrington is professor of woodwinds at the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music, where he teaches bassoon and saxophone. A versatile performer, he appears frequently as a soloist and chamber musician and serves as principal bassoonist with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.  

The album was recorded in June of 2025 in St. John’s Anglican Church, Winnipeg, with support from the Manitoba Arts Council and the Winnipeg Arts Council. Listen to J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations (Arr. For Double Reed Trio by Caitlin Broms-Jacobs) on your favourite streaming platforms or get your CD copy.  

Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Nashville, Tennessee, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across North America. Our growing catalogue of solo, orchestral, and chamber music is distributed by Naxos of America to the world’s most important music retailers, download providers, and streaming services. Leaf is also a provider of professional audio and video production, post-production services, and integrated music marketing and distribution in North America. 

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MEDIA CONTACT: 

For more information/photos or to arrange interviews, please contact Ai Lynn Ang, ailynn@leaf.music

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Little Red Riding Hood with Beethoven

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music, together with Calgary’s StoryMusic (storymusic.ca), announces the distribution of a new digital recording, Little Red Riding Hood with Beethoven (SM2026). This adaptation of the classic children’s fairytale pairs Beethoven’s fiery String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95 with singer-narrator Julie Freedman Smith in a recording of an acclaimed theatrical show created for listeners of all ages. 

It’s all the brainchild of violist Liza Scriggins, who’s taken inspiration from Disney’s Fantasia, adapting stories to accompany chamber music. Other Calgary-based musicians on the album are Genevieve Micheletti (Violin I), Diane Lane (Violin II), and Andrea Case (Cello). The recording follows a sold-out show in Calgary, a video with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and popular performances in Calgary schools. 

Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 11 was written in 1810, around the same time he was composing the Egmont Overture (also in F minor). Appropriate for this story about a menacing wolf, it’s the only quartet for which Beethoven gave a subtitle: Serioso. 1810 was also the year Napoleon invaded Vienna for the second time in four years, and Beethoven had just experienced a failed love affair, and continued to suffer from financial insecurity and worsening deafness. Nevertheless, his music shines through, persevering just as Grandma and Red do in this fresh retelling. StoryMusic’s version invites families to experience this classic tale through the expressive voice of classical music – perfect for car rides or cozy afternoons. 

Listen to Little Red Riding Hood with Beethoven on your favourite streaming platforms beginning January 9, 2026. The new album was recorded in June-July 2024 at OCL Studios, Chestermere, Alberta by Sound Engineer Zana Warner with support from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and mastering by Jeremy VanSlyke. 

Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Nashville, Tennessee, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across North America. Our growing catalogue of solo, orchestral, and chamber music is distributed by Naxos of America to the world’s most important music retailers, download providers, and streaming services. Leaf is also a provider of professional audio and video production, post-production services, and integrated music marketing and distribution in North America. 

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Leaf Music and Essential Opera Present December

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS)Leaf Music and Essential Opera present December, a one-act opera by award-winning composer Monica Pearce, available digitally on December 5. The EP features sopranos Maureen Batt, Erin Bardua, and Danielle Buonaiuto, conducted by Tara Scottwith a string quartet comprisingJennifer Jones, Anne Simons,Alexandra Bates, and Hillary Brown.

Commissioned by Essential Opera with support from SOCAN, December follows Julia and Natasha as they prepare to visit Julia’s parents together for the first time as a couple at Christmas. Between airport security, last-minute packing, and the quiet tension of family introductions, the opera is a celebration of queer joy, featuring queer artists. It captures the anticipation, vulnerability, and humour that accompany love in its early stages. 

Founded in 2010 by sopranos Maureen Batt and Erin Bardua, Essential Opera creates productions that explore what is most vital about opera today. From its debut performance of Le nozze di Figaro to world premieres of new Canadian works, Essential Opera has evolved in response to changing artistic and social landscapes. Its mission is to present opera in its most essential form, through classical repertoire, contemporary works, and digital and film adaptations, while engaging audiences through storytelling that reflects the world we live in. With a strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, Essential Opera champions underrepresented voices and actively commissions and re-performs new operas.

Soprano Danielle Buonaiuto maintains an active performance career across the United States and Canada, with a focus on contemporary music and the creation of new work. She has appeared at major festivals and companies including the Prototype Festival, the Canadian Opera Company, and Tapestry Opera, creating new roles in Eat the Document (Glover/Rourke), Pomegranate (Marshall/Hale), and RUR: A Torrent of Light (Lizée/Billon). Her album Marfa Songs was released on Starkland in 2020. A founding member of ChamberQUEER and Duo Calisto, Buonaiuto also performs with the Metropolitan Opera’s Extra Chorus and is pursuing a doctorate in musicology at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center, where her research applies queer and feminist perspectives to opera and vocal music.

Monica Pearce is a Canadian composer recognized for her distinctive voice in opera and chamber music. Her works have been commissioned and performed by leading ensembles including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, International Contemporary Ensemble, and TorQ Percussion Quartet. Her debut album Textile Fantasies (2022) features collaborations with prominent Canadian musicians and has been widely acclaimed. Pearce co-founded the Toy Piano Composers collective, which premiered more than 120 new works, and is also an accomplished librettist whose collaborations have been presented by Essential Opera, Loose Tea Theatre, and Bicycle Opera Project.

December was recorded at The Peggy Corkum Music Room (Halifax, NS) and Swan Studios (New York City). Essential Opera is set to release a full-length album, Some of My Stories: The Operas of Monica Pearce, on April 17, 2026.

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MEDIA CONTACT: 

For more information/photos or to arrange interviews, please contact Ai Lynn Ang, ailynn@leaf.music

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Leaf Music Celebrates 5 Nominations for the 29th Prix Opus

Leaf Music is proud to announce that four of its releases and artists have received nominations at the 29th Prix Opus, Québec’s most prestigious awards recognizing excellence in music. The finalists were announced on November 19. 

The 2025–2026 Prix Opus nominations for Leaf Music are: 

Album of the Year – Classical, Romantic & Post-Romantic Music 
• Dialogues — Noémie Raymond & Zhenni Li-Cohen 

Album of the Year – Multiple Repertoires (works spanning more than one musical repertoire) 
• Nouveau lyrisme — Frédéric Lambert & Chloé Dumoulin 

Composition of the Year 
• String Quartet No. 5 (from The Possibility of a New Work for String Quartet) — Tim Brady, performed by Warhol Dervish 

Emerging Artist of the Year 
• Noémie Raymond 

Book of the Year 
• Dorian Bandy 

Dedicated to championing visionary Canadian performers and composers, Leaf Music is honoured to see its artists recognized by the Prix Opus. These nominations reflect the label’s commitment to curating world-class recordings, fostering creative innovation, and supporting projects that push the boundaries of classical performance and contemporary expression. 

Leaf Music extends its warmest congratulations to all the nominated artists, composers, ensembles, and production teams whose work has contributed to this milestone. The winners of the Prix Opus will be announced at the gala awards ceremony on February 8, 2026, at which time Leaf Music looks forward to celebrating the incredible talent represented at the 29th Prix Opus Awards. 

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Leaf Music célèbre cinq nominations aux 29e Prix Opus 

Leaf Music est fier d’annoncer que quatre de ses parutions et artistes ont été nommés aux 29e Prix Opus, les plus prestigieuses distinctions au Québec soulignant l’excellence musicale. Les finalistes ont été dévoilés le 19 novembre. 

Les nominations 2025–2026 des Prix Opus pour Leaf Music sont : 

Album de l’année – Musiques classique, romantique, postromantique 
• Dialogues — Noémie Raymond & Zhenni Li-Cohen 

Album de l’année – Répertoires multiples
• Nouveau lyrisme — Frédéric Lambert & Chloé Dumoulin 

Création de l’année 
• Quatuor à cordes no 5 (tiré de The Possibility of a New Work for String Quartet) — Tim Brady, interprété par Warhol Dervish 

Découverte de l’année 
• Noémie Raymond 

Livre de l’année 
• Dorian Bandy 

Engagé à mettre de l’avant des interprètes et compositeurs canadiens visionnaires, Leaf Music est honoré de voir ses artistes distingués par les Prix Opus. Ces nominations témoignent de l’engagement de la maison de disques Leaf Music à offrir des enregistrements de calibre international, à encourager l’innovation créative et à soutenir des projets qui repoussent les frontières de l’interprétation classique et de l’expression contemporaine. 

Leaf Music présente ses plus sincères félicitations à tous les artistes, compositeurs, ensembles et équipes de production dont le travail a rendu possible cette réalisation majeure. Les lauréats des Prix Opus seront dévoilés lors du gala du 8 février 2026, moment où Leaf Music se réjouira de célébrer le talent exceptionnel représenté aux 29e Prix Opus. 

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Sayeh-Roshan – An Interplay of Light and Shadow, Tradition and Modernity

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music, double bassist Ali Kian Yazdanfar and pianist Brigitte Poulin announce the upcoming release of their new recording, Sayeh-Roshan in digital and physical formats (LM301). Sayeh-Roshan (Persian for “chiaroscuro”) features contemporary compositions reflecting on how a layered identity (in this case, Persian Canadian), can enrich one’s perspective. Chiaroscuro signifies the interaction of light and shadow and is interpreted here as the interplay between competing ideas and perspectives, and between tradition and modernity. The works commissioned specifically for this project were composed in 2022 by Amir Eslami, Reza Vali and Parisa Sabet with this concept in mind, and are interspersed with traditional Iranian works for kamancheh and tombak, featuring musicians Behnoosh Behnamnia and Bamdad Fotouhi.

The three new works paint a multifaceted and complex portrait of the possibilities of the double bass and piano.  The images range from the more traditionally inspired yet thoroughly modern Sallaneh (Amir Eslami) to the evocative yet playful His Gabbah is Turquoise (Parisa Sabet), an homage to the fathers of both the composer as well as Ali Kian Yazdanfar, and finishing with the kaleidoscopic theatricality of Laylâ, Folk Songs Set #18, (Reza Vali), where the performers’ singing, whistling, and speaking leads the listener on a grand tour with references to classical poetry, beloved stories, and popular song.  In addition to a short work Ballade for solo double bass by Behzad Ranjbaran, the kamancheh and tombak present three selections which tie together the works for double bass and provide the contrasts and juxtaposition central to the themes of Sayeh-Roshan.

Ali Kian Yazdanfar maintains an active career not only as principal double bass of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, but also as a soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue. Although he started playing bass at age seven, his science and mathematics background led to a physics degree from The Johns Hopkins University. Directly upon graduating, he won his first audition, becoming a member of the Houston Symphony, and went on to win his next three auditions, for the National Symphony in Washington, D.C., for principal bass with the San Francisco Symphony, and for principal bass with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. 

His album of solo and duo works with violist Frederic Lambert, Iridescence, was released in 2023 on the Leaf Music label. Taking inspiration from his Iranian roots, he has also commissioned and performed many new works for solo double bass, including not only this project, but also the world premiere in 2018 of a new bass concerto by Behzad Ranjbaran. Ali is an associate professor at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University and presents masterclasses during the summer at Orford Music in Québec. Other regular and past collaborations include both the National Youth Orchestras of Canada and the United States, National Orchestral Institute, and Le Domaine Forget.

Montreal-based pianist Brigitte Poulin is an accomplished soloist, chamber musician, accompanist, and teacher whose repertoire spans from the invention to the deconstruction of the piano. In addition to this recording, she is set to release her new solo recording of György Kurtág: Játékok. Her notable collaborations include Les Noces with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal under Kent Nagano, Pierrot lunaire with Patricia Kopatchinskaja, and chamber performances with Annalee Patipatanakoon, Lynn Harrell, and Silvia Mandolini. She teaches at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, is a longtime faculty member at Orford Musique, and appears on recordings for Leaf Music, Naxos, ATMA Classique, and Dame. 

Behnoosh Behnamnia performs on both kamancheh and violin; her work includes traditional Iranian repertoire, electronic music and experimental projects. Tombak and daf player Bamdad Fotouhi is a member of An Trio Ensemble based in Toronto, where he continues to perform, teach and develop new educational resources for Iranian percussion.

The album was recorded in Montreal and Toronto in 2024 and 2025 with assistance from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des Arts et Lettres du Québec (CALQ). Listen to Sayeh-Roshan on your favourite streaming platform (also available as a physical CD).

Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Nashville, Tennessee, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across North America. Our growing catalogue of solo, orchestral, and chamber music is distributed by Naxos of America to the world’s most important music retailers, download providers, and streaming services. Leaf is also a provider of professional audio and video production, post-production services, and integrated music marketing and distribution in North America.  

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MEDIA CONTACT: 

For more information/photos or to arrange interviews, please contact Peggy Walt, peggy@leaf.music 

(902) 422-5403 (office) or (902) 476-1096 (cell).  

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Keiran Campbell and Sezi Seskir Recreate the Sound of Beethoven’s Time

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music, together with cellist Keiran Campbell and Sezi Seskir (fortepiano) announce the distribution of a new digital recording, Beethoven Cello Sonatas, Op. 5 (SSKC2025) on period instruments. Performing on a fortepiano with its leather hammers, and on a gut-strung cello with a supple classical bow allows the players to recapture these beloved sonatas’ intended original sound. The two cello sonatas (No. 1 and 2) were composed in 1796, and saw Beethoven attempting to make the two instruments more equal while celebrating the capabilities of the five-octave piano.

Keiran Campbell is co-principal cello of Tafelmusik, and on faculty at the Chamber Music Collective, which focuses on post-1750 performance practice. He studied extensively with Leonid Zilper (former solo cellist of the Bolshoi Ballet) and then received his Bachelors and Masters at the Juilliard School, where he worked with Darrett Adkins, Timothy Eddy and Phoebe Carrai. Keiran has performed with ensembles including The English Concert, Le Concert Des Nations, NYBI, Philharmonia Baroque, The Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra, Four Nations Ensemble, Utopia Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony, and Les Violons du Roy. During the summers, Keiran has performed with Teatro Nuovo, Lakes Area Music Festival, Staunton Music Festival, and The Carmel Bach Festival. 

Sezi Seskir received her first degree in piano in Ankara, Turkey. She completed her studies in Lübeck Musikhochschule, completing her academic journey with a D.M.A. degree with Malcolm Bilson in Cornell University. She concertized widely in Europe and in the US. Sezi edited the piano works of Robert Schumann for the Schott and Bärenreiter publishing houses in Germany, and is also the co-editor of an essay collection Topics in Musical Interpretation, published by Routledge. Her CD of three Beethoven violin sonatas with Lucy Russell recorded on period instruments appeared in 2020 on the Acis label, which was received enthusiastically by reviewers. She is a co-founder of the Chamber Music Collective, an intensive chamber music program on period instruments. She is currently an Associate Professor of Music at Bucknell University.  

Listen to Beethoven Cello Sonatas, Op. 5 on your favourite streaming platforms beginning October 31. The new album was recorded at the Rooke Recital Hall, Bucknell University in January of 2024. 

Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Nashville, Tennessee, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across North America. Our growing catalogue of solo, orchestral, and chamber music is distributed by Naxos of America to the world’s most important music retailers, download providers, and streaming services. Leaf is also a provider of professional audio and video production, post-production services, and integrated music marketing and distribution in North America.  

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MEDIA CONTACT: 

For more information/photos or to arrange interviews, please contact Peggy Walt, peggy@leaf.music 

(902) 422-5403 (office) or (902) 476-1096 (cell).  

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Erin James Weaves 400 Years of Violin Fantasies

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music and violinist Erin James announce the distribution of a new digital recording, Fantasy Vignettes (EJ2025), a project tracing the evolution of the violin fantasy form through a period spanning over 400 years in a series of four vignettes. Each vignette is paired with a vibrant costume of the multidisciplinary artist’s own design, embodying the music’s character and symbolism. Rooted in the improvisatory spirit of the “fantasia”—where whimsy and free-flowing form take precedence over structure—she uses “patchwork” as a guiding metaphor, reflecting both the shifting nature of the fantasy and her composite identity as a textile artist, composer, and baroque and modern violinist. Joining her on the album is pianist Todd Yaniw, and the album includes a newly commissioned work by Alberta-based composer Mari Alice Conrad. 

About the new album Erin James says: “The journey in Fantasy Vignettes begins with the earliest notated violin fantasia by Étienne Nau, a rare transcription of a performance that would have been freely improvised by the violinist-composer. I also play fantasias in the same vein by Nicola Matteis Jr. and Georg Philipp Telemann on the baroque violin, wearing a reconfiguration of baroque garments to create a current look and mirror the patching together of preconfigured schema in improvisation. Next, I frame Robert Schumann’s Fantasy in the context of his literary characters Florestan and Eusebius (representing the feminine and masculine aspects of identity). I portray this split personality in an outfit that’s half tailcoat and trousers and half gown, recalling something worn by Robert’s wife and accomplished pianist and composer, Clara Schumann. It also reflects my identity as both a modern and baroque violinist. Fantasies by Florence Price and Arnold Schoenberg comprise the next scene, where I explore freedom both in a compositional and social sense, combining twelve colour tones of sheer fabric into 144 different patchwork hexagon colours representing the twelve-tone hexachordal structure of the Schoenberg. Mari Alice Conrad’s commission, Fabricating Fantasies incorporates sewing machines and accessories as instruments reflecting my process and identity as both musician and textile designer. Finally, the title track, Fantasy Vignettes is my own attempt at a violinist-composer improvisation that mines and amalgamates material from the rest of the album to create something original. For these new works, I created a simple needle costume to represent the thread that stitches the programme together and my dual identity as violinist and textile designer.” 

Erin James seeks to dance the intersection between music, visual art and text through her work, which combines textiles and the violin; she has qualifications in both fashion design and violin performance. Her musical interests range from baroque to contemporary styles, and she thoroughly enjoys any piece that’s singable or danceable. Erin is equally at home as a chamber musician, soloist, theatre artist and orchestral player, and her career has taken her across Asia, Europe and North America. She is as passionate about transforming garbage into art as she is about transfiguring works from the classical music repertoire to make them more vibrant and accessible.  Erin recently completed her doctorate, has performed on CBC Radio, at the Music by the Sea festival, with the Vancouver and Edmonton Symphonies, and with the Vancouver Opera, Hamilton Philharmonic and Allegra Chamber Orchestras.  

Since his debut with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at age 13, Todd Yaniw has performed across Canada as a soloist and chamber players, appearing with ensembles such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Rolston String Quartet, Trio Arkel, and ARC Ensemble. Todd was featured in the CBC’s “30 under 30” top young musicians list.  Internationally, he has performed in Bulgaria, China, Italy, Jamaica, Monaco, the United Kingdom and the United States.  

Mari Alice Conrad is an award-winning composer based in Alberta, Canada, completing her doctorate in composition at the University of Alberta. Her work investigates the intersections of sound, memory, and materiality through the blending of acoustic instruments with found objects, staging, and spatial design. Her music has been performed by contemporary ensembles and soloists across Canada and abroad, including the BBC Singers, Standing Wave, SHHH!! Ensemble, and UltraViolet.  

Listen to Fantasy Vignettes on your favourite streaming platforms beginning October 17.  

The new album was recorded in Edmonton and Montreal in 2024 and 2025 with support from the University of Alberta’s Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies and a Bombardier Social Sciences Humanities Research Council fellowship.  

Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Nashville, Tennessee, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across North America. Our growing catalogue of solo, orchestral, and chamber music is distributed by Naxos of America to the world’s most important music retailers, download providers, and streaming services. Leaf is also a provider of professional audio and video production, post-production services, and integrated music marketing and distribution in North America. 

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MEDIA CONTACT: 

For more information/photos or to arrange interviews, please contact Peggy Walt,   peggy@leaf.music 

(902) 422-5403 (office) or (902) 476-1096 (cell).  

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Joel Miller’s What If? – Where Genres Connect

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music and composer/saxophonist Joel Miller announce the distribution of a new digital recording, What If?, a classical crossover album showcasing original compositions and reimagined works by Debussy, Chopin and Pachelbel, featuring Cuban Canadian pianist Silvio Pupo and the Resonance New Music Ensemble.  

Inspired by his partner Mel’s idea of “the & space” – What If? imagines a musical world where jazz and classical traditions coexist rather than compete. The album traces Miller’s personal journey through jazz, Afro-Latin influences and classical; for example, he reimagines the famous Pachelbel Canon in D, sharing the familiar ostinato amongst the entire ensemble. Jazz sax, vibraphone, piano and violin mingle in a unique accompaniment to Joel’s life story and explorations about family and musical traditions. 

Joel Miller is an award-winning saxophonist and composer based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Raised in a musical family, he studied Jazz Performance at McGill University and has performed with notable artists including Geoffrey Keezer, Brian Blade, and Kurt Rosenwinkel. Miller’s career highlights include winning a JUNO Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album with Swim (2012), ECMA awards for Swim, Dream Cassette (2016), and UNSTOPPABLE (2019). He has received multiple grants for composition, recording, and residencies, and leads workshops internationally, continually exploring the intersection of jazz and contemporary music.  

Led by bassist Andrew Reed Miller (Joel’s brother), Resonance New Music Ensemble is a New Brunswick–based group dedicated to performing experimental, improvised, and contemporary classical music. Supported by the not-for-profit Motion Ensemble, Inc., (founded by Andrew in 1998), the ensemble has premiered nearly 100 works by Canadian and international composers including Joel Miller, André Cormier, and Kaija Saariaho.  

Cuban-born pianist Silvio Pupo studied classical piano in Holguín before relocating to Atlantic Canada in 2009. Known for his dynamic blend of classical and Latin jazz styles, Pupo has become a sought-after collaborator, recording and touring with artists like Ben Caplan and Alfie Zappacosta. Based in Moncton, he is celebrated for his versatile musicianship, charismatic stage presence, and regular performances at Halifax’s iconic venue The Local.  

Listen to What If? on your favourite streaming platforms beginning October 17. Additionally, the ensemble will celebrate the new recording with live performances in the Maritimes in November:  

November 14 BMO Theatre Saint John, NB 

November 15 Steel Recital Hall UPI, Charlottetown, PEI 
November 16 Brunton Auditorium, Sackville, NB 
November 26th Le Laundromat, Moncton, NB  
November 28th Charlotte Street Arts Centre, Fredericton 

The new album was recorded in New Brunswick in 2025 at the Centre des Arts et de la Culture de Dieppe Inc. with support from the Fredericton Playhouse Intermission Artist Residency, Arts NB, MusiqueMusicNB, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Dieppe Cultural Centre, Catapult and ArtsLinkNB.  

Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Nashville, Tennessee, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across North America. Our growing catalogue of solo, orchestral, and chamber music is distributed by Naxos of America to the world’s most important music retailers, download providers, and streaming services. Leaf is also a provider of professional audio and video production, post-production services, and integrated music marketing and distribution in North America. 

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MEDIA CONTACT: 

For more information/photos or to arrange interviews, please contact Peggy Walt,   peggy@leaf.music 

(902) 422-5403 (office) or (902) 476-1096 (cell).

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About Joel

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Brigitte Poulin Interprets György Kurtág’s Játékok

“Thank you György, you made us listen to music differently.” (Simon Rattle to Kurtág, in 2017, on the occasion of the composer’s 90th birthday) 

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music and pianist Brigitte Poulin announce the upcoming release of their new recording, György Kurtág – Játékok (Games) in digital format (LM 302).  

These miniature works, composed by one of Hungary’s greatest (and still living, age 99) composers, were written over decades, paying homage to composers, friends and influences who shaped him. These range from Bach, Schumann, Bartók and others, comprising gestures drawn from folklore, Gregorian chants, improvisation and spoken rhythms. In her album, pianist Brigitte Poulin has curated five “Acts” of Játékoks, which features several world premiere recordings together with pieces dedicated to Kurtag’s wife Márta Kinsker, his muse and partner for over 60 years. 

 “I received the 10th volume of the Játékok, which had just been published, during the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Poulin. “In it I discovered several pieces dedicated to Márta. Over the course of their 60 years together, Kurtág offered her a dozen such birthday presents, most of which, as far as I know, had not yet been recorded.” 

Born in Romania to Jewish parents, György Kurtág moved to Hungary and survived the communist regime, gaining international recognition following its dissolution. He taught piano at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music from 1967 and also chamber music until 1993. Kurtág placed his music (and himself) in the continuum of European art music. His work reflects an interaction between the desire to break new ground and the weight of past traditions. It engages in a dialogue with history, reconciling the urgent need to create something new with the legacy of the past.  

Montreal-based pianist Brigitte Poulin is an accomplished soloist, chamber musician, accompanist, and teacher whose repertoire spans from the invention to the deconstruction of the piano. In addition to this recording of György Kurtág: Játékok, she is also set to release Sayeh-Roshan, an album of new Persian works with contrabassist Ali Yazdanfar, featuring Behnoosh Behnamnia and Bamdad Fotouhi. Her notable collaborations include Les Noces with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal under Kent Nagano, Pierrot lunaire with Patricia Kopatchinskaja, and chamber performances with Annalee Patipatanakoon, Lynn Harrell, and Silvia Mandolini. She often teaches at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music and is a longtime faculty member at Orford Musique. Brigitte appears on recordings for Leaf Music, Naxos, ATMA Classique, and Dame.  

The album was recorded at Domaine Forget in January 2025 with assistance from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des Arts et Lettres du Québec. 

 Listen to György Kurtág: Játékok on your favourite streaming platform.  

Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Nashville, Tennessee, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across North America. Our growing catalogue of solo, orchestral, and chamber music is distributed by Naxos of America to the world’s most important music retailers, download providers, and streaming services. Leaf is also a provider of professional audio and video production, post-production services, and integrated music marketing and distribution in North America.  

György Kurtág: Játékok Documentary:

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MEDIA CONTACT: 

For more information/photos or to arrange interviews, please contact Peggy Walt, peggy@leaf.music 

(902) 422-5403 (office) or (902) 476-1096 (cell).  

Stream/Download
playlist
About Brigitte