The Azrieli Foundation And Analekta Release NEW JEWISH MUSIC, VOL. 4 - AZRIELI MUSIC PRIZES

The Azrieli Foundation is pleased to announce the October 6th release of New Jewish Music, Vol. 4 - Azrieli Music Prizes on Analekta. The album features the world-premiere recordings of three prize-winning works by the 2022 Azrieli Music Prizes Laureates Iman Habibi (2022 Azrieli Commission for Jewish Music), Aharon Harlap (2022 Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music) and Rita Ueda (2022 Azrieli Commission for Canadian Music). These works are brought vividly to life by the Orchestre Métropolitain under the direction of Artistic Partner Nicolas Ellis.

Soprano Sharon Azrieli is featured as soloist in Harlap's Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord, a cycle of five psalms for soprano and orchestra. Habibi's Shāhīn-nāmeh for voice and orchestra was written especially for Persian vocalist and setar player Sepideh Raissadat, who gives a masterful performance on this recording. The unique talents of shō player Naomi Sato and suona/sheng player Zhongxi Wu are featured extensively in Ueda's unique Birds Calling... from the Canada in You.

Established in 2014, the biennial Azrieli Music Prizes (AMP) offer opportunities for discovering, creating, performing and celebrating excellence in music composition. Over the past ten years, AMP has grown to become the top competition for music composition in Canada and one of the largest in the world.

Habibi's Shāhīn-nāmeh is a song cycle for voice and orchestra based on 14th-century Judeo-Persian poetry by Shahin Shirazi. The work explores the connection between Persian heritage and Jewish culture, finding inspiration in Shirazi's Ardashir-nāmah (The Book of Ardashir), especially the poems that comment on the tale of Queen Esther in connection to the mythical characters of the monumental 11th-century epic Shahnameh (The Book of Kings).

"This piece incorporates a Persian traditional singing style in the solo part against a backdrop of Western classical instruments," says Habibi. "The result is an exciting, fresh sound and a marriage of many different cultural and musical languages. It is my hope that this new work can bring much-deserved attention to this little-known poetry but also show the close affinity that has existed historically between Persians and Jews dating back to sixth century B.C."

Harlap's Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord is deeply inspired by the Psalms. Each of the five movements corresponds to a psalm of a different mood and character. "Through the ages, the Psalms have been a source of solace and comfort to the Jewish people," Harlap explains. "I chose five that deal with the belief in God's strength to overcome all adversity and to protect us in times of need. The words of the Psalms have been my inspiration throughout. Here, they are sung by the soprano soloist in the original Hebrew."

Rounding out the AMP-winning works is Ueda's Birds Calling ... from the Canada in You, which takes the audience on a journey through Japanese, Chinese and Western musical traditions within a uniquely Canadian birdsong soundscape. Through the piece, Ueda observes the ever-shifting interactions between cultures in flux by asking, "What does it mean to migrate and settle on land already rich in history?"

"Growing up in Canada, I have always felt that traditional Western birdsong works do not sound like any birds I know," she explains. "Beethoven's 'Pastoral' Symphony, Respighi's The Birds and Messiaen's Oiseaux exotiques, to name a few, are pieces by composers I deeply respect, but none of them sound like birds in our Canadian soundscape. Many of the iconic Canadian birds are not songbirds. I decided to accept the diversity of our bird species to include birds that squawk, screech, hoot, drum and squeal, as well as those that sing and chirp."

The album is part of the prize package each AMP laureate receives, alongside a cash award of $50,000 CAD, a gala world premiere and two subsequent international performances - bringing the total package value to $200,000 CAD. In conjunction with the album's release, AMP will present the European premieres of the three featured pieces at Cadogan Hall, London, on October 15th, 2023.

On November 2, 2023 the Azrieli Foundation will announce the four 2024 AMP Laureates, including the inaugural laureate of the Azrieli Commission for International Music.

New Jewish Music, Vol. 4 marks seven years of fruitful collaboration between Analekta and the Azrieli Music Prizes, highlighted by a 2022 JUNO Award for New Jewish Music, Vol. 3.

About Iman Habibi, 2022 Azrieli Commission for Jewish Music Laureate

Iman Habibi is an Iranian-Canadian composer, pianist and a founding member of the piano duo Piano Pinnacle. Dr. Habibi has been commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Orchestra of St. Luke's, and has collaborated with the Vancouver and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestras, as well as the JACK, Chiara, Del Sol and Calidore String Quartets, among others. His awards include multiple SOCAN Foundation Awards, the International Composers' Award at the Estoterics 'Polyphonos' Choral Composition Competition (2012), the Vancouver Mayor's Arts Award for Emerging Artist in Music (2011) and the Brehm Prize in Choral Composition (2016). Learn more at imanhabibi.com.

About Aharon Harlap, 2022 Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music Laureate

Aharon Harlap is one of Israel's most prominent and awarded composers and conductors. He began his musical career in Canada as a pianist and, in 1964, immigrated to Israel. He was Associate Professor at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, where he taught conducting and composition, and was Head of Opera from 1976-2018. Most recently, Harlap received the Life Achievement Award (2020) for Jewish Art compositions, sponsored by Zippora Jochsberger and the Jerusalem Academy. He is closely identified as a composer of music dealing with Biblical texts ranging from chamber to orchestral, opera and oratorio works. His works have been performed in Canada, Israel, the U.S., Europe, South Africa, Russia and Thailand. Learn more at aharonharlap.com.

About Rita Ueda, 2022 Azrieli Commission for Canadian Music Laureate

Rita Ueda is a Canadian composer of orchestral, operatic and choral works that reflect today's interactions between cultures in flux. Recent premieres include collaborations with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Prague Modern, Locrian Chamber Players (New York), the Amadeus Choir (Toronto) and the SYC Ensemble Singers (Singapore). Her numerous awards include the 2022 Jules Léger Prize for Chamber Music, the 2014 Krzysztof Penderecki International Composers' Competition (1st prize), the 2010 International Mahler Competition (orchestra, 2nd prize), the 2011 Estoterics 'Polyphonos' Choral Composition Competition (1st prize) and the 2013 Val Tidone Composition Competition (orchestra, 2nd prize). She was most recently Composer-in-Residence of the Sanremo Symphony Orchestra (Italy). Learn more at ritaueda.com.

About the Azrieli Music Prizes

Established in 2014, the biennial Azrieli Music Prizes (AMP) is Canada's largest competition devoted to music composition. AMP advances the Azrieli Foundation's commitment to discovering, elevating and amplifying artistic voices that exhibit excellence. AMP embodies its belief in music as a vital human endeavour that expresses creativity, expands our worldview and fosters positive cultural exchange.

Open to the international music community, AMP accepts nominations for works from individuals and institutions of all ages, genders, nationalities, faiths and backgrounds, which are then submitted to its expert juries through an open call for scores and proposals.

Past AMP Laureates include Canadian composer Keiko Devaux (2020), Dutch-born American composer Yotam Haber (2020), Israeli-born Australian composer Yitzhak Yedid (2020), Israeli-American composer Avner Dorman (2018), Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy (2018), Canadian composer Brian Current (2016) and U.S.-based Polish composer Wlad Marhulets (2016).

About Analekta

Founded in 1987 by François Mario Labbé, Analekta is the leading independent classical record company in Canada. The label has produced over 600 albums, recorded more than 200 musicians and ensembles, among the most visible in Canada, and has received many awards. Visionary and forward-looking, Analekta has redefined its business model to stay abreast of new technological trends, gaining excellent global visibility on the most popular streaming platforms. Currently, Analekta's productions have reached over 500 million streams worldwide.

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