The Banff Suite

Her playing is exceptionally expressive, varied and colorful! It’s a very “grand” musical adventure!

– Kathy Parsons, Mainly Piano

Redshift Records releases pianist Vicky Chow’s latest solo album, The Banff Suite. Described by Pitchfork as “one of our era’s most brilliant pianists,” Chow—longtime member of the renowned Bang on a Can All-Stars—brings to life Frank Horvat’s intense, beautiful, and epic musical journey through Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for its breathtaking mountains, turquoise lakes, and unforgettable trails. The Banff Suite features eight solo piano compositions, each inspired by a different trail that Horvat personally hiked, resulting in a collection as physically and spiritually immersive as the landscapes themselves.

What he saw, and how he felt, became music.

– Anya Wassenberg, Ludwig Van Toronto

Horvat, whom BBC Radio 3 praises for his “special skill to be able to create a whole atmosphere in a work,” crafts music that ascends alpine ridges, winds through larch-filled valleys, and opens into luminous, still moments of reflection. As one of the world’s leading interpreters of contemporary piano music—and having grown up in Vancouver—Chow brings personal resonance to this project, with many fond memories of time spent in Banff. Whether the pieces evoke joy, solitude, exertion, or awe, her performance captures every nuance with virtuosic power and clarity— inviting listeners to journey through one of the world’s most majestic wildernesses without ever leaving their seat.

Known for landmark piano works like Earth Hour, You Haven’t Been, and More Rivers (recorded by Christina Petrowska Quilico), Horvat has been called “one of the most inventive songwriters to come out of the contemporary scene in Canada” (The WholeNote Magazine). His music frequently explores the environment, social justice, and mental health, offering moments of spaciousness and emotional resonance in a fast-moving world.

Composer Frank Horvat has decided that ecology of the planet, the environment of our world, is his top priority and that he wants to utilize his music as a vehicle to convey both concerns for the planet and remind us why those concerns are crucial to our own health and survival, and for beauty of the natural world.
– Tom Allen, CBC Music

The Banff Suite is both a love letter to the Canadian Rockies and a virtuosic tour-de-force of contemporary piano music—connecting the wild beauty of nature with the intimacy of a solo performer at the keys.

Learn more about the making of this album.

[Download Digital Booklet]

Story behind the tracks

Tracks: 01-08 The Banff Suite