We've recently discovered a treasure trove of old recordings down in the basement of the CBC in Vancouver. Most of these LPs date from the late '60s and '70s (1969 was, for whatever reason, a particularly fruitful year), and they capture some great Canadians who went on to establish international careers in the classical music world. And we can't wait to share them with you. Up first, Corey and Katja Cerovsek.
Violinist Corey and his sister Katja, a pianist, recorded their first album for the CBC in 1987 when Corey was 15 and Katja was 18.
The Cerovseks were born in Vancouver. Their parents had moved to the West Coast from their native Austria. They both began music lessons early and were soon winning major festivals and competitions. Corey made his debut with the Calgary Philharmonic when he was nine; Katja when she was 10. Both went on to study at Indiana University, which in the '80s was considered one of the best schools in the world, and both were established professionals by the time they were in their early 20s.
Corey wasn't just a teenage violin virtuoso, he was also a brilliant mathematician and had completed his course work for doctorates in both music and mathematics by the time he graduated from Indiana at age of 18.
Katja later went on to law school and practiced in San Diego. Just last year she married a doctor and is now, at 43, awaiting the birth of her first child.
Corey now lives in Paris and still has a thriving musical career. This past summer he gave concerts in Venezuela, Switzerland, France and Canada (he was back home with the VSO in August). He's also a practicing mathematician and says he's found a comfortable balance between his two passions. He recently recorded the Beethoven violin sonatas and relaxed between takes by working on software code.
Corey works part time helping to create a computer program that simulates human organs for use in medical education. As far as he's concerned, "computer code can be as creative and beautiful as music."
Violinist Corey and his sister Katja, a pianist, recorded their first album for the CBC in 1987 when Corey was 15 and Katja was 18.
The Cerovseks were born in Vancouver. Their parents had moved to the West Coast from their native Austria. They both began music lessons early and were soon winning major festivals and competitions. Corey made his debut with the Calgary Philharmonic when he was nine; Katja when she was 10. Both went on to study at Indiana University, which in the '80s was considered one of the best schools in the world, and both were established professionals by the time they were in their early 20s.
Corey wasn't just a teenage violin virtuoso, he was also a brilliant mathematician and had completed his course work for doctorates in both music and mathematics by the time he graduated from Indiana at age of 18.
Katja later went on to law school and practiced in San Diego. Just last year she married a doctor and is now, at 43, awaiting the birth of her first child.
Corey now lives in Paris and still has a thriving musical career. This past summer he gave concerts in Venezuela, Switzerland, France and Canada (he was back home with the VSO in August). He's also a practicing mathematician and says he's found a comfortable balance between his two passions. He recently recorded the Beethoven violin sonatas and relaxed between takes by working on software code.
Corey works part time helping to create a computer program that simulates human organs for use in medical education. As far as he's concerned, "computer code can be as creative and beautiful as music."
Here's some of the beautiful music they recorded in 1987 at the Church of St. Timothy in Toronto: the Sonatensatz by Johannes Brahms: