ADI BRAUN is a singer/songwriter with a long list of cabaret, concert and theatre successes to her credit. She has performed in major jazz and concert venues in Canada, the United States, and Europe. In the fall of 2023 Adi released her sixth critically-acclaimed CD, “Night and Day – The Cole Porter Songbook”, which which had its premiere with full orchestra at the Rose Theatre, Brampton in February, 2025. Her other recordings include “Moderne Frau (Modern Woman)”, a tribute to the music of Weimar Berlin; “Canadian Scenes I”, featuring some of her own compositions; “Live at the Metropolitan Room” from New York City; “The Rules of the Game”, and “Delishious”.

Adi has received and been nominated for numerous awards, including “Best Major Jazz Vocalist of the Year” by New York’s Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs, and two Juno album short-lists. Her repertoire ranges from the Great American songbook, to European cabaret, to contemporary songs by Canadian legend’s Shirley Eikhard and Gordon Lightfoot, among others.

In addition to performing, Adi is a sought-after German Diction and Lieder coach, has co-hosted “Classical Mornings” on the New Classical FM, and frequently speaks on topics related to Weimar Cabaret.

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ROBIN BLACKBURN MCBRIDE is a Canadian novelist, poet, teacher, and coach. Her new novel River of Dreams will be released on October 1, 2026 by Guernica Editions. Robin’s first full-length work of fiction, The Shining Fragments, and a volume of her poetry, In Green, were also published by Guernica. Robin is the author of a self-help book, Birdlight: Freeing Your Authentic Creativity.

Her short stories and poems have appeared in a variety of North American literary magazines. For many years, Robin worked as a full-time English and language arts teacher, including two decades at Toronto’s Branksome Hall. Before that, she worked as an actress. Robin holds degrees in English, drama, and education from the University of Toronto.

She lives with her husband, Hugh, and their black cat, Poe, in Gatineau, Québec.

Author | Poet | Coach - Robin Blackburn McBride

River of Dreams – Guernica Editions

Robin's playlist:

THE LARK ASCENDING / Ralph Vaughn Williams

BONNIE RAITT

LADY GAGA

MELISSA MANCHESTER

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AMBE (Chronos Vocal Ensemble ) Composer: Andrew Balfour www.instagram.com/andrewbalfour_

PIXABAY Royalty Free Music

ADI BRAUN is a singer/songwriter with a long list of cabaret, concert and theatre successes to her credit. She has performed in major jazz and concert venues in Canada, the United States, and Europe. In the fall of 2023 Adi released her sixth critically-acclaimed CD, “Night and Day – The Cole Porter Songbook”, which which had its premiere with full orchestra at the Rose Theatre, Brampton in February, 2025. Her other recordings include “Moderne Frau (Modern Woman)”, a tribute to the music of Weimar Berlin; “Canadian Scenes I”, featuring some of her own compositions; “Live at the Metropolitan Room” from New York City; “The Rules of the Game”, and “Delishious”.

After beginning her career in classical music, Adi started “singing sideways” in the late ‘90s and returned to her first love, which she calls “cabarazz”, drawing on aspects from both cabaret and jazz. Adi has received andbeen nominated for numerous awards, including “Best Major Jazz Vocalist of the Year” by New York’s Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs, and two Juno album short-lists. Her repertoire ranges from the Great American songbook, to European cabaret, to contemporary songs by Canadian legend’s Shirley Eikhard and Gordon Lightfoot, among others.

In addition to performing, Adi is a sought-after German Diction and Lieder coach, has co-hosted “Classical Mornings” on the New Classical FM, and frequently speaks on topics related to Weimar Cabaret.

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Violinist and violist BARRY SHIFFMAN has a rich and varied career as a performer, recording artist, teacher, and administrator. Shiffman made his debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at the age of 15. In 1989, he co-founded the St. Lawrence String Quartet (SLSQ). During his 17 years with the quartet he appeared in over 2,000 concerts in venues around the globe (including Rockport Music), and recorded several critically acclaimed discs under an exclusive contract with EMI Classics.

In addition to performing and recording, Shiffman is a sought-after violin and viola teacher and chamber music coach. Passionately committed to the composers of our time, he has been involved in the premieres of hundreds of new works, both in the St. Lawrence Quartet and beyond.

From 2006-2010, he served as Director of Music Programs at Banff Centre and from 2010-2016 was the Artistic Director of the Centre’s Summer Music Programs and Executive Director of the Banff International String Quartet Competition. During his tenure at The Banff Centre he introduced new programming in classical music performance, composition, popular music and Jazz and oversaw the dramatic growth of The Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC), which he continues to direct.

Since the fall of 2010, he has been at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where he has served as Associate Dean and Director of Chamber Music at the Glenn Gould School and Dean of the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists. In July 2026, he assumed the role as Dean of the esteemed institution. In addition to his work at Banff Centre and The Royal Conservatory, Shiffman has served as Executive Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Music in the Morning Concerts from 2009-2017.

He is the recipient of the Nadia Boulanger Prize for Excellence in the Art of Teaching awarded by the Longy School of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Calgary.

BARRY'S PLAYLIST

ASTOR PIAZZOLA, ENNIO MORRICONE & JOSEPH HAYDN

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MUSIC FOR THIS EPISODE:

AMBE (Chronos Vocal Ensemble / Jordan Van Biert, cond.)

Composer: Andrew Balfour www.instagram.com/andrewbalfour_

K'VAKARAT (Arethusa Quartet/Animato Quartet/Barry Shiffman) PHENOTYPIC RECORDINGS Phenotypic Recordings / Music | Phenotypic RecordingsPIXABAY Royalty Free Music