G. Schirmer and Wise Music Group are pleased to announce a new publishing relationship with composer Ian Cusson. Best known for his operas, orchestral works, and art songs, Cusson is at the forefront of Canadian musicmaking. He is proudly of both Métis and French-Canadian heritage, and his scores are powered by both his culture vibrance and warmth of spirit.
“It is the honour of a lifetime to have my works published by G. Schirmer, whose roster includes some of the greatest composers of the present and past,” writes Cusson. “The Schirmer staff draw on the experience of more than a century in music publishing, while bringing a creative and forward-thinking approach to their work in the industry.”
Coming next season is the world premiere of a new opera by Cusson, Empire of Wild. Set to a libretto by Cherie Dimaline and based upon her bestselling novel, Empire of Wild unfolds against the landscape of Georgian Bay, where a woman searches for her missing husband. All the while, she treads a delicate line between their small-town life and the eerie allure of the spirit world. Cusson’s score thrillingly evokes the myth of the rogarou, a Métis werewolf-like figure that stalks both the forest and the human heart.
Empire of Wild premieres at Canadian Opera Company May 1, 2027, with COC Music Director Johannes Debus leading seven performances of Yvette Nolan’s production. Leading the cast is soprano Elisabeth St-Gelais, a frequent collaborator of Cusson’s and a fellow Indigenous musician working at the forefront of Canadian opera. Empire of Wild is commissioned by the Canadian Opera Company in collaboration with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, who recently gathered to workshop the opera.
Also taking place next season is the world premiere of Orbital, a new orchestral score commissioned by the Quebec Contemporary Music Society for Orchestre Metropolitain; Simon Rivard leads five performances starting February 27, 2027.
Cusson’s orchestral music continues to grow in popularity, with the upcoming UK premiere of his song cycle Un cri s’élève en moi by Orchestre symphonique de Montréal at the Edinburgh Festival on August 20.
The US premiere of his tone poem 1Q84: Sinfonietta Metamoderna takes place the Seattle Symphony May 13-14, 2027. Inspired by the beloved novel by Haruki Murakami, IQ84 was recently recorded by the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Alexander Shelley.
Ian Cusson was an inaugural Carrefour Composer-in-Residence with the National Arts Centre Orchestra for 2017-2019 and was Composer-in-Residence for the Canadian Opera Company for 2019-2021. He was a Co-artistic Director of Opera in the 21st Century at the Banff Centre and the recipient of the 2021 Jan V. Matejcek Classical Music Award from SOCAN and the 2021 Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize. He studied composition with Jake Heggie and Samuel Dolin, and piano with James Anagnoson at the Glenn Gould School. He is the recipient of the Chalmers Professional Development Grant, and grants through the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council. Ian is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. He lives in Collingwood, Canada with his wife and four children.
Above, Cusson and Monastra sign the publishing agreement at G. Schirmer's offices in New York City. For more information, please contact Andrew Stein-Zeller.
