Ahead of the release of his third solo album Empyrean on 11th September, acclaimed Canadian cellist and composer Raphael Weinroth-Browne has unveiled its third single, 'Evocation'. One of the most innovative voices in contemporary cello, Weinroth-Browne has earned international acclaim for dissolving the boundaries between classical composition, ambient sound design and experimental performance. Built entirely from layered live-looped cello, Empyrean transforms a single instrument into an expansive cinematic orchestra, drawing together echoes of Bach, minimalist composition and modern film scores into music that feels both ancient and strikingly contemporary. 'Evocation' captures the heart of the album, marrying Baroque influences with minimalist composition and cinematic atmosphere to create something both timeless and unmistakably contemporary.
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/hjdOo7Fd5VM
Listen to 'Evocation' here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/raphaelweinrothbrowne/evocation
Pre-order Empyrean album here: https://raphaelweinroth-browne.bandcamp.com/album/empyrean
Comments Raphael: "'Evocation' was originally composed for the contemporary dance production BACH Reimagined with UK-based company James Wilton Dance. Of all of my recent solo work, this track in particular feels like the soundtrack to a film.
"With this solemn and stately piece, I wanted to reframe Baroque music through the lens of a modern composition for live-looped cello. Evocation takes a similar approach to Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons. Baroque-inspired melodies are interwoven like intricate threads with a cyclical arpeggio sequence that has as much in common with J. S. Bach’s keyboard preludes as it does with Philip Glass and electronic music, while the echoes of long, resonant bow strokes pierce the ornate texture like rays of light through stained glass windows. This succinct piece is as much an evocation of musical voices of the past as it is a love letter to the cello itself.
"The music video was shot at the gorgeous Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre in my hometown of Ottawa, Canada. This beautiful space will also be the venue for the Empyrean album launch show this fall."
The origins of forthcoming new album Empyrean itself are as cinematic as the music it contains. In 2024, Weinroth-Browne was commissioned by James Wilton Dance to compose an 80-minute score inspired by the music and legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach. What emerged became BACH Reimagined: a touring multidisciplinary work exploring immortality, artistic transcendence and the pursuit of the sublime through creation.
Rather than simply reinterpret Bach, Weinroth-Browne entered into dialogue with him across centuries. The resulting compositions fuse the purity and mathematical elegance of Baroque counterpoint with distorted textures, electronic ambience and towering rhythmic weight. Tracks such as 'Speed of Light' and 'Dissolution' plunge Bach-inspired motifs into vast storms of noise and metallic tension, while the meditative 'Sanctum' evokes Sufi mysticism and devotional stillness.
“At its core,” Weinroth-Browne explains, “Empyrean is about the search for the sublime. As artists, we spend our lives trying to create something that transcends the everyday, if only for a split second, as if to glimpse eternity through a keyhole.”
Captured at Union Sound Company in Toronto immediately following the sessions for 2025’s critically acclaimed Lifeblood, Empyrean finds Weinroth-Browne operating at the peak of his creative powers. The album was recorded and engineered by Darren McGill (Rush, The Dirty Nil), mixed by Adam Noble (Leprous, Katatonia) and mastered by Robin Schmidt (Leprous), resulting in a sound both immense and intimate, every bow stroke preserved with almost tactile immediacy. Artwork comes from London-based printmaker and collage artist Cally Conway, discovered by Weinroth-Browne in Brighton during the BACH tour.
Watch the videos for previous singles 'Speed of Light' and 'Reflection', and discover Raphael's breathtaking standalone interpretation of Sleep Token's 'Fall For Me' released last month, showcasing yet another side of his remarkable artistry.
The forthcoming release follows a run of widespread critical acclaim. His 2020 debut Worlds Within was praised as "masterful" and "a stunning example of less being more," while 2025's Lifeblood saw Raphael further expand his sound into rich cinematic territory, earning praise as "a triumph of vision and virtuosity" and "the most ambitious album of Weinroth-Browne's career."
That same fearless boundary-pushing has made Weinroth-Browne an essential figure within modern progressive music. His cello work can be heard on hundreds of studio albums, including Woods of Ypres’ Juno Award-winning W5: Grey Skies & Electric Light and across many major film and TV soundtracks. Viral interpretations of Opeth, Katatonia and Steven Wilson have drawn direct praise from the artists themselves, further cementing his reputation as a boundaryless interpreter and composer.
Since joining Norwegian prog visionaries Leprous in 2016, he has performed over 200 shows worldwide and contributed to three of their studio albums, helping redefine the role of cello in progressive heavy music. Beyond Leprous, he has shared stages with Evanescence, Apocalyptica and Devin Townsend.
As a solo artist, Weinroth-Browne has become an ambassador for what the cello can be in the 21st century. He has made waves at prestigious festivals such as the Cello Biennale Amsterdam and the International Cello Festival of Canada and has opened for artists ranging from Polish neoclassical pianist Hania Rani to Nordic folk ensemble SKÁLD and Danish prog metal masters VOLA.
With a busy year of live performances, including a recent European tour with Earthside and an upcoming run alongside Einar Solberg, Raphael Weinroth-Browne continues to expand the possibilities of the cello. With Empyrean arriving later this year, he further cements his reputation as one of the instrument's most adventurous and distinctive modern voices.
Catch Raphael Weinroth-Browne live on the following dates:
August 2 - Ottawa Chamberfest @ Club SAW, Ottawa, Canada (solo)
August 23 - Ottawa Tennis Club, Ottawa, Canada (solo)
September 4 - Convivium, Toronto, Canada (solo)
September 18 – The Garage, London, UK (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 19 – Café de la Danse, Paris, France (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 20 – Le Rex, Toulouse, France (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 21 – La Rhapsodie, Biarritz, France (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 22 – Mouco, Porto, Portugal (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 23 – República da Música, Lisbon, Portugal (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 25 – Be Prog! My Friend, Barcelona, Spain (with Einar Solberg)
September 26 – L’Ampérage, Grenoble, France (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 27 – Euroblast Festival, Cologne, Germany (with Einar Solberg)
September 29 – Hype Park, Kraków, Poland (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 30 – Lido, Berlin, Germany (solo and with Einar Solberg)
October 1 – Gebläsehalle, Neunkirchen, Germany (solo and with Einar Solberg)
October 2 – Werkk Kulturlokal, Baden, Switzerland (solo and with Einar Solberg)
October 4 – ProgPower Europe, Baarlo, Netherlands (with Einar Solberg)
October 7 - Queens Hall Arts Centre, Hexham, UK (BACH Reimagined with James Wilton Dance)
Raphael Weinroth-Browne online:
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