PRESS RELEASES

November 11, 2004

Spectacular CD of Christmas songs released on Naxos

Toronto, ON – A Christmas Choral Spectacular (8.557585), an innovative collection of Christmas carols in dramatic settings, ranging from traditional carols arranged by Peter Breiner to Breiner’s own compositions was released on Naxos this month. Featuring four soloists, Breiner conducted the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, one of the finest orchestras, well known for their appearances in the world’s premier venues and internationally acclaimed recordings. This recording is also available in SACD (6.110095) and DVD-AUDIO (5.110095) formats.

Even though the release is delayed in US and Canada, the CD reaches the market in other parts of the world just on time to become part of this holiday season. The entire CD is available for listening on http://christmas.sympho.ca. David Denton writes about the new recording:

“[Breiner] has gone for the widest possible audience, introducing many different styles so as to provide a modern makeover to some very familiar carols. He meets popular expectations with plenty of jingles from the percussion, with catchy harmonies and orchestration for Little Jesus, sweetly sleep worthy of becoming a hit single. …The Virgin Mary had a baby boy dressed in the guise of a spiritual, and Breiner surprising us with his restrained opening to O come, all ye faithful.”

Peter Breiner has already demonstrated his aptitude to grasp the magic of Christmas. His arrangements Christmas Goes Baroque I and II have been very popular among listeners and orchestras worldwide.

“… there is a hauntingly beautiful, almost mournful, God rest ye merry, gentlemen (no tidings of comfort or joy to be heard there). The rendition of Jingle Bells is barely recognizable, but quite clever. Other highlights include a theme-and-variations treatment of O Tannenbaum and a rollicking fugal version of Good King Wenceslas.” (DVD Review on digitallyobsessed.com)

For comprehensive catalogue of Peter Breiner’s own compositions and/or his arrangements of Christmas and other music, including almost 900 symphonic arrangements, folk and pop songs as well as complete world’s national anthems, visit http://catalog.sympho.ca or http://passcatalog.sympho.ca .

Peter Breiner (1957)

Breiner is a Slovak-Canadian composer, conductor, pianist and arranger. He received traditional European musical training and studied composition at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (former Czechoslovakia) with Prof. Alexander Moyzes, one of the most significant figures in modern Slovak music.

Breiner’s clever arrangements are perhaps the best known. Breiner’s arrangements of national anthems of ALL participating countries were used during the Olympic Games in Athens this year. Christmas Goes Baroque I and II is a collection of Breiner’s commercially most successful Baroque arrangements together with Beatles Go Baroque and Elvis Goes Baroque.

Breiner’s latest CD “ … there must be something …”; Peter Breiner – Complete Works for Piano Trio was released last summer on the Swiss classical music label Cascavelle (VEL 3079).

One of the world's most recorded musicians (over 100 CDs in the last 10 years), Breiner has recently conducted the world premiere of his own oratorio composition The Story (based on Biblical texts) for solos, 2 choirs and a large orchestra. Breiner’s other compositions include two symphonies, orchestral, chamber and choral music.

Breiner has conducted, often doubling as a pianist, the Vienna Mozart Orchestra, the Hungarian State Radio Orchestra, the Nicolaus Esterhazy Orchestra Budapest, the Polish Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra, the Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Capella Istropolitana, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra National de Lille, France, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, to mention just a few.

Peter Breiner presents his concerts and piano recitals worldwide. Most recently, he has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., in New York City, Istanbul, and London, Berlin and in Hong Kong where he also conducted the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra three times in the last 12 months.

Breiner’s plans in 2005 include a tour of 25 Japanese cities and a concert appearance conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, England.

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September 20, 2004

Peter Breiner – Complete Works for Piano Trio released on Cascavelle

Toronto, ON – “ … there must be something …”; Peter Breiner – Complete Works for Piano Trio was released last month on the Swiss classical music label Cascavelle (VEL 3079).

“… there must be something …”, Concerto for Piano, Violin, Violoncello and Orchestra was composed in 2000 and marvellously premiered by the Swiss ensemble Trio Animae and the Kosice State Philharmonic Orchestra in February 2002. “I found the music extremely enjoyable and very well crafted, and liked it a great deal. I did give it my thumbs up.” said Henry Fogel, President and CEO of the American Symphony Orchestra League and former President of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association.

In the review called Human Fate Melted in Tones, the press described this rare piece as

“ … demonstration of intense observation, sincere understanding and masterful composition skills.”, and Breiner’s conducting as “brilliant and confident”. “[Breiner] truly created the world of ‘intimate’ contrasts; nevertheless, he kept the piece concise, technically as well as conceptually.” writes S. Curilla.

The CD incorporates Breiner’s other compositions for piano trio including the popular Sonata Ostinata, which has been performed, among others, by principal players of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Composed in 1988, Sonata Ostinata is a unique combination of elements blending classical piano trio and jazz piano trio. After its UK premiere in May 2001, Malcolm Miller wrote, “Breiner’s tonal and jazz modal harmony has a nostalgic flavour, sometimes recalling in texture the Gershwin-Heifetz arrangements, sometimes an almost Elgarian richness, notably in the suave lyrical melody …”

To Dear Mr. Bach on His Birthday is the third of Breiner’s compositions for piano trio presented on this profile CD. To Dear Mr. Bach on His Birthday was originally composed in 1985 as a tribute to J.S. Bach on his 300^th birthday anniversary. This piece for piano and violin was inspired by Bach’s Suite for Violin. In 2002, Breiner rearranged his original composition for piano, violin and violoncello.

Peter Breiner (1957) is a Toronto based composer, conductor, pianist and arranger. He received traditional European musical training and studied composition at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (former Czechoslovakia) with Prof. Alexander Moyzes, one of the most significant figures in modern Slovak music.

Breiner’s clever arrangements are perhaps the best known. Breiner’s arrangements of national anthems were used during the Olympic Games in Athens this year. The Washington Post subtitled the article about anthems and Breiner’s creative flash “Athens Honors American Winners With Kinder, Gentler National Anthem”. Tim Smith of the Baltimore Sun wrote “Breiner’s subtle treatment of [dramatic] measures, with the unexpected tinge of bittersweetness in the harmony, strikes my ears as fittingly poetic and rather touching.”

Breiner has conducted, often doubling as a pianist, the Vienna Mozart Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the Hungarian State Radio Orchestra, the Nicolaus Esterhazy Orchestra Budapest, the Polish Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra, the Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Capella Istropolitana, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra National de Lille, France, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, to mention just a few.

Trio Animae (Switzerland)

Tomas Dratva – piano, Jean Christophe Gawrysiak – violin, Dieter Hilpert - violoncello

In the almost 10 years of its existence, Trio Animae has conquered a firm place on the concert stages across Europe as one of the most active music ensembles of its generation. Trio Animae focuses primarily on the newest repertoire created by the current generation of composers, and often presents world and national premieres.

August 3, 2004

Canadian Composer Peter Breiner Arranged 2004 Olympic National Anthems of the World

Breiner Secures Canada’s Victorious Presence at Summer Olympics 2004

Toronto, ON – Canada secured its presence at all 2004 Summer Olympic victories in quite an ingenious way. National anthems of participating countries - heard each time Olympic medals are awarded – are arranged, conducted and recorded by Peter Breiner, the Canadian composer, conductor and pianist.

Arranged and conducted by Peter Breiner, symphonic recordings of a total of 204 national anthems will be played at the Summer Olympics 2004 in Athens. An integral part has been recorded and re-recorded in the past year. “I have spent 90 hours in the studio with the 90-member symphonic orchestra”, claims Breiner and remarks, “We had to boost it up shortly before the Olympics, because some anthems were changing as we were working on them and final versions needed to be approved by national representations.” Several anthems were modified up to four times during the process and a number of them needed to be shortened for the purposes of the Olympic Games. Breiner’s arrangements of national anthems were used in the past, during the World Cup 2002. The original project of about 200 anthems, called Complete National Anthems of the World is already available on an anthology of 6 CDs. The updated edition of over 300 complete and current versions of national anthems is planned to be released early next year. The idea was conceived by Klaus Heymann, the leading figure in the classical music industry and the founder of Naxos, one of the world’s leading classical music labels.

Peter Breiner

Toronto-based composer, conductor, arranger and pianist began to study piano in his early childhood and his exceptional results led to his early acceptance at the Conservatory in Kosice where he studied piano, composition, conducting and percussion. He received traditional European musical training and studied composition at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (former Czechoslovakia) with Prof. Alexander Moyzes, one of the most significant figures in modern Slovak music.

Breiner’s clever arrangements are perhaps the best known. He has been fascinated by the crossover of different musical traditions and genres. Similarly, Breiner’s original compositions have been always “multidimensional”. “ … there must be something …”, Concerto for Piano, Violin, Violoncello and Orchestra, is planned to be released on the Swiss label Cascavelle later this year. The CD encompasses Breiner’s other compositions for piano trios including the popular Sonata Ostinata. It is a unique combination of elements blending classical piano trio and jazz piano trio. The Story is a monumental Passion composition created in 1985-1993. The concert oratorio monumentality is represented not only by an extremely large orchestra, choir and five vocal soloists but also by the time dimension (90 minutes) of the composition. Breiner’s work has been also included in Canadian classics such as Anne of Green Gables, the CBC television show Wind at My Back and Timothy Findley's Piano Man's Daughter, produced by Whoopi Goldberg. Breiner has recently worked on the Chinese animation feature film Thru the Moebius Strip. He provided additional composition, orchestrated complete scores and conducted the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Slovak Philharmonic Choir.

Inspired by folksongs that may have been heard along the ancient Silk Road, Breiner’s latest composition, Songs and Dances from the Silk Road, Suite for Violin and Orchestra is an insightful approach to cultural communication reaching out to audiences all around the world. “ … this mix of Chinese and European music works quite well. PETER BREINER remains true to both, without allowing either to dominate, but instead bringing together aspects of both, equally”, says CBC Radio’s Rick Phillips. La Scena Musicale rated the CD as “a must” and Gwyn Parry-Jones, the classical reviewer from musicweb.uk.net wrote: “[Songs and Dances] are orchestrated with superb skill.”

One of the world's most recorded musicians, with over 100 CDs in the last 10 years, Breiner has conducted, often doubling as a pianist, the Vienna Mozart Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the Hungarian State Radio Orchestra, the Nicolaus Esterhazy Orchestra Budapest, the Polish Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra, the Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Capella Istropolitana, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra National de Lille, France, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, to mention just a few.

Breiner presents his concerts and piano recitals worldwide. Most recently, he has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., in New York City, Istanbul, and London, Berlin and in Hong Kong where he also conducted the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra three times in the last 12 months.

Breiner’s plans in 2005 include the tour of 25 Japanese cities and his concert appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England.

June 14, 2004

Gershwin Arranged by Breiner/Bartos Released on Naxos

Toronto, ON – Gershwin For Trumpet (8.554302), the CD of appealing arrangements, was released on Naxos last month. Most popular songs, which define an era and popularized the stage and screen musicals of the 1930’s, are on this recording arranged by Peter Breiner and Juraj Bartos. Arrangements for trumpet and piano were recorded in the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Canada in June 1996.

“In some aspect, it was a friendly get-together, we were playing Gershwin’s songs and arrangements were created along the way” says Breiner, the Toronto-based composer, conductor, arranger and pianist.

Peter Breiner is one of the world's most recorded musicians, with almost 100 CDs over the last 10 years; his most recent recording and his latest composition, Songs and Dances from the Silk Road, Suite for Violin and Orchestra, was released on Naxos/Marco Polo in November 2003 and received a FIVE-star rating by CBC’s Rick Phillips in his February 2004 broadcast of Sound Advice. La Scena Musicale rated the CD as “a must”.

In 2003, Breiner premiered his arrangements of J. S. Bach’s music Come Bach to Me at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Select works of J. S. Bach were arranged for jazz ensemble - flute and Jazz Trio.

Breiner's compositions have always been "multidimensional". During his studies, he composed both traditional works, such as Symphony for Orchestra and various avant-garde pieces, including Variations on the Theme of Alban Berg: Antithesis for Big Orchestra. As early as 1976, he was fascinated by crossing over different musical worlds, as indicated in his Concertino for Viola and Strings. The idea of neoclassic confrontation appeared at the beginning of Breiner's composition experimentation, as shown in Concertino; Fractures; Talking Watch; Something Like a Concert for Piano and Orchestra; Little Suite. Later, he preferred a synthesis of both polarized types of music, heard in Another Concert for Piano and Orchestra; "...to lighten your pathway...", Sonata Ostinata, and Concert for Orchestra and Orchestra. These works bring his music closer to the world of Leonard Bernstein.

Breiner has also recently conducted the world premiere of two of his own compositions: The Story, an oratorio based on biblical texts and scored for five vocal soloists, two choirs and a large orchestra; and "… there must be something …", Concerto for Piano, Violin, Violoncello and Orchestra. Canadian classics such as Anne of Green Gables, the CBC television show Wind at My Back, and Timothy Findley's Piano Man's Daughter, produced by Whoopi Goldberg, have also included Breiner’s music.

Trumpeter Juraj Bartos is the artistic leader of the Bratislava Hot Serenaders, a group focusing on early jazz of the 1920’s and 1930’s. In 1994 the Serenaders won the first prize at the International New Orleans Jazz Festival in France. Performing internationally, Bartos has been the soloist with the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra since 1991. Holding a number of prestigious awards, he was the finalist at the Prague Spring in 1992. Furthermore, Bartos was granted “Diplome de Laureat” of the 15e Tribune Internationalle des Jeunes Interpretes held by UNESCO.

In addition to his classical music appearances, Bartos often performs with distinguished jazz ensembles in Prague jazz clubs and elsewhere. The Czech jazz critics acknowledged Bartos as The Talent of the Year 1993. He has recorded dozens of CDs including Two Presidents’ Jam Session with Bill Clinton. Juraj Bartos is a lead trumpeter of the legendary Gustav Brom Orchestra. He has also performed with Liza Minelli, Ray Charles, and Shirley Bassey, in Prague he performed with Dizzy Gillespie. Recently he has been featured along with jazzmen such as Bob Mintzer, Bobby Shew, Bill Watrous, Yves Robert, Michel Godard and Arkady Shilkloper. He has performed with the Vienna Art Orchestra, Nouvelle Cusine, the Lungau Big Band, among others. He has appeared at many jazz festivals, the well-known Pori Jazz (Finland ), Saalfelden (Austria), The Red Sea Jazz Festival (Israel), Brass Meeting Graz (Austria), Zurich Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Jazz in the Duketown, Breda Jazz Festival (Holland), to name just a few. In Bratislava, his arrangements are included in the popular stage musicals Cabaret and Sugar. In 2002, he was awarded the “Best Producer in Slovakia” award by the International Federation of Phonographic Industry in Slovakia.

November 24, 2003

Breiner’s Songs and Dances Released on Naxos/Marco Polo

Toronto, ON – Songs and Dances from the Silk Road (2003), composed by Peter Breiner, were released on Naxos/Marco Polo (8.225972) earlier this month. Inspired by folksongs that may have been heard along the ancient Silk Road, this Suite for Violin and Orchestra is an uplifting work by a Western composer. Breiner interspersed traditional Chinese music of the period with European composition techniques. The overall effect is an insightful approach to cultural communication reaching out to audiences all around the world.

Naxos/Marco Polo (www.naxos.com) is one of the world’s leading classical music labels and offers a wide range of well played and well recorded music. “The Label of Discovery” issued Breiner’s original composition paired with The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto written in 1958 by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao. It is a clever choice and allows listeners to weigh this synthesis of Eastern and Western traditions against Breiner’s creation. Both pieces are performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Judd, and soloist Takako Nishizaki (violin).

Born in Czechoslovakia, Canadian composer Peter Breiner is also known as a conductor, pianist and arranger. Breiner’s own compositions have always been “multidimensional”. During his studies, he composed, along with traditional works (Symphony for Orchestra), various avant-garde pieces as well (Variations on the Theme of Alban Berg: Antithesis for Big Orchestra). Nonetheless, he was fascinated by crossing over different musical worlds already in his Concertino for Viola and Strings (1976-77). It was the idea of neoclassic confrontation that appeared at the beginning of Breiner’s composition experimentation (Concertino; Fractures; Talking Watch; Something Like a Concert for Piano and Orchestra; Little Suite). Later, he preferred a synthesis of both polarized types of music (Another Concert for Piano and Orchestra; “… to lighten your pathway…”; Sonata Ostinata; Concert for Orchestra and Orchestra) which brings his music closer to the world of Leonard Bernstein.

Breiner’s Sonata Ostinata played by the Smetana Trio has been recently released on the LOTOS label (LT0109), and received a FIVE-star rating by CBC’s Rick Phillips in his program Sound Advice. Composed in 1988, Sonata Ostinata is a unique combination of elements blending classical piano trio and jazz piano trio. After its UK premiere in May 2001, Malcolm Miller wrote, “Breiner’s tonal and jazz modal harmony has a nostalgic flavour, sometimes recalling in texture the Gershwin-Heifetz arrangements, sometimes an almost Elgarian richness, notably in the suave lyrical melody …”

The idea of a hybrid product was behind Breiner’s commercially most successful Baroque arrangements of songs by the Beatles and Elvis Presley (CD Beatles Seasons 1985 as well as Beatles Go Baroque 1993 and CD Elvis Goes Baroque 1994).

Speaking “classic”, Breiner’s The Story is a monumental Passion composition created in 1985-1993. It is a Concert Oratorio composition constructed as Summa Passionis. The oratorio monumentality is represented not only by an extremely large orchestra, choir and five vocal soloists but also by the time dimension (90 minutes) of the composition. The Story premiered in 2001 at the Bratislava International Music Festival.

“… there must be something …”, Concerto for Piano, Violin, Violoncello and Orchestra was premiered by the Swiss ensemble Trio Animae and the Kosice State Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the composer in February 2002. In the review called Human Fate Melted in Tones, the press described this rare piece as “ … demonstration of intense observation, sincere understanding and masterful composition skills.”, and Breiner’s conducting as “brilliant and confident”. “[Breiner] truly created the world of ‘intimate’ contrasts; nevertheless, he kept the piece concise, technically as well as conceptually.” writes S. Curilla.

Takako Nishizaki

Nishizaki is one of the most frequently recorded and among the best selling violinists of all time. She performed in chamber music ensembles with Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and others. Takako Nishizaki performed and recorded with pianists such as Jeno Jando, Wolf Harden, Alexander Zaikin and Michael Ponti. Including her recordings of Chinese music, Nishizaki has recorded more than 100 CDs to date.

James Judd

James Judd is the Music Director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Principal Guest Conductor of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. His guest appearances include the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, National Arts Centre Orchestra of Ottawa, and many major orchestras in the USA. James Judd’s recent performances include recordings and concerts with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Monte-Carlo Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, to name a few.

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is now in its 53^rd year. Based in Wellington, NZSO performs regularly throughout New Zealand and overseas.

October 20, 2003

“Takako Nishizaki Charity Concert”In support of The Pathways Foundation Ltd

Toronto, ON – Peter Breiner and the Bratislava Chamber Orchestra will perform in a two-day charity concert in support of The Pathways Foundation Ltd to help children with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). Supported by Title Sponsor Ricoh HK Limited who is celebrating its 40^th Anniversary this year, the Takako Nishizaki Charity Concert will be held at the Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre on November 4 & 5, 2003. Takako Nishizaki is the soloist.

Conducting and playing the piano, Breiner will present his popular arrangements such as Troika (November) from Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons arranged by Breiner for Violin and Orchestra (Naxos 8553510). “It is an unashamed delight to listen to. Breiner’s orchestrations are soundly and unpretentiously conceived” (La Scena Musicale, July-August 2003).

The program also includes famous arrangements of Michelle and She Loves You from Beatles Go Baroque. Last month, Orchestra Da Camera Millenium, conducted by the Academy Award winning Luis Bacalov, played Beatles Go Baroque at Sagra Musicale Umbra Festival in Italian Perugia.

Peter Breiner (1957)

Born in Czechoslovakia, Breiner is a Toronto based composer, conductor, pianist and arranger. One of the world's most recorded musicians, with over 100 CDs in the last 10 years, Breiner has recently conducted the world premiere of two of his own compositions: The Story, an oratorio based on biblical texts and scored for solos, 2 choirs and a large orchestra; and "...there must be something...", Concerto for Piano, Violin, Violoncello and Orchestra.

Breiner has conducted, often doubling as a pianist, the Orchestre National de France, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, the Polish Radio and TV Symphonic Orchestra, among others. Breiner presents his concerts and piano recitals worldwide. Most recently he has performed in Hong Kong conducting the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in the Chinese New Year Concert. In May 2003 he performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and in New York City. His work has been also included in Canadian classics such as Anne of Green Gables, the CBC television show Wind at My Back and Timothy Findley's Piano Man's Daughter, produced by Whoopi Goldberg.

Takako Nishizaki

Having undergone a harsh experience in learning violin in her childhood, Takako Nishizaki strongly agrees with Pathways’ principle—“help children bridge the gap between true learning potential and current performance”. Nishizaki is one of the most frequently recorded and among the best selling violinists of all time. She performed in chamber music ensembles with Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and others.

Bratislava Chamber Orchestra

This chamber ensemble invited the most prominent members of the internationally acclaimed Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, performing and recording throughout the world.