RADIO FREE KASLO, April 4, 2025

The upside to all the craziness sweeping the planet right now? Canadians are discovering — or in some cases, rediscovering — how lucky we are to be living in such an astonishing country.For example, when it comes to music, we all know Canada is, with no hyperbole, a world leader. Toss around names like Joni, Neil, Leonard, and Céline in a London pub or a Delhi market, and people will nod knowingly. But we also rock classical music. I've always been a huge fan of Glenn Gould, and have featured his piano virtuosity many times on this show. Today, I'm delighted to introduce three other towering Canadian classical music talents: composer Harry Somers, pianist Angela Hewitt, and violinist James Ehnes.Ah, but no Radio Free Kaslo episode would be complete without at least a little Kootenay contact. So when I found myself in Nelson this week, feeling a little down, what with all that's happening around us, I wandered into Thor's Pizza, for decades Nelson's go-to place for a pie, a slice — and a hearty pick-me-up of optimism, kindness, and humour — delivered daily, by owners Annie & Mike Garbula. I had a chance to have a conversation with Pizza Mike himself, and captured it for you to enjoy!