During the second half of the twentieth century musical life in Canada flourished as never before, due in large measure to a generation of European émigrés who worked to establish a uniquely Canadian culture of classical music by teaching, performing, and composing "in the key of Canada."

Based on years of detailed and extensive interviews, and supplemented by a wide range of archival material, Growing with Canada showcases the men and women who came to Canada and the roles they played in developing the country's musical culture. Paul Helmer shows that émigrés were at the centre of the new musical milieu and uses the lively testimony of those involved to weave together the larger story of post-war Canadian music performance, production, and education. By introducing the sounds and techniques of their homelands, émigré artists were able to overcome the dominating British presence in post-secondary music education - vastly expanding the role music played in universities - while pioneering the performance and production of opera in Canada. From British Columbia to Newfoundland, they served as educators, teachers, and administrators as well as outstanding performers, conductors, composers, music historians, radio and television producers, and benefactors.

Growing with Canada provides a personal and lively perspective on one of the most significant eras of musical development in Canadian history and the ways in which Canadian musicians and audiences continue to benefit from the impressive achievements of the individuals chronicled in this book.