Living through the loss, isolation, and darkness of the global pandemic, each of us has a spirit that longs to sing, to reach out, to break free. This programme shares stories of human experience – friendship and intimacy, adversity and despair, hope and love – timeless stories that transcend place, era, culture, and circumstance. Robert and Clara Schumann’s love story is one of history’s greatest, one of profound suffering and struggle, but also of eternal love and devotion. A lifelong confidante and champion of their works, Johannes Brahms was their dearest and most beloved friend. These extraordinary artists created at the springtime of Romanticism, their music suffused with emotion, messages, and secrets. This depth of feeling is also exuded in the work of celebrated Canadian composer Marjan Mozetich, whose music explores the intimate, the personal, the human, all while tugging at the heartstrings.