About this CD: "This project of women's piano concerti comes as result of teaching Gender and Performance to my graduate classes at York University in Toronto. I wanted the students to hear the brilliance of Canadian women composers, especially in live performance. Thanks to CBC producer David Jaeger, I had recordings of several concerts in which I had premiered women's concerti. From those recordings we chose works that are very different in their compositional styles, yet in which each features a virtuoso piano part." — Christina Petrowska Quilico, Pianist

Larysa Kuzmenko's Piano Concerto was nominated for a 2011 Juno in the Classical Composition of the Year category.

About this CD: "If a family can be defined as a circle of friends who love you, then surely this is one of the closest, most loving families that I know. From its inception, the Spivey Hall Children's Choir has been a closely-knit group who has sought the best in each other, both musically and personally.

Relationships built in this environment foster a level of exquisite music making that reflects the care we have for one another, and is carefully woven into each performance. As a result, there is a spirit here that transcends the ordinary. I hope you will experience this magic in each phrase." — Martha Shaw, Cunductor

About this CD: "A True North Christmas" is full of special moments and surprises. The CD opens in stellar fashion with classic brass fanfare. The second number, "O Little Town of Bethlehem" cleverly foreshadows several upcoming carols. "Silver Bells" is an exciting island delight with its cowbells-driven syncopated samba rhythms. Jazzy! You imagine yourself bustling with holiday packages – perhaps along the streets of Jamaica, and you even hear crowd noises and the staccato police whistle near the song's end. The fantastic "Carol of the Bells" utilizes an off-balance rhythm and some atonal chords to provide an extraordinary journey. Joan Watson's solo French horn delivers a breathtaking lead-in to "Silent Night". And I certainly did not expect a bluesy harmonica solo (by Stuart Laughton) on "What Child Is This?", "A True North Christmas" is definitely not your run-of-the-mill holiday brass offering – not by a long shot!" — Carol Swanson, christmasreviews.com

About this CD: "The five composers featured on this CD have a lot in common. They are Canadian women, consummate musicians, and they know how to play and write for piano. They are also good friends of mine, who have always encouraged and inspired me, especially for this recording.

The music of these artists is evocative, lyrical, romantic and frequently tonal. It requires a virtuoso technique in the tradition of Chopin and Liszt. And while they look into the past for inspiration, these Canadian composers approach tonality with freshness and new insight which are very much of our day. Their masterful piano repertoire is a pleasure to perform, and offers its audience a unique listening experience." — Christina Petrowska Quilico, Pianist

About this CD: A Long Time Ago Into The Future (sic) was written for Mary Kenedi in 1986. The work was premiered by Dr. Elaine Keillor at Carleton University, Ottawa, in 1988 for the CBC. Mary Gardiner revised the work in 1997 for Mary Kenedi for a performance at Roy Thomson Hall as part of the Made in Canada Music Festival. A Long Time Ago Into The Future (sic) is a North American native saying that confirms belief in the continuity of all things. The work is based on the Dene Dogrib Prayer Song, recorded by Dr. Keillor duing field work research in Rae-Edzo, North West Territories.

About this CD: Musica Viva is pleased to present a second recording of chamber music gems from this century. Two of the pieces are European in origin and provide an interesting contrast in style to the others, all written by North Americans. The Kuzmenko and Macmillan works, commissioned by Musica Viva, bring together two lively and contrasting sides of Canadian musical expression: one cosmopolitan, the other definitely "down home", but both hearkening back to European roots. Is our net being cast too wide? Not when one realizes that, in essence, all the pieces are based on dance and movement.

About this CD: "In September, 1992, I went to Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic, via the Konicek scholarship to study with Josef Chuchro at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, having just graduated from the University of Toronto. I went, wondering what to expect and found a culture which was rich in classical music. While I was there, in what I consider to be the most beautiful city in Europe, I welcomed the opportunity to study Czech music. It was not long before I started to think along the lines of making a recording. Naturally I decided to include a Canadian piece – the Sonata written for me by Larysa Kuzmenko which I had studied and performed in Prague." — Jeremy Findlay, Cello