Tag: Cello

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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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Vernon Regehr and Jane Leibel Premiere Andrew Staniland’s Calamus, Based on Poems by Walt Whitman

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music announces the distribution of a bold world premiere digital recording of new Walt Whitman songs for soprano and cello by acclaimed Newfoundland composer Andrew Staniland.  

Calamus Cycle’s virtuoso performances by cellist Vernon Regehr and soprano Jane Leibel bring poems from Whitman’s Leaves of Grass alive, with each poem also read by actor and playwright Robert Chafe. 

The cycle consists of five pieces based on Calamus 6, Lacrimosa, Aliment Roots, No Labour Saving Machine and Calamus Variations from the famous Leaves of Grass manuscript, which Whitman began publishing in 1855. The cycle grew organically when Staniland was first commissioned to write a piece for American Opera Projects in 2010 in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the 1860 edition (the first edition in which the Calamus poems appeared). Other pieces were commissioned from 2012-2019. 

Robert Chafe is a writer, educator, actor and arts administrator based in St. John’s who has been shortlisted three times for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama, winning the award for Afterimage in 2010. He is the playwright and Artistic Director of Newfoundland’s Artistic Fraud, and his stage plays have been produced in Canada, the UK, Australia and the US. 

Andrew Staniland has been described as a “new music visionary” (National Arts Centre) and is a composer and faculty member at Memorial University in St. John’s, where he founded MEARL (Memorial AlectroAcoustic Research Lab). His music is performed and broadcast internationally, receiving three JUNO nominations, an ECMA Award and the Karen Keiser Prize in Canadian Music. Andrew has been an Affiliate Composer with the Toronto Symphony and National Arts Centre Orchestra, and has had commissions from the Brooklyn Art Song Society, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, cellist Frances-Marie Uitti and the National Arts Centre Orchestra, among others. andrewstaniland.com 

Soprano Jane Leibel has earned praise for her “crystalline, strong soprano” (Opera Canada) and is Professor of Voice at Memorial University’s School of Music. She has performed operatic, concert roles and recital programs in Canada, the US and Europe, and has released two previous recordings. She won the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Competition for the performance of twentieth century music and received an Alumni of Distinction Award from the University of Regina in 2017. 

An avid performer and teacher, cellist Vernon Regehr serves on the faculty at the Memorial University School of Music and the Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival. His first solo album featuring Canadian works for unaccompanied cello won an ECMA for Composition of the Year. He is also the conductor of the Kittiwake Dance Theatre Orchestra and the Memorial University Chamber Orchestra. 

The new album was produced by Andrew Staniland, with support from Memorial University and Arts NL, and was recorded at the Memorial School of Music between 2017 and 2024.  

Listen to Calamus Cycle on your favourite streaming platform, beginning September 26, 2025. 

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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Leaf Music, Tim Brady, and Warhol Dervish String Quartet Present “The Possibility of a New Work for String Quartet.”

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music, composer Tim Brady and the Warhol Dervish String Quartet announce the upcoming release of their new recording The Possibility of a New Work for String Quartet (LM293) in digital format. 

Composer Tim Brady and the enigmatic Montreal-based Warhol Dervish String Quartet present Tim Brady: String Quartet Nos. 3- 5 – The Possibility of a New Work for String Quartet. Stemming from Brady’s compositional challenge—”so many string quartets have been written, there’s literally nothing left to do with the medium”—these works push the boundaries of the genre, treating composition not as a written score but as an ever-evolving process of music making.   

The album opens with Quartet No. 3, an instruction-based score that invites performers to “compose” their own quartet. Quartet No. 4 unfolds as a slow, meditative work, marked by its sparseness, transparency, and expansive melodic line. Next, Quartet No. 5 is a five-movement piece that challenges the musicians’ rhythmic agility and ensemble acuity, bringing the album to a dynamic close.   

Founded in 2007, the Warhol Dervish (Facebook Page) brings together some of Canada’s most innovative musicians. Known for their adventurous programming, they have performed at major festivals, including the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, Toronto Summer Music Festival, and Festival International de Lanaudière. Their projects span a wide musical spectrum, from Morton Feldman’s Piano Quintet to collaborations with Lukas Ligeti and Sarah Pagé. Recent highlights include a national tour with Basia Bulat, a five-concert Beethoven series exploring the last five Beethoven string quartets (The Late Quartets), and a Maisons de la culture tour exploring Yiddish music with Socalled. The members are Alexander Read (violin), Chloé Chabanole (violin), Pemi Paull (viola), and Jean-Christophe Lizotte (cello). 

Composer and guitarist Tim Brady has pushed musical boundaries, seamlessly blending classical, jazz, and rock influences. A virtuosic electric guitarist and prolific composer, he has toured internationally as a soloist and with his groups Bradyworks and Instruments of Happiness. His works span operas, symphonies, and concertos, with commissions from major orchestras, including the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and Symphony Nova Scotia. A recipient of multiple Opus Prizes and a JUNO nominee, his recordings have earned critical acclaim, including praise from The New York Times. His music, defined by rhythmic intensity and bold textures, continues to captivate audiences worldwide.  

The album was recorded in St. Augustin Church in Montreal from February 4 – 7, 2023, with assistance from the Canada Council for the Arts. Listen on your favourite streaming platforms. 

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 Canada. 

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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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Warhol Dervish

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Leaf Music Celebrates 5 nominations for the 2025 JUNO Awards

Halifax, February 11, 2025 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Leaf Music is proud to announce that its releases have received multiple nominations at the 2025 JUNO Awards, Canada’s premier celebration of musical excellence. The nominees were officially unveiled today, recognizing an outstanding year for the Leaf Music label.

Leaf Music, dedicated to showcasing exceptional Canadian artists and composers, is honoured to see its artists celebrated by the JUNO Awards. These nominations highlight the label’s commitment to producing high-quality recordings and championing innovative artistry.

The Leaf Music nominees are:

Classical Composition of the Year:

  • Angmalukisaa – Deantha Edmunds (Independent / Leaf Music / Naxos)

Classical Album of the Year (Small Ensemble):

  • East is East – Infusion Baroque (Leaf Music / Naxos)
  • Kevin Lau: Under a Veil of Stars – St. John–Mercer–Park Trio (Leaf Music / Naxos)

Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble):

  • Alikeness – Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra Sinfonia, conducted by Mark Fewer, featuring Aiyun Huang, Deantha Edmunds, and Mark Fewer (Leaf Music / Naxos)
  • Ispiciwin – Luminous Voices, dir. Timothy Shantz (Leaf Music / Naxos)

Leaf Music is particularly proud to celebrate the contributions of Indigenous artists and composers whose voices are shaping Canada’s classical landscape. Deantha Edmunds, Canada’s first Inuk soprano, continues to break new ground with a song cycle she wrote and performed with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, Angmalukisaa, while Ispiciwin, composed by Cree composer Andrew Balfour, brings together Indigenous and Western classical traditions in a powerful collaboration featuring flutists Walter MacDonald White Bear and Jessica McMann. These works exemplify the impact of Indigenous musicians within Canada’s artistic community and we are very proud to see this work recognized.

Leaf Music extends its heartfelt congratulations to all the nominees and expresses gratitude to the artists, composers, and performers whose dedication and creativity have led to this recognition. These nominations underscore the vibrancy and excellence of Canada’s classical music communities.

The 2025 JUNO Awards will take place from March 28 to March 30 in Vancouver, British Columbia, culminating in the nationally broadcast awards ceremony. Stay tuned for updates as we celebrate the incredible talent represented at this year’s JUNO Awards.

For more information about Leaf Music and our artists, visit www.leaf.music.

Media Contact:

Peggy Walt
Publicist, Leaf Music
peggy@leaf.music
(902) 476-1096 (cell)
(902) 422-5403 (office)

About Leaf Music:

Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Nashville, Tennessee. It makes and distributes high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across Canada and the United States.  

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. We are also a leading provider of professional audio and video production, post-production services, and integrated music marketing and distribution in North America. 

Website: www.leaf.music
Facebook: www.facebook.com/leafmusicinc/
X: www.twitter.com/leafmusicinc/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/leafmusicca/

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Leaf Music and Noémie Raymond with Zhenni Li-Cohen Present Dialogues

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music announces the launch of Dialogues (LM295), a new recording by cellist Noémie Raymond and pianist Zhenni Li-Cohen, available September 20 in digital and physical format. Dialogues includes two major works, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s monumental Cello Sonata in G minor, Op, 19 from 1919, and Rebecca Clarke’s Viola Sonata (Version for Cello and Piano) from 1901.

The album explores the duality between these two masterpieces, created by composers and virtuoso performers born thirteen years apart, who both emigrated to the United States. Despite their distinct styles, the works share a remarkable emotional depth and instrumental virtuosity. Dialogues is a true musical conversation linking two eras, two artistic visions, and two talented artists. The musicians add “a dialogue between you and us.”

Less well known than his orchestral works, Rachmaninoff’s Sonata (composed simultaneously as his famous Piano Concerto No. 2), marked his return to composition after a difficult period following the unfavourable reception of his First Symphony in 1897. Rebecca Clarke, a pioneer of “English impressionism,” wrote her Sonata three years after emigrating to the US, where she experienced an artistic rebirth following a tormented childhood. Recalling works by Debussy and Ravel, the piece placed second in a prestigious competition for composers and today has emerged in its rightful place in the standard repertoire for viola.

The album launch will take place at the Piano Nobile at Place des Arts in Montreal on September 20th. A concert tour will follow, including the opening of the 24/25 season at Chapelle-Historique-du-Bon-Pasteur in Montreal on September 29 (2024), a recital at Carnegie Hall on March 20 (2025), a recital at the Bradshaw Amphitheater in Toronto on April 17 (2025) and a recital at the Berlin Philharmonic in autumn 2025.  

Get your CD copy of Dialogues or listen to it on your favourite streaming platform.    

Dialogues was recorded March 6-8, 2024, in Domaine Forget de Charlevoix, and produced by Jeremy Van Slyke for Leaf Music with sound recording by René Laflamme and editing, mixing, and mastering by Nathan Cann.

Noémie Raymond, critically acclaimed for her exceptional talent and deep, rich timbre, has collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Midori and Pinchas Zukerman. She debuted at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2016 and was recognized as one of CBC’s “30 Classical Musicians Under 30” in 2018.

Steinway & Sons artist Zhenni Li-Cohen is praised for her captivating playing and recordings of rare works. She will soon perform with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, and the National Orchestra of the Dominican Republic.

About Leaf Music:  Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across Canada. 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 Canada.

We acknowledge that Leaf Music’s work spans many Territories and Treaty areas, and that our home is in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

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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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Leaf Music Brings Dolby Atmos Experience to Top Albums

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music is thrilled to announce that two of its best-performing albums, Beethoven: Complete Music for Cello & Piano by Robert deMaine & Peter Takacs and Rock Echoes by Kristan Toczko (HarpistKT), are now available in Dolby Atmos, exclusively on Apple Music and Apple Music Classical. This innovative project has been made possible thanks to the generous support from Apple Music, enabling Leaf Music to elevate these remarkable albums with Spatial Audio technology. Expertly mixed by John D.S. Adams from Stonehouse Sound for Beethoven: Complete Music for Cello & Piano and Jeremy VanSlyke and Ally Cribb from Leaf Music for Rock Echoes, these albums offer an immersive listening experience.

Since its release on July 8, 2022, Beethoven: Complete Music for Cello & Piano has garnered an impressive 1.8 million streams. Rock Echoes, released on February 16, 2024, has already achieved an astounding 2.5 million streams. Listen to both albums now on Apple Music or Apple Music Classical, bringing every note and subtlety to life like never before. Learn how to enable Spatial Audio on your device here.

Robert deMaine is the Principal Cellist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and sought-after solo artist and chamber musician. His solo repertoire includes concertos by Haydn, Dvorak, Elgar and Penderecki. And as a recitalist, he is known for magnificent interpretations of J.S. Bach’s cello suites. A first-prize winner in many national and international competitions, deMaine was the first cellist ever to win the grand prize at San Francisco’s prestigious Irving M. Klein International Competition for Strings. He is an exclusive Thomastik-Infeld artist, and performs on a cello made in 1684 by Antonio Stradivari.

Romanian-born Peter Takács has performed widely, receiving critical and audience acclaim for his penetrating interpretations. Takács has performed as a guest soloist with major orchestras in the U.S. and abroad, as well as at important summer festivals such as Tanglewood, Music Mountain, Chautauqua Institution, and Sweden’s Helsingborg Festival. Since 2008 he has been a member of the faculty at the Montecito Summer Music Festival in Santa Barbara, California. He performed and recorded the cycle of 32 Beethoven piano sonatas to critical acclaim in 2011.

Kristan Toczko’s innovative videos have been enjoyed by hundreds of millions since she joined TikTok in 2020. Born in Moncton, she received her BMus from McGill University and her master’s at Yale, winning major competitions at both universities. Kristan also won the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal Competition and the CBC’s Young Artist award. Kristan discovered the virtual world of performance from her home studio in St. John’s during Covid, when her busy freelance career – playing concerts, travelling, and appearing with major Canadian orchestras and ensembles – came crashing down. She now records a harp-related video a day, including teaching videos and song covers; her arrangement of Nothing Else Matters caught the attention of Metallica, who included her performance in the band’s 40th-anniversary concert in San Francisco. Join Kristan’s fans at @harpistkt on TikTok (where she has 2.6 million followers), Facebook (318K), YouTube (399K), and Instagram (572K).

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Leaf Music Distributes Light & Dark with Catherine Little & Greg Myra

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music announces the distribution of a new digital recording, Light & Dark (CG2024) with cellist Catherine Little and pianist Greg Myra.

Light & Dark is an impassioned and energetic interpretation of historic music for modern listeners. Cellist Catherine Little and pianist Gregory Myra’s performance of Mendelssohn’s joyful D major and Shostakovich’s angsty D minor cello sonatas is a storytelling of the wonder and adversities of life. The album is a follow-up to the duo’s 2021 release, Taking Five, which won the 2022 Nova Scotia Music Award for Classical Album of the Year, and was praised by La Scena magazine for “…eloquently balancing graceful repetition and magical moments.” Visit catherlinelittle.com to learn more. 

Listen to Light & Dark wherever you stream your music: https://leaf-music.lnk.to/cg2024

Listen to Taking Five on your favourite streaming platform: https://leaf-music.lnk.to/CL2021b

Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across Canada. 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 Canada.

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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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Leaf Music Distributes Black Sea, Orange Tree with Leah Plave and Tong Wang

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music announces the distribution of a new digital recording, Black Sea, Orange Tree (LPTW2023) from cellist Leah Plave and pianist Tong Wang. In two major works, this music tells the story of train rides through the Himalayas, ancient folk dances, rowdy bar fights, glittering golden temples and the smell of tea leaves. The culmination of many years of collaboration, research and travel, the album is available for purchase and streaming on all major platforms on April 26.

Turkish pianist/composer Fazıl Say’s Four Cities and acclaimed Canadian composer Alice Ping Yee Ho’s Four Impressions of China weave special techniques into lush melodies, at times beautifully transforming the cello and piano into traditional Turkish and Chinese instruments. Specially commissioned for the duo and a parallel to Say’s sonata, Ho’s suite is inspired by four distinct regions of China: Hunan, Tibet, Heilongjiang, and Hong Kong.

The album was recorded at Studio Piccolo, Montreal in September of 2023 and produced by sound engineer Veronica Galicia Lopez.

Tong and Leah met in Montreal in 2017, where they embarked on a musical journey as part of Z4Piano Quartet. The pair gave countless recitals throughout Canada, the US, China, and Northern Europe, often specializing in lesser-known repertoire by women and contemporary composers. They have also had artist residencies in Beijing and Nova Scotia.

Tong Wang (tong-wang.com), a Canadian pianist, is recognized for her innovative contributions to performance, research, and community engagement. Her work investigates the intersection of art with identity, culture, and contemporary socio-political themes. Tong’s performance history includes collaborations with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, and ensembles throughout North America and Europe. A versatile artist, she has spearheaded the creation of a new horror anime opera, Labyrinth of Tears, alongside research into the aesthetics of “cuteness” in music, supported by the Canada Council, FRQSC, and SSHRC. Wang’s recent tours have spotlighted multiculturalism and interactive experiences, such as “我们Us” and “We’re Not Really Strangers” in Lunenburg, Montreal, Basel, Budapest, and Verbier. In 2022, she founded the Windwood Music Festival in Airdrie, Alberta, to bring classical chamber music to rural communities. Wang continues to embark on solo and chamber tours across the US, Canada, and Europe, showcasing her dedication to fostering global connections through art.

Leah Plave (leahplave.com) reaches beyond the traditional role of a cellist, performing not only classical repertoire but also electronic, experimental, non-western, and historical music. An outspoken advocate for inclusive programming and undiscovered voices, she frequently works with living composers and values interdisciplinary, cross-cultural projects. Leah has lived and toured extensively across North America, China, and Europe – by the age of 24, a four-time immigrant.

Based in The Netherlands since 2020, Leah is an Artist in Residence at Studio LOOS (Den Haag) where her performances focus on music for acoustic cello and live electronics. Her recent solo tours have been appreciated in spaces ranging from posh concert halls like Rotterdam’s De Doelen, historic Italian theatres, and eclectic clubs such as Amsterdam’s Sexyland World.

Listen to Black Sea, Orange Tree wherever you stream your music: https://leaf-music.lnk.to/lptw2023

Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across Canada. 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 Canada.

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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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Leaf Music Distributes Six Degrees: Music for Violin and Strings – Mayumi Seiler and friends

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music announces the distribution of a new digital recording: Six Degrees: Music for Violin and Strings (MS001) by acclaimed Canadian violinist Mayumi Seiler, being released on March 29. Drawing on inspiration from life’s connections and relationships, the violinist is joined by colleagues from her illustrious career’s past and present to produce five works written for violin and strings. Top Canadian string players along with formerly mentored students form the ensemble, while the repertoire is composed by longtime collaborators and composers who inspired them. Six Degrees is a celebration of the relationships that keep us interconnected.  

Joining Mayumi Seiler on this recording are cellist Rachel Mercer, bassist Joe Phillips, violist Ryan Davis, violinists Hee-Soo Yoon and Isabel Lago, as well as harpist Ben Albertson. The recording was produced by Denise Ball with Pouya Hamidi as recording engineer.

Featured composers include Franz Schubert, Montreal-based composer Michael Oesterle, Massenet (Meditation, transcribed for violin, strings and harp), and Métis composer Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk, whose A Search for Resonance beautifully melds with the virtuosic elegance of classical elements. Saskatchewan composer Ryan Davis created a duet for violin and viola for the album, Lavender Jump, inspired by the fields of purple flowers in his native province.

Mayumi Seiler (mayumi-seiler.com) is renowned for her exciting performances of concerto, recital, and collaborative works both live and on disc. She has appeared as soloist with major symphonies in international venues such as Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw, Musikverein, Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, and collaborated with such noted conductors as Kent Nagano, Sir Neville Marriner, Sandor Vegh, Maxim Vengerov, Christopher Hogwood, Hugh Wolff, Peter Oundjian, and Richard Hickox. Among her extensive list of recordings are the Beethoven and Mendelssohn Concertos, the three Haydn Concertos with the City of London Sinfonia and Richard Hickox conducting on the Virgin Classics label, and Stravinsky’s Le Baiser de la Fée with the Hong Kong Philharmonic under David Atherton (Virgin Classics). Her many recordings of chamber music, include works of Schumann, Dohnanyi, Boccherini and Mozart (Hyperion and Capriccio labels.)

While nurturing a busy schedule as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, Japan and the Americas, Ms. Seiler founded Toronto’s Via Salzburg – acclaimed as “One of the best roads to our musical hearts” (Toronto Star). In Via Salzburg she led a string orchestra in regular performances at the Glenn Gould Studio for sold out audiences. Through fourteen seasons she curated programs with internationally renowned artists, combining varied art forms such as dance, pantomime, and painting with music.

An active and passionate teacher, Mayumi Seiler serves on the faculty at The Glenn Gould School in Toronto. She’s held a professorship at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg, given masterclasses worldwide and adjudicated at numerous international violin competitions.

She began her musical upbringing in Osaka, Japan, where she was born of Japanese/German parentage. Wedded to the violin from the age of three, Mayumi received her musical education at the renowned Mozarteum during her formative years in Salzburg. She performs on a JB Guadagnini of 1740.

Listen to Six Degrees wherever you stream your music: https://leaf-music.lnk.to/ms001 

Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across Canada. 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 Canada.

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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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Leaf Music and Infusion Baroque Present: East is East

Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,

Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgement Seat;

But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,

When two strong men stand face to face, through they come from the ends of the earth!

– Rudyard Kipling, The Ballad of East and West (1889)

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music and Canadian Baroque ensemble Infusion Baroque announce the launch of East is East (LM276), available March 15 in both digital and physical copies. East is East is a transcultural collaboration drawing on both ancient and contemporary inspiration from the East and the West. Offering a fresh approach to music on Baroque instruments and historical performance practice, this new recording is sure to delight fans of early music and Hindustani, Turkish and Persian traditions. Joining the quartet ensemble are guest musicians Amir Amiri (santur and composer), Vidita Kanniks (vocals), Thibault Bertin-Maghit (double bass), Hamin Honari (tombak and daf), Hank Knox (harpsichord), and Shawn Mativetsky (tabla).

Infusion Baroque (infusionbaroque.com) draws new audiences to early music through a truly captivating concert experience, deftly combining seasoned musicianship with storytelling elements. Playing music of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries on historical instruments, the four women of Infusion Baroque enthrall audiences across North America with their creative and interactive programming. Founded in 2013, Infusion Baroque won the Grand Prize and Audience Prize at the Early Music America’s Baroque Performance Competition in 2014. Since then, they have performed extensively in North America with series such as the Montreal Baroque Festival, Ottawa Chamberfest, Stratford Summer Music, Early Music Now (Milwaukee), San Francisco Early Music Society, Indianapolis Early Music, Houston Early Music, and the Gotham Early Music Scene in New York City.  

Their performances have been described as “dynamic and alive” (Early Music America) with “polish, energy, and finely honed style … merrily breaking established traditions” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Their research and creative programs focus not only on important figures of the past, but also relatively unknown composers and musicians. They have released three albums with the Leaf Music; their second album, Kreüsser, features world-premiere recordings of Georg Anton Kreüsser’s Op. 10 quintets and was nominated for a Prix Opus Album of the Year.  Since 2017, one of their main initiatives has been The Virtuosa Project, a series of concerts, lectures, videos, and recordings highlighting historical female musicians. Their third album, Virtuosa, consisted of works composed or performed by women from the seventeenth to twenty-first centuries, and reached over 500K streams within the first six months of release.  

The album was recorded in April of 2023 at Studios Piccolo in Montreal, produced by Jeremy Van Slyke with recording by Veronica Galicia Lopez and editing and mixing by Nathan Cann.

We acknowledge the support of FACTOR and the Canada Council for the Arts with this project.

Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across Canada. 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 Canada.

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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).