Today's Canadian Music Week feature is Barbara Pritchard. Remember if you donate this week 50% of funds will go directly to the artists and donations of $50 or more are eligible for tax receipts! Click here to donate.
“...one of our finest interpreters of contemporary keyboard music...” William Littler (The Toronto Star)
Barbara Pritchard specializes in performing piano music from the 20th and 21st centuries. In particular, she is known for her dedicated and compelling performances of Canadian repertoire. Since moving from Toronto to Halifax in 1998, Ms Pritchard has established herself as a soloist, chamber musician, and concert presenter. She has returned to Toronto several times for performances, including a solo recital at the St. Lawrence Centre in 2015 (presented by New Music Concerts and Music Toronto). And in 2016 she returned home to Vancouver to present FANTASTIC!, a program of Canadian piano fantasies.
In 2009 the Canadian Music Centre awarded Ms Pritchard the title of CMC Ambassador for her commitment to the performance of Canadian music. In 2011 she became a founding member of Musikon, a recital series of new Canadian music, based at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax. In November 2015 in recognition of her contributions to cultural life in Nova Scotia, Ms Pritchard received an Established Artist Recognition Award from the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council. She is a member of the Canadian New Music Centre’s Atlantic Regional Council, the Canadian New Music Network, and the Canadian Federation of Musicians.
Ms Pritchard’s first solo CD, The View From Here was released to critical acclaim in 1998. The final track from her second CD, Piano Atlantica, (Clark Ross’ Last Dance) was nominated for a 2011 Juno Award: Classical Composition of the Year. Her third CD, Toccata (2012), was nominated for a 2014 ECMA Award: Classical Recording of the Year. Toccata was also chosen as one of Musical Toronto’s Top Ten Albums of 2012.
Future work for Ms Pritchard includes a solo recital at Toronto's Arts & Letters Club, a solo performance for CMC Atlantic in Halifax, and duo recitals with soprano Janice Isabel Jackson and cellist Norm Adams.