Author: ailynn@leaf.music

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Ménestrel mixes ancient repertoire with Canadian oral folk traditions

Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music, and Ménestrel (soprano-violinist Janelle Lucyk and tenor-lutenist Kerry Bursey), announce the upcoming release of their new recording, Ménestrel (LM305), in digital and physical formats. For their debut album, Ménestrel reaches backward, not to escape the modern world, but to examine its roots. They gather songs drawn from several centuries and traditions, from the luminous melancholy of John Dowland to the ardent intimacy of Barbara Strozzi, from the refined contours of French Renaissance chanson to the rugged sincerity of Celtic and English folk ballads.  

Ménestrel is a Canadian early music ensemble, mixing ancient repertoire with oral folk traditions. Formed in 2019, the ensemble is committed to bringing the transformative magic of music to unexpected places, collaborating with singers and choirs in all of Canada’s thirteen provinces and territories in 2024. They were also in residence in France and Spain last summer for concerts, workshops and recordings. Their concerts aim to demystify early music, juxtaposing it next to folk songs, which are often considered songs of the people. 

Album Trailer

Janelle Lucyk is a leader among an emerging generation of Canadian artists specializing in old music and historically informed performance, taking ideas from conception to the stage. She is Mécénat Musica’s 2025 Vocal Discovery of the Year. Performing well over a hundred concerts last year, Janelle across all of Canada. 

Janelle is the artistic director of Ménestrel. She is also director of the new series ArtChoral at La Grande Salle du 9e, the recently reopened, iconic Art Deco concert hall in Montreal.  Following mentor and arts champion Barbara Butler, Janelle is Artistic and Administrative Director of Musique Royale (est. 1985), a music presenter based in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia which enriches historic spaces through the sharing of world class early music, and much more.  Programming includes over seventy concerts throughout the year in venues across the spectacular maritime province. 

Janelle was invited by legendary organist Xaver Varnus to perform two sold out performances in Hungary, including at the spectacular Bartók National Concert Hall in Budapest. She has had the good fortune of working as a soloist under five-time Grammy winner Paul Halley on many unforgettable concerts including Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 and Selva Morale e Spirituale and multiple Bach Passions.  

Janelle graduated in 2014 with distinction from the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles in Belgium and completed her master’s in management at Durham University in the UK, where she was awarded the Best Soloist by Music Durham, and Best Female Soloist by her peers. While in Europe, she formed Voces Desuper, an ensemble performing regularly in the magnificent Cathédrale de Saints-Michel-et-Gudule, and especially at the Te Deum ceremony for the King and Queen of Belgium. 

Kerry Bursey is a Canadian tenor and plucked string instrumentalist from Montréal. An early music specialist and a versatile singer, he is acclaimed for his “clear voice, made of dreamy troubadouresque sweetness” (Ôlyrix) and “beneficent tenderness” (Le Temps). He is a sought-after lutenist and guitarist, notably invested in self-accompaniment, from lute songs to folk music.  Recently, he made his European debut run as a soloist at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Ruhrtriennale, Manchester International Festival, Bregenzerfestspieler and the Holland Festival. 

He regularly works as a tenor soloist or instrumentalist with Canadian early music ensembles such as l’Harmonie des Saisons, Ensemble Caprice, Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal, the Toronto Consort, Theatre of Early Music, Les Barocudas, les Idées Heureuses, la Nef, Pallade Musica, Infusion Baroque and Clavecin en Concert. He tours internationally with his ensemble, Ménestrel, co-founded with soprano Janelle Lucyk. 

​Kerry is frequently hired as a session musician and creative collaborator because of his broad musical output, from pop to video games. He composed and performed the soundtrack of award-winning thriller, 444, which premiered at Fantasia Festival, and worked on the sci-fi movie Mistral Spatial. He frequently works with Ubisoft and notably sang Gregorian chants as a monk in the game Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla.  

Kerry holds a master’s degree in classical guitar from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and has studied voice performance at McGill University. He was a winner at the 2011 Grand Prix de Guitare de Montréal. 

The album was recorded in May of 2025 in St. John’s Anglican Church, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, with support from the Canada Council of the Arts. Listen to Ménestrel 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 Music 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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Nostos: Duo Aster’s Debut Album

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music and theAster Duo comprising saxophonist Clio Theodoridisand pianist Jonathan Nemtanu announce the upcoming release of their new recording, Nostos (LM306), in digital and physical formats. Nostos is an ancient Greek word translating as “homecoming” or “return.” The album for piano and saxophone features a major work by Spanish composer Pedro Iturralde (Suite hellénique), and Ocres Rouges by French composer and clarinetist Alexis Ciesla (who draws his inspiration from klezmer). Also featured is Turkish composer Fazil Say’sSuite for alto saxophone and piano, Op. 55. The album is rounded out by Canadian composer Mathieu Lussier’s Récit et Lied, Op. 31.

Born in Athens, Clio Theodoridis performs regularly as a saxophonist in Quebec and internationally. Her career has taken her to renowned stages across Europe, Asia, and North America, including the Jiangsung Grand Theater (China), Denkibunka Hall (Japan), Théâtre du Châtelet (France), Aegean Arts Festival (Greece), as well as major Canadian events such as the Domaine Forget International Festival, La Virée Classique de Montréal, and Jeunesses Musicales Canada.

She has taken part in several prestigious international events, including the World Saxophone Congress SaxOpenin Strasbourg and the NASA Conference (North American Saxophone Alliance), and her musical work has been recognized in various competitions, notably third prize at the Stockholm International Music Competition and being named a laureate of the National Young Talents Competition X.O.N in Athens. 

Clio holds a doctorate’s degree in music the highest distinction (“exceptional”) from the University of Montreal, a performance degree and State Teaching Diploma from the Strasbourg Superior Academy of Music and is also a prizewinner of the Lyon Conservatory. Since 2020, she has been teaching saxophone at the Saguenay Conservatory of Music, is a guest professor at the Domaine Forget International Academy and serves as an ambassador for Henri Selmer Paris. 

Trained as a pianist, Jonathan Nemtanu leads a committed career combining artistic excellence with cultural leadership, performing regularly as a chamber musician in Canada, China, Greece, the United States, and France, where he is praised for the finesse of his playing and his gift for musical dialogue.  He studied under Hervé N’Kaoua at the Conservatoire de Bordeaux, Avedis Kouyoumdjian at the University of Vienna, and Jean Saulnier at the University of Montreal, where he earned a doctorate in piano performance with the rarely awarded distinction of “exceptional.” Complementing his path as a performer, he also holds a master’s degree in international arts management from HEC Montréal, allowing him to extend his engagement beyond the stage and actively contribute to cultural development. 

He has collaborated with renowned artists such as Nicolas Ellis, Julie Boulianne, the Isidore Quartet, Hélène Collerette, and Marie-Ève Munger, and performed at prestigious festivals and venues including Radio France, the Jiangsu Grand Theatre in China, and Orford Musique in Canada. He has also appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as Pro Arte, Das Klassik Orchester aus Prag, and the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean Symphony Orchestra. Deeply committed to nurturing the next generation, Jonathan Nemtanu has taught at the Conservatoire de musique de Saguenay and frequently serves on juries, including for the Canadian Music Competition. 

Jonathan founded and directs the Le Baptême concert series in Quebec and currently serves as Executive Director of the Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montréal.

The album was recorded in September of 2025 at Domaine-Forget.

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.

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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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Sankofa: Reaching Back to Move Forward

“As conductor, Burashko keeps a steady hand, and allows the score to unfold as it should, telling its own story. Stravinsky is truly speaking through him…a Canadian treasure.” – Ludwig van Toronto


(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) In recognition of Black History Month, Leaf Music, Andrew Burashko and the Art of Time Ensemble announce the upcoming digital release of Stravinsky: Sankofa, The Soldier’s Tale Retold & Histoire du soldat Suite (LM304), recorded in March and April of 2025 in Toronto.

Sankofa, The Soldier’s Tale Retold is a reimagining of L’Histoire du soldat, the 1918 theatrical work for three actors and septet, with music composed by Igor Stravinsky. While the original libretto was written by Swiss poet Charles Ferdinand Ramuz, this new version was created by Nigerian-born, Edmonton-based poet Titilope Sonuga. The narrative centres on a fictional Black soldier who the Devil tricks into trading away his identity and dignity in exchange for service in the Canadian army. The release also includes Stravinsky’s Histoire du soldat Suite, an instrumental work drawn from the musical highlights of the original score.
As in the original, Sonuga’s libretto retains the same characters (Soldier, Devil and Narrator) and maintains the expressive use of rhyming verse. This reflects Andrew Burashko’s intention to create a new version of A Soldier’s Tale that pays homage to Stravinsky’s structure, including the Devil’s appearance in different guises and a libretto that aligns seamlessly with the music. A renewed interest in the work emerged in 2020 when Burashko heard Canadian hip-hop artist Shad’s album A Short Story About War, which inspired him to centre the tale on a Black soldier in a white army. Sonuga then set the story around a fictional Black soldier whose experiences draw from the real-life No. 2 Construction Battalion, Canada’s only segregated all-Black battalion during the First World War. The Battalion, formed in Pictou, Nova Scotia, in 1916, performed construction and labour work, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued an official apology in 2022 for the racism experienced by its members.

The Soldier’s Tale Retold is available only in Canada and Japan, with worldwide release restricted until 2042. This limitation reflects decisions made by the parties overseeing Stravinsky’s estate, which restrict the distribution of this derivative work because it reimagines the original narrative while remaining faithful to the original musical structure and scoring.

This decision raises timely questions about who is permitted to reimagine canonical works, how artistic legacies are stewarded, and whether classical music can fully engage with urgent social histories while remaining bound by traditional gatekeeping structures.

The recording features the following musicians: Andrew Burashko (musical director); Ordena Stephens-Thompson (Narrator), Olaoluwa Fayokun (Soldier), Diego Matamoros (Devil), Benjamin Bowman, violin (concertmaster, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra); Eric Abramovitz, clarinet (principal, Toronto Symphony); Amy Horvey, trumpet (associate principal, National Arts Centre Orchestra); Robert Conquer, trombone (principal, Canadian Opera Company Orchestra); Kris Maddigan, percussion (principal, National Ballet of Canada Orchestra); Joseph Phillips, double bass; Thomas Roy Rochette, bassoon.

For the last 25 years, Art of Time Ensemble has been on the cutting edge of the performing arts in Canada, fusing music with theatre, dance, film and literature in unique and unprecedented ways. Founded in 1998 by pianist and artistic director Andrew Burashko, the Toronto-based ensemble has produced over 80 unique productions and recordings, commissioned over 300 works of music, dance, text and film, and performed over 400 concerts throughout North America and Europe. Art of Time brings together some of Canada’s leading classical and jazz musicians – including concertmasters and principal players from major orchestras – and has collaborated with over 350 artists. The list of illustrious artists who have collaborated with Art of Time includes Margaret Atwood, Peggy Baker, Brent Carver, Barbara Hannigan, Branford Marsalis, Michael Ondaatje, Madeleine Péyroux, Jackie Richardson and many others.

Before founding Art of Time Ensemble,  Andrew Burashko had established himself as one of Canada’s foremost concert pianists. Known for his passionate performances and eclectic repertoire, Burashko performed as a soloist under the batons of some of the world’s leading conductors such as Marin Alsop, Sir Andrew Davis, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Pinchas Zukerman, among many others. As a chamber musician, he has performed with many of Canada’s top string and wind soloists. He was also involved in a 20-year-long collaboration with renowned contemporary dancer Peggy Baker; together they toured internationally to great acclaim.

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.
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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).  

Stream / Download
Playlist
About Keiran