PEP (Piano and Erhu Project) Vol. 2 Nicole Ge Li, erhu; Corey Hamm, piano With PEP (Piano and Erhu Project) Vol. 2, Nicole Ge Li and Corey Hamm continue their journey into the world of newly commissioned works for erhu (Chinese two-stringed fiddle) and piano. The album immediately leaps into action with Dorothy Chang’s Four Short Poems: imagery rich studies in virtuosity, humour, and bittersweet nostalgia. Keith Hamel’s Homage to Liu Wenjin (nominated for “Composition of the Year” at the 2015 Western Canadian Music Awards) is an achingly beautiful tribute to a departed colleague; Aaron Gervais explores the erhu’s impressionist potential in his Debussy-ian Who Made the Inch of Grass; Hope Lee’s Imaginary Garden I strikingly paints the surreal scene of a snowfall in summertime; and Remy Siu’s Mainland Sonata is a cunning metaphor for the complex relationship between China and the West. Additional works by Daniel Marshall, Emily Doolittle, Elizabeth Raum, and Douglas Finch round out this meaty second instalment. As always, the rapport between Li and Hamm is a delight to the ear – their synergy is undoubtedly what earned this album a nomination for “Classical Recording of the Year” at the 2015 Western Canadian Music Awards.