WSO’s Elation Pauls Releases Debut Album SUSTENANCE on May 13

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s Elation Pauls (Assistant Principal Violin II) is celebrating a major milestone on May 13 with the international digital release of her debut album, SUSTENANCE, on the SPEKTRAL label out of Germany. Recorded at Toronto’s Noble Street Studios in January 2024 with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the album features newly commissioned works by prominent Canadian composers Carmen Braden, Cris Derksen, Iman Habibi, Kelly-Marie Murphy, and Karen Sunabacka, as well as composer-pianists David Braid and Serouj Kradjian (both of whom also perform on the album alongside Pauls).

Pauls writes, “In 2020, the world was overcome by a global health crisis. In the face of isolation and silence, I found myself grappling with the elemental question of what sustains and nourishes us when we are suffering. SUSTENANCE…is my response to that question. From the energy and joy that the interactive elements of song, play, and dance ignite, to themes of internal sustenance provided by the divine and more tangible elements of food and water, these new compositions explore personal and collective sources… In listening to and experiencing this music, may you discover something new, contemplate something old, and find an audible nugget of sustenance that you will want to share with others and hear again and again.”

The album will be available on all platforms starting May 13, and CDs can be pre-ordered for $25 at violinelation.com.