It was earlier this year that the violinist, Ralitsa Tcholakova, asked if I could compose a piece for violin and piano that recognized the fall of the Berlin Wall in the late 1980s. What resulted was A Secret Streamlet, a flowing piece inspired by a defiant letter that the then Czech playwright and activist, Vaclav […]

When Michael Westwood asked me to compose a new piece for the November 9 concert in his Toronto chamber music series, I said sure! When he suggested that the piece be on a theme around memories, I got more than I bargained for. Various chapters in my life flooded my heart and soul, many very […]

This is the musical dilemma I placed myself in when I started composing Thirty Minutes of a Three Million Minute Journey. The piece attempts to encapsulate the experience of Syrian refugees walking from their war-ravaged country into Europe in search of a better life. I wanted this elongated chamber work to maintain the same mood […]

As a composer, it’s always a special occasion and feeling when other musicians play your music. I have been fortunate to have a number of talented individuals do just that in the past number of years. It feels great (and sometimes nerve-racking) to sit in an audience as someone brings your musical ideas to life. […]