The Banff Suite

This piano suite was composed during Frank Horvat‘s residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in 2021 and will be released on an album in 2025 by Hong Kong/Canadian/American pianist Vicky Chow. During his residency, Frank would hike a trail and then start composing a piano piece inspired by that scenic trail. Eight hikes became eight pieces during his four-week stay. It was an intense experience—physically, emotionally, and creatively. After being isolated for so many months in his urban Toronto condo, it was thrilling to spend time in a pristine and inspiring natural setting. Each piece in the suite is inspired by a specific trail, capturing the uniqueness of its natural surroundings, the physical toll on the hiker, and the emotional and spiritual impact of that singular experience.

Working with one of world’s most innovative pianists in contemporary music, Vicky Chow, has brought these hiking trails to life through sound. Stay tuned for the 2025 album release!

Pieces

Hike #1 – Sulphur Mountain
No gondola for us…it took 2 hours and 5 minutes of constant switchbacks to get to the top. Thighs burning. Breathing heavy. Some scary narrow spots. But we eventually made it – what amazing views! We took those extra steps up to the weather station. I can’t imagine someone living up there in that tiny hut with so much wind. Coming down was only 1:20 but way harder on the feet than going up. Otherwise, it was an exhilarating 1st day!

Hike #2 – Lake Louise
We took the 1-hour bus ride out of Banff to one of the most beautiful places on the planet…Lake Louise! This was an intense day as we hiked a bunch of trails all in one day: up to Lake Agnes passing Mirror Lake along the way. Kept going past the Tea House up to the Big Beehive. Some spots were scary narrow but the views up top & along the way were breathtaking. We ended the day with a serene flat trail alongside Lake Louise…we’ll call that the cool-down trail. 😉

Visiting Lake Louise was like visiting a sacred place. Regardless which religion you practice, all humankind has one thing in common…paying respect to nature. We are blessed. I was so overwhelmed emotionally that I was compelled to record my feelings at the end of the day…

Hike #3 – Sleeping Buffalo Mountain
Many of you who have been to Banff will know this trail as “Tunnel Mountain”, but out of respect to the area’s First Nation’s peoples, I refer to it as Sleeping Buffalo Mountain. Thankfully, the trailhead is right beside the Banff Centre and this was the shortest trail so far but my thighs still burned on the climb. I was also dealing with an annoying blister that really pinched inside my boot on the way down.

Despite beautiful views of the town of Banff from up top on Sleeping Buffalo Mountain, I felt a bit depressed throughout this hike. I think the excitement of the week coupled with feeling beat down from the physical exertion finally caught up to me.

Hike #4 – Bow River (Surprise Corner to Hoodoos Viewpoint)
It was an absolutely lovely 15ºC afternoon the day we trekked alongside the Bow. As was expected, the views were magnificent. Fresh air for the lungs. Some ups and downs but nothing as extreme as the first 3 hikes so our legs enjoyed a bit of a break from climbing.

Hike #5 – Moraine Lake
This is quite a magical place. Remember the old Canadian $20 bill? The drawing on the back of that is this place! The trail beside the lake was short and flat so we had time to just sit and bask in the magic around us. There were longer paths we could have hiked that day in the area but park officials suggested a minimum party of 4 or more because of Grizzly Bears in the area. It was just the 2 of us but we did not feel short-changed…it was a wonderful sensation to stay beside this crystal lake.

Hike #6 – Johnston Canyon
This was also a very special experience. Walking through the canyon listening to the crescendo and decrescendo of the whitewater. We reached the lower falls, then a slight ascent to the Upper Falls. Then we left the throngs of tourists behind and climbed steadily for an hour through the most beautiful trees when we finally reached the Ink Pots…arguably one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited in my life.

Hike #7 – Sundance Canyon
This was an energetic day…walking fast and making lot’s of noise (bears in the area…thankfully we did not see any). The clouds were spitting some rain but the sun (and rainbow) also made an appearance. The trail was fairly flat and paved yet still felt remarkably remote for many kilometers. After that, we then faced a sudden and steep climb alongside brilliant whitewater which then leveled out to a peaceful tree canopy at the top of the canyon.

Hike #8 – In Town
You actually don’t have to leave the town of Banff to access amazing trails. We headed down the hill from the Banff Centre, crossed a long pedestrian bridge over the Bow River, and headed left towards the Falls. You would think you were in the middle of a dense forest with the height of the trees in this “urban” park. The public art along the trail is pretty cool too.

Album REcording

I can’t thank the entire staff at the Banff Centre enough for their helpfulness and hospitality. The world was going through hard times when we were there, and being the first artist invited back after a lengthy closure was very special to me. Lisa and I felt so well taken care of and safe. Meeting so many of the friendly staff showed me the immense pride that emanates from this wonderful institution. I hope more artists from around the world get the chance to visit this amazing place, where they can get inspired and focused. Now more than ever, we need artists motivated to create more art!

– Frank Horvat