Inventions ℗ 2026 Can-Am Trio
Released on: 2026-06-26 Main Artist: Can-Am Trio
Producer: Sarah Hamilton
Producer: Ronald Royer
The trio includes Sarah Hamilton on oboe, Dr. Geralyn Giovannetti on oboe (recently retired from Brigham Young University) and English hornist Anna Mattix of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Midnight Garden ℗ 2026 Akashic Classics Released on: 2026-02-13
Producer: Ronald Royer
Sitting in a beautiful garden in the dead of night is a wonderful time to contemplate and dream. The music on the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra’s album, Midnight Garden; Canadian Chamber Music and Songs, tells an engaging set of stories evocative of this nighttime activity. Five of the tracks on the album are songs with lyrics, which provide a clear storyline. The remaining eleven tracks feature expressive instrumental music, thus allowing for individual interpretation by the listener. It is hoped the listener will be taken on a moving musical journey throughout the album.
The Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra is thrilled to present this exciting collection of music by our group of gifted Canadian composers. We are proud that thirteen of the tracks are by composers who participated in our New Generation Composers’ Program, between 2016 and 2024.
The SPO wishes to thank our excellent group of seventeen performers for all their efforts to bring this collection of compositions to life so effectively!
Ronald Royer, SPO Artistic Director (January 2026)
Sponsors for various parts of this album: CCA, OAC, TAC, SOCAN, Telus, RBC Foundation, The Gooder Foundation
Journey Through Night: Canadian Music for String Quartet
℗ 2021 Akashic Rekords
Released on: 2021-10-29 Producer: Ronald Royer
The album CD contains these tracks, by composers connected with the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra:
1. Danzón Overture (Ronald Royer) 5:53
2. Suite from “The Pearl” Part I (Bruno Degazio) 5:33
3. Suite from “The Pearl” Part II (Bruno Degazio) 7:55
4. for Mor (Samuel Bisson) 4:12
5. String Quartet No. 1 – 1st Movement (Ronald Royer) 4:14
6. String Quartet No. 1 – 2nd Movement (Ronald Royer) 7:19
7. gibbons vs. Gibbons (Alex Eddington) 3:24
8. Victims of Eagles (Elizabeth Raum) 8:18
9. Dialectics (Daniel Mehdizadeh) 6:03
10. Journey Through Night Part I (Chris Meyer) 5:09
11. Journey Through Night Part II (Chris Meyer) 4:59
12. Journey Through Night Part III (Chris Meyer) 5:43
Learn more about the Odin Quartet: http://www.odinquartet.com/ | 
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/ odinquartet Learn more about Akashic Classics and Akashic Rekords: / @akashicrekords6447 | / akashikrekords | / akashicrekords Learn more about the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra: https://www.spo.ca
Cambria Master Recordings
2017
In short, this recording and the music so beautifully performed on it are, and will continue to be for many years, a precious gift to us all in the year of our nation’s 150th birthday. –
The WholeNote, Allan Pulker, January 23, 2017
Cambria Master Recordings
2009
Louise DiTullio-Flutes
Sinfonia Toronto, Ronald Royer-Conductor
“This CD was recently evaluated by me and I believe it is one of the best soloist performances of film music in recent years. Louise DiTullio’s flute playing is flawless and the choice of film music is outstanding, especially the suite from HOOK, arranged by Mark Watters. Also, the selections arranged by Ronald Royer make for very enjoyable listening. Because of its excellence I am designating this CD as Editor’s Choice, Best of the Month. It fully deserves any accolades it might receive. “
Roger Hall, Film Music Review, November 2010
World Premiere Recordings (Tracks 1, 3, 5 & 6)
Tracks 2 & 4 previously released on Night Star, Chamber Music by Ronald Royer– Akashic
Classics,
AE 23001.
INTRODUCTION
The Canadian Sinfonietta (CS) is a Toronto based classical music organization that performs a variety of concerts every year, featuring a large-scale orchestra, small intimate chamber ensembles, as well as a youth orchestra concerts and other activities. The mission of the Canadian Sinfonietta is to attract a new generation of concert goers by presenting concerts that have a balance of traditional and newly composed or culturally interesting programs. Our concerts are both accessible as well as new and fresh. Our programs often feature interdisciplinary artistic presentations, multi-cultural music, non-western instruments and diverse Canadian artists.
We are excited to present our first commercial album: Canadian Mosaic. Our ensemble, founded in 1998, is thrilled to be able to share our music worldwide. Performing Canadian music is part of our mandate, so it made sense to record music by some of the composers involved in our community. The music on this album finds its inspiration from various cultures from around the world, from Canada to the USA, France, China and more. Our hope is this Canadian musical mosaic will take you on an engaging and enjoyable journey.
We started planning the album in 2018, and recorded Mirage in the fall of 2019. We booked more recording sessions for June 2020 but had to cancel due to the pandemic. We didn’t give up and were able to record Romance No. 2 and Night Star in June 2022. We completed recording in February and June of 2024. We were thrilled to finally release the album on November 15, 2024 using the Toronto based record label, Akashic Rekords with their distributor, the Universal Music Group.
This project has been a special experience, allowing the musicians to work closely together creating a feeling of family and friendship. There was a lot of passion and love for music in creating this album, particularly since every piece is by a composer in our community. Thus the process began not just in the practice room, but with the composer, with whom the musicians could closely work with to create the best possible performance.
This album is the culmination of many years of work and perseverance by a group of devoted people in the organization. Tak Ng Lai, the founder and music director of the Canadian Sinfonietta, has given us his constant leadership and musical guidance. Tak Ng conducted four of the compositions on the album and provided his Romance No. 2. Aster Lai, the wife of Tak Ng, has been tireless working to raise money, not just for the album but for the over 26 years of concerts and events that the orchestra has been involved with. Plus, there are all the supporting members of the family who both play for and help with each and every event. This album is co-produced by artistic director and concertmaster Joyce Lai along with composer and conductor Ronald (Ron) Royer, each bringing their own expertise to the album. They led the planning and organization of the album, ran the recording sessions, and were
involved with editing and the distribution of the music. Joyce also performed on every work on the album, and Ron provided two compositions (Mirage and Night Star) and conducted the CS ensemble for Pilgrimage.
Acknowledgement needs to be given to the other composers involved on this album: CS composer-in-residence Michael Pepa, An-Lun Huang, and Bruno Degazio, who composed their works especially for the orchestra.
There are other wonderful musicians on the album, many of whom have performed with the ensemble for all 26 years. Two of our musicians were asked to take on a solo role, clarinetist Kaye Royer and mezzo soprano Maria Soulis. A special thank you goes to violist Máté Szücs, Hungarian born soloist and former principal violist of the Berlin Philharmonic, who graciously recorded with CS while on tour in Southern Ontario in 2019. Thanks also need to be given to
the recording engineers and editors and all the people behind the scenes who helped. Finally a big thank you to all the sponsors who’s donations made this recording happen.
1. Shreya Jha: Walk With Me (5:03) [notes and lyrics]
2. Elienna Wang: Rosé Leaves (5:36) [notes and lyrics]
3. Ted Runcie: Where Shadow Chases Light (5:42) [notes and lyrics]
4. Leela Gilday: All Alone (4:11)
5. Daniel Mehdizadeh: New Castles (5:12) [notes and lyrics]
6. Rachel McFarlane: Eternal Embrace (4:15) [notes and lyrics]
7. Bruno Degazio: Seven Parables of the Rising Dawn (17:09) [notes and lyrics]
8-10. Ronald Royer: Women of Dante’s Divine Comedy, Three Songs [notes and texts]
Danielle MacMillan, Mezzo Soprano (Tr. 1-10)
Maghan McPhee, Soprano (Tr. 3, 5)
Ronald Royer, Conductor (Tr. 1, 6-10)
Ted Runcie, Conductor (Tr. 3)
Kaye Royer, Clarinet (Tr. 1, 3, 6-10)
Kristin Day, Bassoon (Tr. 7-10)
Gilles Thibodeau, Horn (Tr. 1, 3, 7-10)
Lisa Tahara, Piano (Tr. 1-3, 5, 7-10)
Tanya Charles, Violin (Tr. 1, 3, 4, 6-10)
Alex Toskov, Violin (Tr. 3, 4, 6-10)
Matthew Antal, Viola (1-4, 6-10)
Samuel Bisson, Cello (1, 3-10)
Matt Antal, Recording Engineer; Jamie Way, Cover Design; Ronald Royer, Producer
.
In 2023, the SPO decided to embark on a musical journey. We asked ourselves: “How can artists respond to the times in which we live?” Our answer was to create a song cycle embracing the theme, “through adversity, hope”. We brought together composers with a variety of lived experiences and cultural perspectives, who were also at different stages of their lives and careers. We selected 2 singers and chose an ensemble of 8 musicians from the SPO community, including our ensemble-in-residence, the Odin Quartet. We asked mezzo soprano Danielle MacMillan to be involved as we developed the various stories, lyrics, and music. Some of our composers wrote their own lyrics, and others were inspired by and adapted historical works. Each composer maintained their own musical voice but worked collaboratively while creating their lyrics and music. The SPO wanted to create a unified song cycle with the goal of engaging and touching our audience with music that finds hope in the face of challenge. For the next stage, Songs of Hope was workshopped, rehearsed, performed and finally recorded. Soprano Maghan McPhee summed it up for our team,
“For me, this project reaffirmed a core truth: music isn’t just about notes and rhythms—it’s about the stories we tell and the bonds we form along the way.Here’s to hope, collaboration, and the enduring power of art to connect us all.”
World Premiere Recordings (Tracks 2-15)
Track 1 was previously released on Night Star, Chamber Music by Ronald Royer – Akashic Classics, AE23001.
Odin Quartet – Alex Toskov and Tanya Charles Iveniuk, Violins, Veronica Lee (1) and Laurence Schaufele (14), Violas, and Samuel Bisson, Cello.
1. Ronald Royer – Danzón Overture Remix, for String Quartet and Percussion (6:08) Odin Quartet, Alejandro Céspedes, Percussion
2. Bruno Degazio – Variations on The Wayfaring Stranger, for Clarinet, Cello and Piano (10:04) Kaye Royer, Clarinet, Ronald Royer, Cello, Talisa Blackman, Piano
3. Brandon Walker – Pastoral, for Oboe, Violin, Viola and Cello (4:41) Gillian Howard, Oboe, Corey Gemmell, Violin, Brenna McLane, Viola, Ronald Royer, Cello
4-6 Elizabeth Raum – Conversations for Flute and Piano (Excerpts) Lesley Duff, Flute, Talisa Blackman, Piano
7-9 Iranian Canadian Composers of Toronto (ICOT) – Images, for Clarinet, Trumpet, Bassoon, and Cello
Kaye Royer, Clarinet, Declan Scott, Trumpet, Larkin Hinder, Bassoon, Ronald Royer, Cello
10. Elizabeth Raum – Elegy from Phanton Drum, for Oboe, Violin, Viola and Cello (4:58) Gillian Howard, Oboe, Corey Gemmell, Violin, Brenna McLane, Viola, Ronald Royer, Cello
11. Ronald Royer – Toccata, for Violin and Piano (4:00) Corey Gemmell, Violin, Lisa Tahara, Piano
12. Rebekah Cummings – Embryo, for Flute and Electronics (8:37) Laurel Swindon, Flute
13. Daniel Mehdizadeh – Koozeh (Two Thousand Silent Pots of Clay), for Wind Ensemble (4:43) Winds of the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra, Ronald Royer, Conductor
14. Samuel Bisson – EPITAPH foratonality, Concertpiece for String Quartet and Orchestra (11:09) Odin Quartet, Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra, Ronald Royer, Conductor
15. , Encore: Ronald Royer – Variations on Green Bushes, for Solo Violin (6:51) Corey Gemmell, Violin
The Canadian Expedition album invites listeners to buckle up for a variety of musical journeys. Written by 10 Canadian composers, these excursions are inspired by musical and cultural elements from Canada, the United States, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. These expeditions range from the exciting cinematic orchestral showpiece, Epitaph, to the intimacy and humour of the solo violin Variations on Green Bushes. The composers use a variety of styles, instruments and themes, engaging listeners in thoughtful, and fun adventures.
This album also is a sequel to the SPO’s first commercial album, Canadian Panorama (2017). Both albums showcase a group of Canadian composers and professional performers who are part of SPO’s extended family. The SPO is thankful for all their efforts on this album, and we are pleased to present their talents to a national and international audience through this recording.
University of Toronto Schools: Alumni Musicians and Friends
Derek Bate, Aaron Dou, Su Jeon Higuera, & Annie Zhou – Piano
Billy Bao, Conrad Chow, Amir Safavi, Emma Meinrenken, & Aaron Schwebel – Violin
Donna Oh & Ronald Royer – Cello, Mark Laidman – Bass, Rebecca Moranis – Flute, James Sommerville – Horn, Cynthia Smithers – Soprano, Alastair Thorburn-Vitols – Boy Soprano, David Fallis – Narrator, & Alex Eddington – Conductor
10 -11. Alex Eddington (1980-): Bubblegum Delicious (based on poetry by Dennis Lee) (7:40 & 6:20): Cynthia Smithers – Soprano, Rebecca Moranis – Flute, Conrad Chow – Violin, Donna Oh – Cello, Aaron Dou – Piano, David Fallis – Narrator & Alex Eddington – Conductor (Premiere Recording)
Total Time: 72:38
Featuring newly composed Canadian and traditional European chamber music, I Remember is a compilation of artists reflecting on youth through music. The recording explores themes of playfulness, passion, nostalgia, joy, and love. These themes were in mind when five Canadian composers wrote their music and the performers chose the other pieces. All performers and Canadian composers featured on this CD are connected to University of Toronto Schools (UTS). Affiliated with the University of Toronto, UTS focuses on providing students from Grades 7 to 12 an exceptional academic experience. The music on this CD is an eclectic collection, representing an institution that supports varied individual interests, and celebrating a passion for learning.
Ronald Royer – Danzon (8:37)
Conrad Chow, Aaron Schwebel-Violins, Ronald Royer-Cello & Aaron Dou-Piano (Premiere Recording)
Danzon is inspired by two divergent sources, the city of Los Angeles and the In Nomine section of the Mass Gloria tibi Trinitas by John Taverner (c.1490-1545). Originally, this work was the fourth movement of my Dances with Time, a concerto for Flute, Cello, and Chamber Orchestra. For Danzon, the In Nomine musical material serves as the melodic inspiration and is transformed through the prism of Los Angeles, which contributes musical elements from Latin America and Film Noir movie scores.
Since I was born, grew up and began my career in Los Angeles, I felt Danzon would fit the theme: I Remember. I arranged Danzon to allow me to perform with two of my former UTS students (violinists Conrad Chow and Aaron Schwebel), and a current senior student, pianist Aaron Dou.
![Midnight Dance (Forgetting) [for Flute and Piano]](https://ronaldroyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/maxresdefault-2.jpg)
