Those questions lie at the heart of THE HORN SPEAKS, a new recording by composer David Jaeger and French horn soloist Olivia Esther, set for release October 9, 2026. The album places the horn at the center of an intimate musical dialogue between poetry, melody and performance.

Joining Esther are soprano Sara Schabas, French horn player Victor Prado, pianist Stephanie Chua, and violinist Joyce Lai.

Rather than treating the French horn simply as an instrumental voice, Jaeger’s compositions make it the principal protagonist. Inspired entirely by poetry, the works explore the horn’s capacity for intimacy, reflection and emotional expression.

The album grew out of an artistic collaboration between Jaeger and Esther that has developed over several years. Each composition was written specifically for Esther, taking into account her singular approach to interpretation and performance.

At the heart of THE HORN SPEAKS are poems by Scottish author David Cameron, the late English-Canadian author Seán Haldane, and Canadian author Bruce Whiteman. Their words are not merely a source of inspiration; they are woven into the structure and character of the music.

Melody, rhythm, harmony, articulation and tempo emerge directly from the poetry. Spoken recitations appear throughout the recording alongside the horn’s contemplative musical passages, creating an interplay in which words and instrumental sound continually illuminate one another.

The result is less like a conventional instrumental album and more like an intimate performance in which poetry and music share the same stage.

For Esther, the project also reflects her concept of “Artistic Crosstraining,” a methodology she developed during her master’s studies. Drawing on disciplines including dance, acting, singing, literature and visual art, the approach is intended to expand the expressive possibilities of musical performance.

That philosophy is particularly suited to Jaeger’s compositions, which Esther approaches not simply as musical scores but as artistic narratives shaped by the poetry behind them.

The works were composed over a six-year period and present the French horn in a variety of settings. At times Esther performs alone; elsewhere the horn is paired with soprano or another horn, while one work brings together horn, violin and piano.

Despite these changing combinations, the horn remains the central voice.

Through the collaboration, Jaeger and Esther have developed a body of work that challenges conventional ideas about the role of the French horn. Traditionally associated with orchestral and chamber music, the instrument here becomes something more personal: a storyteller capable of carrying poetic imagery through breath, tone, rhythm and silence.

THE HORN SPEAKS ultimately asks listeners to reconsider what an instrumental voice can communicate. Pensive, lyrical and at times deeply moving, the recording creates a space where poetry can become melody and the French horn can become a vehicle for memory, reflection and human emotion.

When the final note fades, the question remains: if the horn could speak, what would it say?

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The instrumentation ranges from assorted quiet percussion in Spencer’s Angels in Arches of Hildegard’s Bingen (in which Johnston is also called upon to intone the text), vibraphone (Hatzis and Jaeger), marimba (Kerr), flowerpots (Rzewski) and temple bowls, temple bells and Thai gongs (Johnston). The Hatzis and Jaeger works also include playback of electroacoustic sounds, and in Kerr’s November we hear the haunting voice of the late character actor Kenneth Welsh reciting a poem by Robert Frost. In each case rich sound worlds are created using minimal resources, a case in point being Rzewski’s To the Earth in which the performer strikes simple clay pots while reciting words that honour the earth.

Jaeger’s Lyrics II pays homage to Canadian composer, broadcaster and co-founder of New Music Concerts Norma Beecroft, referencing her pioneering work in electronic music. We also hear a brief quotation from Beecroft’s celebrated The Living Flame of Love. The disc ends with Johnston’s vocal interpretation of Sara Teasdale’s poem The Crystal Gazer, accompanied by ever more intense Thailand gongs, providing a dramatic close to this beautifully realized album.

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Karen Usha performed two unaccompanied settings by David Jaeger. The Latest Bad News from Baghdad (poetry by George Elliott Clarke and Leilah Nadir) and An Invitation (poetry by Sudharshana Rajasingam).

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FINDING HER VOICE is a journey through sound, history, and identity. The recording brings together works by Julie Spencer, Christos Hatzis, Samuel Kerr, Frederic Rzewski, David Jaeger, and Johnston herself, whose two structured improvisations frame the album with personal reflection.

From the album notes…. In 1988, David Jaeger composed Lyrics for Solo Marimba, a multi-movement work written for Beverley Johnston. 37 years later, Johnston invited Jaeger to create a new piece for FINDING HER VOICE, this time paying homage to an iconic female figure in Canadian music. Jaeger chose Norma Beecroft (1934–2024), composer, broadcaster, and founding director of New Music Concerts in Toronto.

Beecroft was a trailblazer: one of the few women of her generation to champion electronic music, a field largely dominated by men. Her pioneering work opened doors for future composers and performers, and her influence extended far beyond her own compositions. In Lyrics II, Jaeger reflects on Beecroft’s electronic sound world, weaving vibraphone and electronics into a seamless dialogue. The piece also quotes one of her most celebrated choral works, The Living Flame of Love, as a tribute to her artistry.

As part of FINDING HER VOICE, Lyrics II honors Beecroft not only as a composer but as a visionary who reshaped Canada’s contemporary music landscape. Through Jaeger’s homage and Johnston’s performance, her voice continues to resonate, reminding us of the importance of recognizing and celebrating women whose contributions have defined and expanded the boundaries of music.

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The JUNO Award-winning Elmer Iseler Singers (EIS), conducted by artistic director Lydia Adams since 1998, is singing its 47th Concert Season in 2025/26. This 20-voice professional choral ensemble, founded by the late Dr. Elmer Iseler in 1979, has thrilled audiences internationally, and led the way in developing exciting new choral works and experiences, building a stellar reputation in Canada, the United States and abroad, performing a wide range of repertoire with a focus on Canadian composers.

Mark Wigmore, Program Director of The New Classical FM discussed The Earth Sings with Lydia Adams and David Jaeger on Thursday, April 8, 2026 at 1:45pm. Click below to listen to the interview:

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Julius Schepansky is a Montréal based concert artist and is currently enrolled in the U de Montréal Doctoral Performance program mentored by Joseph Petric.

Spirit Cloud was co-composed by David Jaeger and Joseph Petric.

The live video was made by Jean-Paul Desjardins.

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Steven Vieria notes that, ” Much of my earlier work was composition with a purpose—songs and arrangements for schools, institutions, and music editing. These projects were often shaped by external needs, but they also laid the groundwork for my evolving voice as a composer. In recent years, my focus has shifted toward writing piano music, with an emphasis on creating pieces that can be performed live.

Experiments with Tape and Piano (2026) explores our relationship with electroacoustic music. The performance blends live acoustic piano and electronic music. This series utilizes elements of ambient music, live electronic music, as well as elements of Musique Concrète and recorded music in order to investigate their compositional techniques and sound.”

Alan Torok writes, “My piece, Biography, for piano-trio, is a musical narrative—a kind of instrumental opera. 

In five movements, it evokes aspects and important scenes from the life of the black American soul singer and songwriter, James Brown.

It is well known that Brown lived an epic life of grand social and musical achievement… and great sin.

My music tries to paint such a larger than life picture.” We will hear two of the five movements.

David Jaeger notes that, “Last month Club members were introduced to soprano Karen Usha when she sang four of my songs. Karen’s remarkable singing provoked several listeners to immediately ask for her to return. I have composed dozens of settings of poetry for her, and as a result there is no shortage of works to showcase in bringing her back. Karen has selected several of her favourites from my canon, including a new setting of the poem, An Invitation by the Sri Lankan-Canadian author, Sudharshana Rajasingam. Tonight’s performance will be the Premiere of this work.”

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David Jaeger’s Two Tigers for flute and marimba was performed by  Katie Kirkpatrick (alto flute) and Bevis Ng (marimba) on April 26th at the Hamilton International Contemporary Music Festival.

Notes from the composer – This work is a short set of double variations. The theme is made up of 2 phrases, one chromatic and one diatonic. The variations are alternatively based on these contrasting phrases. This process parallels an image by the late Toronto artist, Milton Jewell. In Jewell’s painting, two tigers are resting on a proscenium, their gazes distant and self-absorbed, as if lost in reflection. In musical terms, I think of each variation as a depiction of the private musings of the two creatures, which often turn out to be less than ferocious.

HICMF was founded in 2024 to support an active contemporary music scene in Hamilton.

This coming spring concert features three finalist’s works from an international Call for Scores.

The finalists were chosen by an esteemed panel of judges based on their submitted scores solely.

At this concert you will experience excellent music performed by fabulous musicians! Further information at HICMF’s website.

Ensemble members:

Katie Kirkpatrick (Alto Flute), Kailan Fournier (Clarinet), Christopher Jones (Saxphone), Diane Dahyeon Kim (Violin)

Veronica Zupanic (Violin), Marlena Pellegrino (Viola), Chole Liang (Cello), Nikki Hung (Percussion), Bevis Ng (Percussion)

-Program-

• Weaving by Chikage Iamai
• Verde Malachite by Chikako Iversen
• Dark Night Above the Woods by Michael Blazek
• Sequenza Vii b by Luciano Berio
• Two Tigers by David Jaeger
• The Machine, The Heart by Boya Liu
• Turbulence by Tianci Lu
• A Vertical Dream by Mehrdad Jafari Raad

Call for Score judges:

Gary Kulesha, Joe Lio, Stephen Morris, Chikako Iversen

Producer Chikako Iversen, Co-Producer Stephen Morris, Artistic Adviser David Jaeger, Music Adviser Bob Becker

Gasworks 141 Park Street N, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8R2N4

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The Imagined brings together four evocative solo piano works by Alice Ping Yee Ho, performed with nuance, brilliance, and emotional depth by Christina Petrowska Quilico. This recording was produced by David Jaeger.

Each piece opens a distinct imaginative world — shaped by visual art, theatre, mythology, and personal memory — yet together they form a cohesive exhibition of sound and narrative. Across these works, the piano becomes both storyteller and canvas, guiding listeners through landscapes that exist only in the mind.

In this collection, the piano is more than an instrument; it is a vehicle for storytelling, a medium of translation between the visual, the mythical, and the remembered. The Imagined celebrates the transformative power of creativity, the dialogue between East and West, and the enduring capacity of music to evoke worlds both real and imagined.

Programme:

• Pictures from an Imagined Exhibition:
  1. Free Strokes
  2. Distant Drums
  3. Mystical Mountains
  4. Dancing Colours
• Hong Kong Nostalgia
  1. Connaught Mansion
  2. Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas
  3. Night Markets
• A Manic Ride through Lollipop Hell
  1. The Labyrinth
  2. A Sad Lullaby
  3. The Great Escape

This performance will be at The Canadian Music Centre, Chalmers Performance Space , 20 St. Joseph Street, Toronto, ON M4Y 1J9, on April 21, 2026 at 7:30pm

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The concert will feature pieces from her latest album Finding Her Voice. (Navona) with works by Jodi Contin, Christos Hatzis, Norbert Palej, Julie Spencer, Holly Winter, David Jaeger, Frederic Rzewski.

The performance will take place at the KW Little Theatre, 9 Princess Street East, Waterloo ON on Saturday April 18, 2026 at 7:00pm.

Tickets are available here.

Beverley Johnston is one of Canada’s most celebrated percussionists, internationally acclaimed for her electrifying performances on marimba and percussion. Known for her unconventional and theatrical style, she seamlessly blends classical transcriptions, contemporary works, and dramatic flair to captivate audiences across North America and around the globe. In 2024, Johnston was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame, and received The Toronto Musicians’ Association Lifetime Achievement Award — honors that reflect her profound impact on the musical landscape. In 2025 she was awarded the Oskar Morawetz Award for Excellence in Music Performance.

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