Contemporary

Two recent EPs of spiritually-inspired vocal music have struck me as the winter holidays approach.

A set of 16 piano pieces by Adam Roberts is replete with pianistic virtues, thanks to a symbiotic connection between the score and pianist Conrad Tao.

Each segment lasts only a few minutes at most, so you're always anticipating what the next "anthem" will sound like. Still, each makes its point.

This was of the most satisfying chamber music performances I've experienced in NYC this year.

"The definition of 'Canadian music' is something that many composers, including myself, continue to struggle with. I am reminded that Canada is of the most culturally and geographically expansive countries on the planet; owing to this, Canadian music must mean many different things to many different people."

The music on 'Toward Light' speaks to listeners who appreciate something bracing and new from a format – string quintet – that dates back centuries.

"I ultimately decided that my role as a composer is not necessarily to provide a sonic documentary, but to explore and convey what must have been a great internal struggle."

The Greek lyra player and pianist offer six arrangements based on the "Romanian Folk Dances" of Béla Bartók, along with four dreamy original compositions.

The digitally manipulated vocals and piano have an effect both compelling and distancing; they suggest fire and blood, not machinery...

"This is one of the reasons I’m so drawn to early music – it provides the temporal distance necessary to transform what we inherit into something new."