The Black Fish (album)

The Black Fish is the debut solo album by contemporary composer Keyan Emami, released on October 7, 2022, on CMCCD 30422, an imprint of CMC Centrediscs/Naxos.^[1]

The Black Fish
Studio album by Keyan Emami
Released	October 7, 2022
Genre	Contemporary Classical
Length	35:30
Label	CMCCD 30422

Awards and nominations

The album was nominated for a JUNO Award in the category of Classical Composition of the Year (2023).^[2][3]

Critical reception

The WholeNote Magazine gave the album a positive review, stating, "In his three-movement inspirational work, Keyan Emami has crafted a multi-stylistic masterpiece that showcases his masterful ability to seamlessly blend elements from the symphonic, jazz, rock, world, and contemporary music genres."^[4]

Performance history

The Black Fish premiered at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada, on May 27, 2022, featuring a performance by the Black Fish Ensemble.^[5] The Black Fish was also performed on July 11, 2022, at the Meridian Arts Centre as part of the Tammuz Summer Tirgan Festival, and again on August 9, 2022, at Palais Royale as part of the Toronto Concert Orchestra Summer Concerts.^[6][7]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Dailiness"	8:18
2.	"Dreaming"	7:49
3.	"Swimming in D"	19:19
Total length:		35:30

All tracks are written by Keyan Emami.

Personnel

Musicians

• Keyan Emami – electronics, narrator
• Andrew Downing – bass
• Majd Sekkar – clarinet
• Louis Pino – percussion
• Naoko Tsujita – percussion
• Ton Beau String Quartet:
  • Bijan Sepanji – violin
  • Patrick Goodwin – violin
  • Alex McLeod – viola
  • Sarah Steeves – cello
• Kate Tavasoli – conductor

Production

• Roberto Occhipinti – producer
• Keyan Emami – audio design
• Pouya Hamidi – recording, editing & mixing
• Reuben Ghose – mastering
• Kate Tavasoli – audio assistant
• Mehdi Farahani – graphic design
• Revolution Recording Studio A, Toronto, ON

Further reading

Junos 2023: Full list of winners and nominees announced at CBC