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RCM Community Dominates CBC Music’s Top 21 list for 2021

RCM Community Dominates CBC Music’s Top 21 list for 2021

Published on December 6, 2021

CBC Music has released its Top 21 Classical Albums of 2021 list and once again it is dominated by artists from the Royal Conservatory of Music community — featured in more than 70% of the titles. 

The story states: “Canada's classical musicians were undeterred [by pandemic restrictions] and in many cases used the pandemic hiatus to learn new repertoire and make records they may not have had time to make under normal circumstances. With physical-distancing restrictions in place for much of the year, it's understandable that the majority of new releases in 2021 were solo projects, especially solo piano and violin.” 


From alumni and faculty of the RCM Certificate Program, The Glenn Gould School and The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists, to Koerner Hall performers, here are the RCM artists in the Top 21 this year: 

21. Introspection: Solo Piano Sessions, Yannick Nézet-Séguin 
Featuring Koerner Hall artist, Yannick Nézet-Séguin. 

20. Philip Glass: The Complete Piano Etudes, Leslie Dala 
Leslie Dala is an alumnus of the RCM Certificate Program. 

19. Beethoven: Violin Sonatas 4, 9, 10, Charles Richard-Hamelin, Andrew Wan 
Andrew Wan is an RCM alumnus and has performed in Koerner Hall multiple times. 

16. Tapeo, Cameron Crozman and Philip Chiu 
Philp Chiu is an alumnus of The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists. 

15. Debussy: Preludes, Book 1, Jean-Luc Therrien 
Jean-Luc Therrien is a 2021-22 Rebanks Family Fellow at The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School (GGS).  

13. Love Songs, Angela Hewitt 
Angela Hewitt is an RCM alumna and has performed in Koerner Hall multiple times. 

11. Chopin, Bruce Liu  
Bruce Liu is a Koerner Hall performer and winner of the prestigious 2021 International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. 

9. Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas Vol. 1, David Jalbert 
David Jalbert is an alumnus of GGS. 

8. Klebanov: Chamber Works, ARC Ensemble 
The Artists of the Royal Conservatory (ARC Ensemble) is comprised of senior GGS faculty, with special guests drawn from the organization's most accomplished students and alumni. 

7. Chopin: 24 Preludes, Charles Richard-Hamelin 
Charles Richard-Hamelin has performed in Koerner Hall multiple times.  

5. Music for Self-Isolation, Frank Horvat, various musicians
Frank Horvat is an alumnus of the RCM Certificate Program.

4. Ysaÿe: Six Sonatas for Solo Violin, Kerson Leong 
Featuring Koerner Hall artist, Kerson Leong.

3. Chopin: Complete Nocturnes, Jan Lisiecki 
A Juno Award winner, UNESCO Ambassador and alumnus of the GGS, Jan Lisiecki has performed in Koerner Hall multiple times.  

2. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, James Ehnes 
James Ehnes made his Koerner Hall debut during the inaugural concert season and has performed there several times. He is also a recipient of the Honorary Fellowship of the RCM. 

1. Enargeia, Emily d'Angelo, Das freie Orchester Berlin, Jarkko Riihimäki 
Emily d'Angelo has performed multiple times in Koerner Hall.