Having lived in Banff for most of two years, in 1984-95 and 1987-88, this place holds so many fond memories. My first time there was the first year away from my native Quebec. I found myself surrounded by mountains, wilderness, and lots of fantastic musicians! The friendships built over my time there are still alive today, with the likes of extraordinary people such as Jean-David Coen, Bryan Pezzone, David Travers-Smith, Sue Gould, Brenda Fedoruk, Don Ross, to name but a few who have helped me find my voice as a musicians. And then the incredible winter sessions at The Banff Centre, organized by the Rolston family (Tom and Isobel) and Robert Aitken. Thanks to them I got to meet and work with a who’s who of the music world; Iannis Xenakis, Toru Takemitsu, George Crumb, Mauricio Kagel, Menahem Pressler, Alan Hacker, Mario Bernardi, and many more.

Since then I’ve been going back several times, almost on a yearly basis, to do residencies at The Leighton Artist Colony, the music program, as an artist and also as faculty. More recently, Kyle Brenders was responsible for having me there working with composer Linda Bouchard and my trio with Gordon Grdina and Kenton Loewen..

Heading out of Banff, I made an extra stop at Moraine Lake, one of the most iconic places in Canada. If you look at an old Canadian $20 bill, you’ll know what I’m talking about! This was the location for R. Murray Schaffer’s Princess of the Star, and where the whole of Alan Hacker’s clarinet class played Mesomedes of Crete’s Hymn to the Sun, in the summer of 1984. I revisited with that memory so fresh in my mind,. I played for a bunch of tourists from Iran, China, Japan, and other Canadian provinces.