Canadian composers: Christina Petrowska Quilico talks about selected Canadian composers

I found this interview which I did a number of years ago. I have performed many more Canadian composers since then, but any mention and respect for their work in the recent past is always necessary. It gave me great joy to play Canadian composers.Christina Petrowska Quilico has won fans internationally for her live performances and 67 recordings that range from Mozart and Liszt to the latest 21st century composers. She was appointed to the Order of Canada “for her celebrated career as a classical and contemporary pianist” and to the Order of Ontario as “a towering virtuoso who interprets works from any compositional aesthetic with world-class execution in seemingly inexhaustible efforts.” Her “astonishing contribution to musical life in Canada”, particularly her teaching and advocacy of Canadian and women composers, earned her the treasured Oskar Morawetz Prize, with the jury asserting, “She is legend.” Inducted into the prestigious Royal Society of Canada, she was also honored by York University, where she was a professor of piano and musicology since 1987 and is now professor emerita and senior scholar. York bestowed on her its coveted Research Award for four consecutive years, in 2023 making her one of only two Distinguished Honors recipients as “outstanding contributors to their fields and beyond” and in 2024 acknowledging her “Remarkable Artistic and Creative Accomplishments”. CBC Radio named her to its In Concert Hall of Fame and to its list of “The 25 best Canadian classical pianists” and deemed her iconic album of Ann Southam’s Glass Houses cycle – best-seller on the Centrediscs label – one of the best Canadian classical recordings ever. Recitals as well as performances of 55 concertos have taken Christina across the U.S. and Canada, to Taiwan, the Middle East, France, England, Germany, and Greece. She has recorded 19 concertos – nine written specifically for her. Four recordings have earned JUNO nominations, and two enjoyed debuts that were truly out of this world – when astronaut Steve MacLean took them on board the Space Shuttles Columbia and Atlantis! “Quilico’s commanding pianism is what rivets the attention” – American Record Guide “ability to leave a permanent impression on the listener’s soul” – Sonograma Magazine, Barcelona “Dazzling virtuosity” – New York Times “An extraordinary talent with phenomenal ability” – New York Times “intelligent program…….compelling…..challenging repertoire, well worth investigating” – Gramophone “In her seemingly inexhaustible efforts toward releasing recordings of the highest quality, Petrowska Quilico delivers yet another gift for our ears.” – Adam Scime, The WholeNote Magazine