We are proud to announce that our release of Songs for Murdered Sisters is nominated for the 2022 JUNO Awards which will take place on Sunday, May 15.
Songs for Murdered Sisters from Joshua Hopkins and Jake Heggie has been nominated for Classical Album of The Year (Solo Artist)!
Following the murder of his sister in 2015, acclaimed Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins set out on a journey to use his personal and professional voice to wake people up to the global epidemic of violence against women. His call to action inspired the great Canadian author Margaret Atwood to write Songs for Murdered Sisters, a brilliant set of eight poems that American composer Jake Heggie then set to music.
In this 27-minute song cycle, a devastated wanderer attempts to find meaning and answers within a landscape of love, loss, grief, anger, rage, and possible redemption.
“My sister Nathalie Warmerdam was murdered by her ex-boyfriend Basil in September 2015. Two other women, Carol Culleton and Anastasia Kuzyk, were murdered by the same man on the same morning, both having had relationships with Basil in the past. I felt helpless. This tragedy devastated my family and the entire community in which I grew up. It also opened my eyes to the worldwide epidemic of gender-based violence.
Songs for Murdered Sisters is a tribute to Nathalie, Carol and Anastasia and the countless sisters we have lost over the years. If these songs can awaken the heart of someone who does not yet recognize the gravity of this epidemic, or motivate someone to do their part, take action and perhaps save someone from a similar plight, then I may truly hope to honor my sister’s memory.”
– Joshua Hopkins
