Art of Time Ensemble with Sarah Slean

HOW DID THESE NINE EXQUISITE SONGS COME INTO THE WORLD? They are, of course, a mutual venture involving the imaginations and abilities of a number of figures from in and around Toronto. Let us start with Andrew Burashko. A classically trained pianist, from Moscow by way of Bathurst-and-Finch and the Royal Conservatory of Music, Burashko burst onto the scene early, debuting as a teenager with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. As he was touring North America and Europe as a soloist, he began to develop ideas on how to present music – avant-garde, popular, cabaret, jazz – in ways audiences hadn’t experienced.

“I was always looking for a way to reach outside of the classical music world,” he says. “Classical music can be compelling to anybody if it’s presented in the right context.” The result was The Art of Time Ensemble – an ever-evolving chamber music series that has integrated performers from the dance, theatre, film, literary, and circus worlds.