Canadian Music Centre launches CentreStreams

Canadian Music Centre launches CentreStreams ’Äì providing unprecedented online access to Canadian classical music

December 8th, Toronto, ON - The Canadian Music Centre (CMC) is pleased to announce the launch of its newest online initiative ’Äì CentreStreams. Designed to provide music enthusiasts across Canada (and abroad) with online streaming access to a catalog of over 8,000 contemporary classical works by Canadian composers, CentreStreams once again positions the CMC as a leader among international music information centres.

Prior to the launch of this initiative, performers, conductors, researchers, teachers and students were required to visit one of the CMC's five regional offices to access the extensive collection in its Ann Southam Audio Archive. CentreStreams will now provide countless more Canadians with access to this material ’Äì which truly is a national treasure.

CMC is especially proud of the timing of this launch as it serves as a kick-off to the organization's 50^th Anniversary celebrations which begin in January 2009.

CentreStreams represents the next stage in the CMC's online strategy, which also includes the Sounds New podcast, the New Music in New Places social network, several award-winning online educational activities (Composer Portraits: Influences of Many Musics, Sound Adventures and Sound Progression) and the availability of recordings from its Centrediscs label on all major music download services. We look forward to finding ways to further integrate these online projects while also exploring further opportunities to bring Canadian classical music to an ever larger online audience.

The three-year process to design, implement and launch CentreStreams could not have taken place without the financial support of the Heritage Policy Branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada, the ongoing cooperation of CBC Radio 2 (a partner of the CMC's for almost 50 years) and the leadership of CMC's extremely talented Web Developer/Architect Travis McCauley. We are very thankful for the commitment that each of these partners showed for the project.

The Canadian Music Centre, founded in 1959 is the primary resource for music scores, parts and recordings of Canadian contemporary music. Housing Canada's largest collection of Canadian classical music works, distributed through its 5 Regional Centres and Libraries, the CMC exists to promote the works of its Associate Composers in Canada and abroad. The Centre makes available for sale or rental more than 18,000 scores and/or works of Canadian contemporary classical music composers through its on-demand Music Publishing Services. Visit www.musiccentre.ca.