Blaze is my first volume of piano music recorded by the Canadian piano idol Christina Petrowska Quilico. The eight works in this collection have short, descriptive titles, with inspiration drawn from abstract paintings (Blaze, Shade, Aeon, Solus), forces of nature (Cyclone), the last journey of a female pilot (Erupting Skies), a horror film (Garage), plus a show piece from a piano competition (Caprice). These compositions are both introspective and personal, designed to elicit evocative “images” or “impressions”, visually and psychologically. It is a great honour to have these works recorded by pianist Christina Petrowska Quilico, who is an astounding musician as well as an acclaimed visual artist. The poetic metaphors in these piano pieces not only showcase her powerful performer’s persona but also uniquely resonate with her beautiful and vibrant paintings.
One of the most acclaimed composers writing in Canada today, Hong Kong-born Alice Ping Yee Ho has written in many musical genres and received numerous national and international awards, including the 2022 Symphony Nova Scotia’s Maria Anna Mozart Award, 2022 Barlow Endowment General Commission, 2019 Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize, 2016 Louis Applebaum Composers Award, K.M. Hunter Artist Award, 2014 Prince Edward Island Symphony Composers Competition, and 2013 Dora Mavor Moore Award for her opera “Lesson of Da Ji”.
Critics have called her music dramatic and graceful, while praising its “organic flow of imagination,” “distinctly individual” style”, “colourful orchestration”, and “emotive qualities”. Her works have been performed by the Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Victoria, and Hamilton Symphonies; the Finnish Lapland Chamber Orchestra, China National Symphony, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Florida Orchestra, Polish Radio Choir, Estonia’s Ellerhein Girls Choir, Luxembourg Sinfonietta, and Amsterdam’s Nieuw Ensemble.
A twice JUNO Award Nominee, she has an impressive discography released on the Centrediscs, Naxos, ATMA, PARMA, Marquis Classics, Blue Griffin, Electra, Leaf Music, and Phoenix labels. Her recent releases including “A Woman Voices” (Leaf Music) featuring her music for female voice(s) and piano, “Blaze”(Centrediscs), a solo piano album featuring acclaimed Canadian pianist Christina Petrowska Quilico, and the full length recording of her new opera CHINATOWN commissioned by City Opera Vancouver with librettist Madeleine Thien, will be released in September, 2023.
Alice Ho’s website: www.alicepyho.com
- Blaze (1992) [00:06:19]
Alice Ping Yee Ho, Composer / Christina Petrowska Quilico, Piano
- Shade (1994) [00:02:59]
Alice Ping Yee Ho, Composer / Christina Petrowska Quilico, Piano
- Cyclone (1994) [00:04:10]
Alice Ping Yee Ho, Composer / Christina Petrowska Quilico, Piano
- Aeon (2016) [00:09:13]
Alice Ping Yee Ho, Composer / Christina Petrowska Quilico, Piano
- Erupting Skies (2022) piano, electronics [00:12:09]
Alice Ping Yee Ho, Composer / Christina Petrowska Quilico, Piano
- Solus (2016) [00:11:29]
Alice Ping Yee Ho, Composer / Christina Petrowska Quilico, Piano
- Caprice (2014) [00:05:35]
Alice Ping Yee Ho, Composer / Christina Petrowska Quilico, Piano
- Garage (2006) [00:10:03]
Alice Ping Yee Ho, Composer / Christina Petrowska Quilico, Piano
