Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
Arts·Q with Tom Power

Ofra Harnoy on releasing her long-lost recording of Elgar's Cello Concerto after 27 years

Back in 1996, Order of Canada cellist Ofra Harnoy had just recorded Elgar’s Cello Concerto at Abbey Road Studios. But after the sessions, the tapes were lost — until now. She joins Q's Tom Power to share how these recordings were lost and then found.

The Order of Canada cellist recorded at Abbey Road Studios in 1996, but the tapes went missing

CBC Arts ·
Ofra Harnoy wearing headphones and sitting in front of a studio microphone.
Ofra Harnoy in the Q studio in Toronto. (Vivian Rashotte/CBC)
Q14:17Ofra Harnoy on releasing her long-lost recording of Elgar's Cello Concerto after 27 years

Ofra Harnoy has been impressing audiences for decades. At the age of 10, the Canadian cellist was playing as a soloist with an orchestra, and by 17 she was performing at Carnegie Hall.

But back in 1996, Harnoy got the chance to record in another prestigious venue, Abbey Road Studios in London. Not only was she going to record there, she was going to perform one of cello music's most important and influential pieces, Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto, which had also been recorded at Abbey Road. Except nobody ever got to hear Harnoy's sessions. The tapes were lost — until now.

Harnoy has just released the recordings on a new album, Elgar & Lalo Cello Concertos. She sits down with Q's Tom Power to tell us the story of how these recordings were lost and then found 27 years later.

The full interview with Ofra Harnoy is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Interview with Ofra Harnoy produced by Ben Edwards.