Classical Music and Composers
Classical music in Canada has it's origins from the European classical music brought to the country from 1630 onwards. Other ethnic styles also influenced classical music in Canada such as Hindustani, Indian and Chinese classical music.
From those roots, Canadian composers evolved and were fortunate to have a great infrastructure of many venues, performance halls, theatres and even a classical radio station, CBC to expose and feed the great interest in classical music. Even some pop music has it's roots in the classical genre (with even Michael Jackson being an avid classical music fan from which he may have "borrowed" at least some of the rich chordal color and texture as well as melodic themes.
The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto remains the premiere education source for classical musicians and composers and several other noteable schools exist throughout the country that specialize in classical music training. Symphony orchestras abound, from Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Saskatoon,Toronto and Regina Sympony Orchestras to the CBC Radio Orchestra.
A cadre of instrumentalists hail from Canada and have inspired worldwide audiences. The Canadian Music Centre archives Canadian compositions. Even today for your listening pleasure, you can find some FM classical radio stations such as CJPX 99.5 FM in Montreal and CFMZ 96.1 FM Toronto.
This collection of works allows you to play melody lines and chords of
many popular classical compositions with ease. A good way to familiarize yourself
with these great works.
 
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Classical Fake Book: Over 850 Classical Themes and Melodies in the Original Keys
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If you want a great, entertaining and informative overview to get you up to speed and create inspiration, try working through the classical fake book for piano, or listen to some great classical music on the radio, on the internet, or on CD. Even if you are active in other genres, you are sure to get inspiration and even some great ideas from enveloping yourself in some of the classics.
Noteworthy Featured CANADIAN COMPOSERS:
| Percy Faith (1908-1976) | Toronto, Ontario | Grammy for Record of the Year in 1961 "Theme from a Summer Place" |
| Sophie Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté | Winnipeg (Russia) | Exceptional Symphony No. 2 "Manitoba" and other violin, piano and bassoon compositions. |
| Conrad Bernier (1904-1988) | Quebec | organist and exceptional Canadian composer |
| Otto Joachim (1910- ) | Montreal (Germany) | electroacoustic and aleatoric works |
| Paul Shaffer (1949- ) | Toronto- | Late night show with David Letterman! also Blues Brothers |
| Harry Somers (1925-1999) | Toronto | |
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