Music Around the Corner is thrilled to announce the results of our 2025 Call for Scores for emerging Canadian composers!

 

This initiative is part of our continued commitment to celebrating Canadian artistry and amplifying fresh, diverse voices in contemporary classical music. We received a range of outstanding submissions from across the country, and after careful review, we are pleased to share the selected works that will be featured in our August 2025 concert series:

​

Selected Works:

​

• Gravity and Ghosts by Pari Bahrami

• Vignettes for String Quartet by Kalen Smith

​

These pieces will be performed live and professionally recorded as part of our August 2025 concert series. Audiences will have the opportunity to hear these exciting new works in intimate performances at two unique Toronto venues:

​

Concert Dates & Venues:

​

• Saturday, August 9 at 5:00 PM
  Glad Day Bookshop — 32 Lisgar St, Toronto, ON
   

• Sunday, August 10 at 7:30 PM
  Youthful Vengeance — 1110 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON
   

The composers will also have the opportunity to work directly with the musicians during rehearsals and present their pieces in person/virtually at the performances.

​

About the Composers:
​

​Pari Bahrami is a Canadian composer originally from Iran. Her music reflects a rich cultural background and a deep emotional connection to sound, shaped by early training in piano and advanced studies in composition at the University of Toronto. Pari’s music has been performed by ensembles around the world, and her works stand out for their emotional depth and artistic clarity, bridging diverse musical traditions and contemporary forms.

​

Kalen Smith is an award-winning Canadian composer and harpist currently pursuing his Master’s in Composition at McGill University. His eclectic musical language draws from his experience as a harpist, tonal and contemporary techniques, and influences from electronic music. Kalen’s work has been recognized nationally and internationally, with recent awards including the SOCAN Foundation's Choir and Electroacoustic categories, a commission from the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and first place in the 2024 USA International 8th Ruth Inglefield Composition Contest for Harp.

​

We congratulate both composers and thank all applicants for sharing their work with us. Stay tuned for more details—and mark your calendars!