Vanessa Croome, Joanne Kang, Duo Étrange - i wish i were dead (2026) [Hi-Res]

i wish i were dead is a bold exploration of contemporary classical music devoted to works written by composers who are very much alive today. Duo Étrange directly questions our relationship to creation, recognition, and legacy, posing a universal question: why does art seem to matter only once it is too late? The album responds by inviting audiences to celebrate the classical music of the present—here and now—with a new curiosity. Listeners may be surprised by what they find.

Free from the clichés often associated with classical music, i wish i were dead offers an immersive and accessible listening experience for seasoned enthusiasts and curious listeners alike. Inspired by a search for a new classical sound, these works blend heritage and modernity — ancient techniques bring the past to life with a fresh new voice. Duo Étrange has created an aesthetic that is intimate, powerful, and timeless, revealing a new depth of musical expression with the rare pairing of voice and cello.

The album brings together a striking range of commissioned and existing works from some of today’s most innovative and celebrated composers. Using texts inspired by the shared stories of humanity, the album weaves through multiple soundworlds; from the ancient to the completely contemporary, always anchored to a strong reverence for tonality and form. Juno award winner Nicole Lizée’s new work Urbexcelsis makes its world premiere alongside music by Airat Ichmouratov (Rubaiyat, op. 82), Laurence Jobidon (Simone: Modern Myth), and Fong Jeffrey. Luna Pearl Woolf’s cycle Rumi: Quatrains of Love, as well as original duo arrangements of Maya Fridman’s Tree of Life and Anders Hillborg’s Kväll round out the collection. Listeners will discover echoes of the past laced throughout these bold exploratory works where mortality, spirituality, and love intertwine.