Rachel Laurin’s Music and “Sonate des Saisons” Video Project

Pianist-Producer Minna Re Shin’s Dream: Performance Video Project Inspired by Rachel Laurin’s Music

I dream big, and sometimes these dreams become attainable as I continue to believe in the pursuit of the elusive and the remarkable.

I am exhilarated to have the opportunity to work on another multidisciplinary project and to share this pioneering work with you. Using my very first multidisciplinary project Sonate Tableaux as a point of departure and drawing inspiration from Sonate pour piano en mi mineur, Op. 2 (1982) by the Canadian female composer Rachel Laurin, my ambitious and audacious project Sonate des Saisons was born. The performance video component of my current project will embrace the intricate and intimate interaction of music, dance, and the world’s oldest abstract art form, Chinese calligraphy. As well, the imaginative interplay of cinematic applications and animations in motion design will bring another layer of artistic depth to the project.

It is highly unusual for a classical music video to capture interest at international film festivals which yearn for creative, original content. However, within an unprecedented period of just a little more than a year, my Sonate Tableaux garnered 11 Official Selections and 8 awards, including the Best Classical Music Video Award at the 5th Music Film Festival (Buenos Aires), the Jury Diamond Award for Best Short Music Video at the March 2022 edition of the Europe Film Festival U.K., and the Best Music Video Award at the spring 2022 edition of the FilmArte Festival (Madrid/Berlin).

In the wake of the unexpected recognition and success of Sonate Tableaux, I am even more driven to further challenge and move beyond the boundaries of the traditional visual presentation of classical music performance in my new project.

To help me conceptualize and realize this multidisciplinary project, I have the great honour and privilege of collaborating with a talented team of distinguished artists, including

And again, I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to co-produce the recording of Laurin’s Sonate, Op. 2 with the independent record label ombú productions.

So rare, a remarkable team committed to creative continuation!

Unfortunately, before I was able to set my Sonate des Saisons project in motion, Rachel Laurin passed away unexpectedly in August 2023. In light of her sudden departure, this innovative project will not only honour her memory but also celebrate the world-première commercial recording of this unknown yet powerful piano work written by a Canadian composer and interpreted by Canadian artists of different cultural backgrounds, uniting refined talent, artistic creativity, and unique vision in the multifaceted presentation.

"One Yang" (2002) by Ngan Siu-Mui

Getting the project off the ground has not been without challenges; it has taken a considerable amount of time, persistence, and patience to secure funding for this collaborative project. For the past two years, I have tried to seek grant funding from government agencies in Canada but with very little success. It was only recently on my third consecutive attempt of applying for funding from the Canada Council for the Arts that I was awarded a grant for my project. (The competition was fierce, and I feel blessed to be among the successful 16.6% applicants whose project funding requests were accepted.) However, the Canada Council for the Arts grant only covers 80% of the full cost of the production of this complex project.

Recently I recorded Laurin’s technically and musically challenging piano work. Having completed the first stage of production, my team and I now must find the remaining 20% in order to adequately bear the cost of the dance shoots of this multidisciplinary project (slated for January 2025); our hope is to take the beauty of the concrete and the physical and place it against and within the worlds of imagination which Sonate des Saisons encompasses—from the rental of high-quality film equipment and a green screen studio, which are an essential and versatile setup for chroma keying and other post-production visual effects, to the professional fees of the artists and film team who have been working and continue to work exhaustingly to see the materialization of their visionary artistic goals. I am determined to see our goals realized and the artists remunerated appropriately for their time and commitment to this collaborative project.

My team and I are reaching out to you to dream with us, to spread the word about our project within your circles, and to help us raise sufficient funds in order to bring this groundbreaking video project to fruition. Every dollar counts, and no contribution is too small; little gestures go a long way, and every simple act of support will be enormously appreciated.

We will offer donors who make contributions of $40 or more the option to have their names listed under “crowdfunding contributors” in the closing credits of the performance video.

Thank you for believing in our work, helping us fulfill our dream, supporting the performing and visual arts, and providing us an opportunity to make an impact in the fostering of cultural diversity and innovative spirit.