(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Kristan Toczko (HarpistKT) presents her second single of the year, a rendition of the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast’s Prologue. Her harp performance offers a fresh take on this beloved piece. Interestingly, it is rumored that the film director used Saint-Saëns’s Aquarium as temporary music during the film’s editing phase to guide the mood while Alan Menken was still composing the score, resulting in notable similarities between the two pieces.
Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across Canada. Our growing catalogue of solo, orchestral, and chamber music is distributed by Naxos of America to the world’s most important music retailers, download providers, and streaming services. Leaf is also a provider of professional audio and video production, post-production services and integrated music marketing and distribution in Canada.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
For more information/photos or to arrange interviews, please contact Peggy Walt, peggy@leaf-music.ca (902) 422-5403 (office) or (902) 476-1096 (cell).
(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Kristan Toczko (HarpistKT) presents her latest single, Great Fairy Fountain, from The Legend of Zelda. This is a frequent request and fan favourite on HarpistKT’s social media channels: TikTok (where she has 2.5 million followers), Facebook (299K), YouTube (380K), and Instagram (508K). Join her at @harpistkt.
Great Fairy Fountain opens with the iconic and deeply nostalgic arpeggios of the Zelda series, where Koji Kondo referred to it as a “hook,” the hallmark of his compositional style.
Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across Canada. Our growing catalogue of solo, orchestral, and chamber music is distributed by Naxos of America to the world’s most important music retailers, download providers, and streaming services. Leaf is also a provider of professional audio and video production, post-production services and integrated music marketing and distribution in Canada.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
For more information/photos or to arrange interviews, please contact Peggy Walt, peggy@leaf-music.ca (902) 422-5403 (office) or (902) 476-1096 (cell).
(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Composer Monica Pearce’s one-act opera Etiquette is being released by Leaf Music and Essential Opera. The twenty-one minute work features three influential 1920s women: author, critic and satirist Dorothy Parker (known for her wit and wisecracks), author and socialite Emily Post, and American-born British politician Nancy Astor. Etiquettein Society, in Business, in politics, and At Home (the book by Emily Post) was published in 1922, noting the importance of etiquette in all aspects of life: “Consideration for the rights and feelings of others is not merely a rule for behavior in public but the very foundation upon which social life is built.” When reviewing the work, however, Parker observed that, “Those who have mastered etiquette seem to arrive at exquisite dullness.”
Commissioned by Essential Opera, this world-premiere recording was made possible with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and Arts Nova Scotia. The album was recorded at St. Andrew’s United Church in Halifax. A stylish short film is also being released in the coming months.
Monica Pearce composed the music, and the librettist is John Terauds. The recording features sopranos Maureen Batt and Erin Bardua, Mezzo-soprano Lucy Hayes Davis, pianist Tara Scott, and clarinetist Brad Reid.
Essential Opera’s recent productions include short opera films by Canadian women composers. Founded in 2010 in Toronto by Erin Bardua and Maureen Batt, the company has commissioned many new works, receiving support from SOCAN, Ontario Arts Council, Arts Nova Scotia, and The Canada Council for the Arts. Their mission is to give audiences opportunities to experience opera at its most essential, with a dynamic and evolving definition of what is essential.
Monica Pearce is a Canadian composer specializing in opera, chamber music and everything toy-piano-related. After completing her Bachelor of Music at Mount Allison University with a focus on piano and composition, Monica has a Master of Music in Composition from the University of Toronto and co-founded emerging composer collective, the Toy Piano Composers, with Chris Thornborrow. Her compositions have been performed and commissioned by many leading ensembles. She won the Harry Freedman Award for her harpsichord work toile de jouy and was nominated for Classical Composer of the Year by the 2022 East Coast Music Awards for Maureen Batt’s recording of Aunt Helen. In 2022 she released her debut album Textile Fantasies, a multi-work piece including eight works inspired by textiles and patterns. Called “vivid,” “pleasantly intricate,” “imaginative and meaningful,” by reviewers, this recording features performances by keyboardists Cheryl Duvall, Wesley Chen, Barbara Pritchard, and Joseph Ferretti, tabla player Shawn Mativetsky, and renowned ensembles TorQ Percussion and SHHH!! Ensemble. Monica is active as a librettist and worked with composer Cecilia Livingston on the Dora-nominated opera on the life of Anne Frank entitled Singing Only Softly.
Leaf Music and Christina Haldane present Partons, la mer est belle, the first and only single from the forthcoming album, Tu Me Voyais, set to be released through Leaf Music on October 21, 2022. Carl Philippe Gionet’s arrangement of the evocative Acadian folk song Partons, la mer est belle is reimagined from a long lineage of interpretations from folk singers dating back to the 1800s.
This traditional Acadian folk song reflects on the cyclical nature of life and the hardships of living and working on the ocean. The song stems from the aural tradition, where music and lyrics are passed down through generations without the use of notation or text, resulting in each new generation sculpting its own interpretation.
Gionet’s arrangement focuses on achieving a balance between remaining faithful to the aural renditions he received in childhood and allowing Haldane’s tenor and inflection to drape a new interpretation over the music. Gionet’s arrangement is inspired by the 19th century Lieder style, in which the voice and piano share solo responsibilities and the spotlight equally. New harmonic colours provide depth to the musical landscape and expand the sonic palette of the piece. Certain liberties have been taken with the traditional text, including adding reprises to enhance the dramatic arc of the storytelling.
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Christina Haldane’s career spans the UK, Europe, Asia and North America, and she is currently based in Canada’s Atlantic provinces. She has interpreted many lead opera roles, having performed for opera houses such as The Finnish National Opera, The Royal Opera Covent Garden, Scottish Opera and Musica Viva Hong Kong. Her specialty is performing Handel’s Heroines, Comedic Bel Canto roles and Contemporary opera. Christina enjoys performing and curating recital and chamber music concerts, and she is often invited to perform with leading orchestras. Her exploration of contemporary music has led to many collaborations with composers, and she continues to bring their vocal works to life. Christina is a bilingual English and French speaker with Acadian heritage, and she is proud to be a citizen of Canada and Great Britain.
Halifax, NS – Leaf Music announces the release of Infusion Baroque’s new single Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 17 on May 13, 2022. Infusion Baroque’s new single release from the album “Virtuosa” arrives today. Infusion Baroque offers their interpretation of one of Clara Schumann’s masterpieces, Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 17. Schumann’s compositional skill is accentuated by Infusion Baroque’s deft treatment of the intricacies and nuances of the composition.
The four-movement piece Piano Trio in G minor marks the sixth and final single of a series of releases for Infusion Baroque’s album Virtuosa, to be released June 24, 2022. The 2-disc recording encompasses 15 works that were either composed or performed by women, with all of the pieces recorded on historical instruments.
About Infusion Baroque Infusion Baroque drawsnew audiences to early music through a truly captivating concert experience, deftly combining seasoned musicianship with theatrical elements. Playing music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries on historical instruments, the four women of Infusion Baroque enthrall audiences across North America with their creative and interactive programming.
Infusion Baroque: Piano Trio In G Minor, Op 17 Release date: May 27, 2022
For immediate release (Halifax)…March 18, 2022. Leaf Music is thrilled to announce Infusion Baroque’s newest single: “Divertimento No. 3 in D minor, Op. 3” composed by Anna Bon.
Anna Bon di Venezia was an accomplished 18th-century singer, harpsichordist and composer, who spent a lifetime in good musical company. She studied music at the famed Ospedale della pietá, was supported by Wilhelmine von Bayreuth in becoming chamber music virtuoso at the Prussian court, and worked with Haydn at the Esterházy court. The style of her compositions reflect a time of transition from the Baroque to Classical, and include Six Divertimenti for two flutes & basso continuo, Six Harpsichord Sonatas, and Six Chamber sonatas for flute & harpsichord.
(Illustration – Parissa Mohit)
“Divertimento No. 3 in D minor, Op. 3” marks the fourth single of a series of releases for Infusion Baroque’s album Virtuosa, to be released June 10, 2021. The 2-disc recording encompasses 15 works that were either composed or performed by women, and recorded on historical instruments.
Since 2017, one of Infusion Baroque’s primary initiatives has been The Virtuosa Project, a series of concerts, lectures, and web videos dedicated to women musicians of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. This project, which highlights over a dozen relatively unknown women who made substantial contributions to Western classical music, has generated a great amount of interest at a local and international level, resulting in requests from international presenters for the ensemble to tour the Virtuosa program in the United States, France and the U.K.
The CD will include a comprehensive booklet and companion website which will include stories, images, and archival material pertaining to the women featured on the recording. The objective is to provide cultural and socio-economic context for the women’s lives as well as for their music, and to highlight their accomplishments in the face of adversity. Many of the featured women were pioneers in their field.
Infusion Baroque draws new audiences to early music through a truly captivating concert experience, deftly combining seasoned musicianship with theatrical elements. Playing music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries on historical instruments, the four women of Infusion Baroque enthrall audiences across North America with their creative and interactive programming.
Infusion Baroque’s performances have been described as “dynamic and alive” (Early Music America) with “polish, energy, and finely-honed style… merrily breaking established traditions” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Winners of the Grand Prize and Audience Prize at the 2014 Early Music America Baroque Performance Competition, the ensemble charms audiences with its dynamic programs such as “Who Killed Leclair?” (an interactive murder mystery soirée based on the unsolved murder of the famous musician); “Rebels and Rivalries” (featuring scandalous stories from the lives of great composers); and “Son of a Bach!” (narrating the multigenerational saga of the famous musical family).
Infusion Baroque has released two recordings with the Canadian label Leaf Music to critical acclaim. The ensemble’s latest album, a world-premiere recording of quintets by Georg Anton Kreüsser, was nominated for an Opus Prize by the Conseil Québecois de la musique. According to Fanfare, “the playing of these musicians … is superb. They play with a liveliness and unforced energy that seems to grow naturally out of the music… combining spontaneity and abandon with technical perfection.” The ensemble’s debut recording of trio sonatas by C.P.E. Bach was described as “real baroque … gripping and full of character” (Radio-Canada).Since 2017, Infusion Baroque has been exploring the lives of historical women performers through The Virtuosa Project. Fascinated by the great number of women who made their mark as musical performers despite considerable barriers and stigma, Infusion Baroque devoted an entire concert season in 2018-19 to exploring their lives and music. The ensemble also produced a web series which tells the story of four female musicians of the past, and is looking forward to producing a CD recording and documentary on this exciting topic to be released in 2021. (photo – Danylo Bobyk)
Infusion Baroque: “Divertimento No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 3” Release date: March 18, 2022 Digital Release Stream/Download HERE For MEDIA ONLY – Download pwd: agricola2526
For immediate release (Halifax)…March 4, 2022. Leaf Music is thrilled to announce Infusion Baroque’s newest single: “Sonata in G Major” composed by Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen.
Known for her exceptional violin performances and compositional innovation, Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen was also an impressive businesswoman and one of the first female professional instrumentalists of the 18th century. She composed a healthy portfolio of chamber music for strings, in particular, sonatas. In her first opus, including “Sonata V in G major”, Sirmen pushed convention by creating ambitious structures and playing with alternating tempi.
(Illustration – Parissa Mohit)
“Sonata V in G major” marks the third single of a series of releases for Infusion Baroque’s album Virtuosa, to be released June 10, 2021. The 2-disc recording encompasses 15 works that were either composed or performed by women, and were recorded on historical instruments.
Since 2017, one of Infusion Baroque’s primary initiatives has been The Virtuosa Project, a series of concerts, lectures, and web videos dedicated to women musicians of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. This project, which highlights over a dozen relatively unknown women who made substantial contributions to Western classical music, has generated a great amount of interest at a local and international level, resulting in requests from international presenters for the ensemble to tour the Virtuosa program in the United States, France and the U.K.
The CD will include a comprehensive booklet and companion website which will include stories, images, and archival material pertaining to the women featured on the recording. The objective is to provide cultural and socio-economic context for the women’s lives as well as for their music, and to highlight their accomplishments in the face of adversity. Many of the featured women were pioneers in their field.
Infusion Baroque draws new audiences to early music through a truly captivating concert experience, deftly combining seasoned musicianship with theatrical elements. Playing music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries on historical instruments, the four women of Infusion Baroque enthrall audiences across North America with their creative and interactive programming.
Infusion Baroque’s performances have been described as “dynamic and alive” (Early Music America) with “polish, energy, and finely-honed style… merrily breaking established traditions” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Winners of the Grand Prize and Audience Prize at the 2014 Early Music America Baroque Performance Competition, the ensemble charms audiences with its dynamic programs such as “Who Killed Leclair?” (an interactive murder mystery soirée based on the unsolved murder of the famous musician); “Rebels and Rivalries” (featuring scandalous stories from the lives of great composers); and “Son of a Bach!” (narrating the multigenerational saga of the famous musical family).
Infusion Baroque has released two recordings with the Canadian label Leaf Music to critical acclaim. The ensemble’s latest album, a world-premiere recording of quintets by Georg Anton Kreüsser, was nominated for an Opus Prize by the Conseil Québecois de la musique. According to Fanfare, “the playing of these musicians … is superb. They play with a liveliness and unforced energy that seems to grow naturally out of the music… combining spontaneity and abandon with technical perfection.” The ensemble’s debut recording of trio sonatas by C.P.E. Bach was described as “real baroque … gripping and full of character” (Radio-Canada).Since 2017, Infusion Baroque has been exploring the lives of historical women performers through The Virtuosa Project. Fascinated by the great number of women who made their mark as musical performers despite considerable barriers and stigma, Infusion Baroque devoted an entire concert season in 2018-19 to exploring their lives and music. The ensemble also produced a web series which tells the story of four female musicians of the past, and is looking forward to producing a CD recording and documentary on this exciting topic to be released in 2021. (photo – Danylo Bobyk)
Infusion Baroque: “Sonata in G Major” Release date: March 4, 2022 Digital Release Stream/Download HERE
Infusion Baroque Releases second single from Virtuosa.
For immediate release – January 21, 2022 (Halifax)…Infusion Baroque is pleased to release the second single from their upcoming album Virtuosa. Released through Halifax-based record label Leaf Music, “Flute Sonata in A Minor”was written by Wilhemine von Bayreuth, a composer and princess of the Kingdom of Prussia. This piece for flute and basso continuo is the second work of Wilhelmine’s. It features an at first pensive, then lively and thunderous performance of the solo flute.
The single release marks the second of a series of releases for the album Virtuosa, to be released June 10, 2022. The 2-disc recording is played on historical instruments and encompasses 15 works that were either composed or performed by women.
Illustration – Parissa Mohit
Since 2017, one of Infusion Baroque’s primary initiatives has been The Virtuosa Project, a series of concerts, lectures, and web videos dedicated to women musicians of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. The project highlights over a dozen relatively unknown women who made substantial contributions to Western classical music. It has generated a great amount of local and international interest, resulting in touring invitations from presenters in the United States, France and the U.K.
The CD will include a comprehensive booklet and companion website featuring stories, images, and archival material pertaining to these female performers and composers, many of whom were pioneers in their field. The objective is to provide cultural and socio-economic context for the women’s lives as well as for their music, and to celebrate their accomplishments in the face of adversity.
Infusion Baroque draws new audiences to early music through a truly captivating concert experience, deftly combining seasoned musicianship with theatrical elements. Playing music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries on historical instruments, the four women of Infusion Baroque enthrall audiences across North America with their creative and interactive programming.
Their performances have been described as “dynamic and alive” (Early Music America) with “polish, energy, and finely-honed style…merrily breaking established traditions” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Winners of the Grand Prize and Audience Prize at the 2014 Early Music America Baroque Performance Competition, the ensemble charms audiences with its dynamic programs such as “Who Killed Leclair?” (an interactive murder mystery soirée based on the unsolved murder of the famous musician); “Rebels and Rivalries” (featuring scandalous stories from the lives of great composers); and “Son of a Bach!” (narrating the multigenerational saga of the famous musical family).
Infusion Baroque has released two recordings with the Canadian label Leaf Music to critical acclaim. The ensemble’s latest album, a world-premiere recording of quintets by Georg Anton Kreüsser, was nominated for an Opus Prize by the Conseil Québécois de la musique. According to Fanfare,“the playing of these musicians…is superb. They play with a liveliness and unforced energy that seems to grow naturally out of the music…combining spontaneity and abandon with technical perfection.”The ensemble’s debut recording of trio sonatas by C.P.E. Bach was described as “real baroque … gripping and full of character” (Radio-Canada).
Since 2017, Infusion Baroque has been exploring the lives of historical women performers through The Virtuosa Project. Fascinated by the great number of women who made their mark as musical performers despite considerable barriers and stigma, Infusion Baroque devoted an entire concert season in 2018-19 to exploring their lives and music. The ensemble also produced a web series which tells the story of our female musicians of the past, and is looking forward to producing a CD recording and documentary on this exciting topic to be released in 2021.
Infusion Baroque: “Flute Sonata A Minor” Release date: Jan 21, 2022 Digital Release Stream/Download HERE
Infusion Baroque releases “Sonata No. 1 in G Minor”
Infusion Baroque is pleased to release the first single from their upcoming album Virtuosa (set to be released June 2022) Released through Halifax-based record label Leaf Music, “Sonata No. 1 in G Minor” was composed by Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, a French composer, harpsichordist, organist, virtuoso and teacher. “Sonata No. 1 in G minor” is one of the only collections of instrumental chamber works she composed for two treble instruments and basso continuo.
The single release marks the beginning of a series of releases for the album Virtuosa, to be released June 10, 2021. The 2-disc recording encompasses 15 works that were either composed or performed by women, and were recorded on historical instruments.
Since 2017, one of Infusion Baroque’s primary initiatives has been The Virtuosa Project, a series of concerts, lectures, and web videos dedicated to women musicians of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. This project, which highlights over a dozen relatively unknown women who made substantial contributions to Western classical music, has generated a great amount of interest at a local and international level, resulting in requests from international presenters for the ensemble to tour the Virtuosa program in the United States, France and the U.K.
The CD will include a comprehensive booklet and companion website which will include stories, images, and archival material pertaining to the women featured on the recording. The objective is to provide cultural and socio-economic context for the women’s lives as well as for their music, and to highlight their accomplishments in the face of adversity. Many of the featured women were pioneers in their field.
(Illustration – Parissa Mohit)
Infusion Baroque draws new audiences to early music through a truly captivating concert experience, deftly combining seasoned musicianship with theatrical elements. Playing music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries on historical instruments, the four women of Infusion Baroque enthrall audiences across North America with their creative and interactive programming.
Infusion Baroque’s performances have been described as “dynamic and alive” (Early Music America) with “polish, energy, and finely-honed style… merrily breaking established traditions” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Winners of the Grand Prize and Audience Prize at the 2014 Early Music America Baroque Performance Competition, the ensemble charms audiences with its dynamic programs such as “Who Killed Leclair?” (an interactive murder mystery soirée based on the unsolved murder of the famous musician); “Rebels and Rivalries” (featuring scandalous stories from the lives of great composers); and “Son of a Bach!” (narrating the multigenerational saga of the famous musical family).
Infusion Baroque has released two recordings with the Canadian label Leaf Music to critical acclaim. The ensemble’s latest album, a world-premiere recording of quintets by Georg Anton Kreüsser, was nominated for an Opus Prize by the Conseil Québecois de la musique. According to Fanfare, “the playing of these musicians … is superb. They play with a liveliness and unforced energy that seems to grow naturally out of the music… combining spontaneity and abandon with technical perfection.” The ensemble’s debut recording of trio sonatas by C.P.E. Bach was described as “real baroque … gripping and full of character” (Radio-Canada).
Since 2017, Infusion Baroque has been exploring the lives of historical women performers through The Virtuosa Project. Fascinated by the great number of women who made their mark as musical performers despite considerable barriers and stigma, Infusion Baroque devoted an entire concert season in 2018-19 to exploring their lives and music. The ensemble also produced a web series which tells the story of four female musicians of the past, and is looking forward to producing a CD recording and documentary on this exciting topic to be released in 2021.
Infusion Baroque: “Sonata No. 1 in G Minor” Release date: Oct 1, 2021 Digital Release Stream/Download HERE
Canadian composer Jaap Nico Hamburger presents the world-premiere performance of his new concerto for harp and orchestra. This work was commissioned by the Government of the Netherlands on occasion of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations’ International Court of Justice in The Hague.
The performance which aired April 18, 2021, features the world-renowned harpist Lavinia Meijer live from the Museon with the The Residentie Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Vincent de Kort.
The concerto is in three movements, intertwined with brief addresses by the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Mayor of The Hague.
Jaap Nico Hamburger | Harp Concertocan be viewed online:
Jaap Nico Hamburger is the Composer in Residence with Mécénat Musica in Montréal. His compositions include commissions from Turning Point Ensemble, Ensemble Caprice, the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra, Arts-Quebec Vocal Ensemble, and an original contribution for the project ‘400 years of Dutch Keyboard Music’. He was commissioned by the Dutch Government and the United Nations’ International Court of Justice to compose a new concerto for harp and orchestra, premiered by Lavinia Meijer. Other commissions include works for Discovery Channel, and broadcasting companies in the UK and the Netherlands. He is a Canadian Music Centre Associate Composer, President and CEO, Orange Music Inc., a music production company; and, a former member of the Board of Directors of City Opera Vancouver.Born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, he started his musical education at the age of three, and studied piano with Ruben Lifschitz, Alexandre Hrisanide and Youri Egorov. He graduated from the Royal Sweelinck Conservatorium of Music, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, with a soloist degree in piano. He has lived in Canada since August 2000. In 2020, Hamburger released Jaap Nico Hamburger: Piano Concerto and Chamber Symphonies Nos. 1&2 through Canadian classical label, Leaf Music. https://www.jaaphamburger.com/
Harpist Lavinia Meijer performs solo concerts in venues worldwide from Carnegie Hall NYC to the Berlin Philharmonie, being one of the most important, pioneering and exciting musicians of our times. Ms. Meijer has performed on international stages such as Carnegie Hall, NYC; Royal Concertgebouw, Amsterdam; Paradiso, Amsterdam; Musikverein, Vienna; Carré, Amsterdam; Philharmonie, Berlin, Cité de la Musique, Paris; Bronfman Auditorium,Tel Aviv; Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, and Seoul Arts Center. Recently she released both Voyage, her seventh solo album with music by Debussy, Tiersen, Satie and Ravel, a live-recording with bandoneonist, Carel Kraayenhof: In Concert and The Glass Effect, to celebrate Philip Glass’s 80th birthday in 2017. https://www.laviniameijer.com/
Conductor Vincent de Kort, born in the Netherlands, is very much in demand as a symphonic as well as an opera conductor. Recently he made very successful debuts at the famous Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow as well as at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg (invited by Valery Gergiev). He is a regular guest at the opera houses of Dresden, Stockholm, Edinburg, Leipzig, Tokyo, Vienna, Vilnius, Tours, Luzern, Bern, Magdeburg, Johannesburg, Hawaii, Kazan. He studied with Mariss Jansons in Oslo and in St. Petersburg with the legendary Professor Ilya Musin, who was also the teacher of Valery Gergiev, and was the assistant conductor to Bernard Haitink, Gennady Rozhdestvensky and William Christie. In 2021, he was the recipient of the Honorary Award of the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Kiev, Ukraine http://www.vincentdekort.com/
