"NEW FEATURE" Mysterium Duo Featured in Fanfare Magazine (Interview and Reviews)
We're excited to share that Mysterium Duo's latest recording, Harmonic Breath: The Music of Palestrina, has been reviewed in the newest issue of Fanfare magazine.
Along side their review is a one on two interview with the duo about their process, accordions, and creating the record.
INTERVIEW:
The accordion duo Mysterium Duo has released their debut album in early April 2026 on the label Canadian Classical Records. Titled Harmonic Breath: The Music of Palestrina, it features Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s music arranged for two accordions. The album not only serves as repertoire enrichment for the accordion; it gives a fresh breath into Palestrina’s music, and in the process creates the possibility of a Renaissance in modern times for people living in the here and now.
That being said, I’m happy to chat with the Mysterium Duo’s founders, Antonio Peruch and Penny Sanborn.
Antonio, Penny, it is a pleasure to welcome both of you to Fanfare and to discover such an amazing album, as well as the YouTube videos with your rejuvenating performances.
I was sure that love and the classic as we used to know it had died, but thanks to both of you I changed my mind. How did you find each other, and when did you decide to form a duo?
AP: Thank you very much for your kind words. We truly appreciate them! Our musical journey began at the University of Calgary, where I had the privilege of teaching Penny as her accordion instructor during her Master of Music studies. We discovered a deep musical connection and a shared artistic vision. As we performed and explored repertoire together, it became clear that our collaborations had something special. After Penny graduated, we decided to continue that musical partnership and officially form our accordion duo, united by a passion to bring the expressive and versatile voice of the accordion to audiences together.
The accordion is fascinating in its complexity: a sort of half-organ, and a voice of nostalgia for the old world which passed away with the 20th century to a new one.
What is the accordion’s role in our confusing time?
PS: The accordion is one of the most extraordinary musical instruments ever created, a true musical chameleon, capable of moving effortlessly from folk music and tango to contemporary to classical and Renaissance polyphonic repertoire. For this reason, it can have many roles. In a way, as musicians, we each choose which artistic direction to pursue. It carries both the power of the organ and the intimacy of the human voice. That is why its role today is so powerful. In our confusing and fast-moving world, the accordion has the rare ability to connect people to something deeply human and timeless. Both Antonio and I are especially interested in, inspired by, and drawn to early music. It is fascinating to explore this music by Palestrina, for example, music written for four voices, and to hear it for the first time being played through our instruments. Our accordions become a bridge between centuries, carrying the spirit of the past into the imagination of the present.
Listening to good music, well played, might help to get on track?
AP: Of course, we agree!
You probably have numerous arrangements in your repertoire; why have you chosen Palestrina for your debut CD?
AP: We were trying different repertoire, and when we tried the music of Palestrina, it was a natural fit. We both loved the music to begin with, and it seemed to sing through our instruments. Since our accordions have a sustained sound that can be instantly dynamically shaped, the music comes out in a special way.
How long did you work on this program?
PS: Within one year, we tried the Palestrina music for the first time together on two accordions, adapted nine scores, and recorded and released the album with Canadian Classical Records, Inc. MusiCurate published the scores. We were both inspired to do it, so it came together quite quickly. All the while, of course, we each had many other commitments including Antonio’s teaching at the university, and I am currently in a doctoral program at the university. I think when musicians are really inspired about a project, we find a way to do it because it’s important, and it’s important to share with the greater music community!
How much of Palestrina’s original music has made it through the arrangement?
AP: All of Palestrina’s music has made it through our adaptations. Since most of this music was written for four voices (soprano, alto, tenor, bass), we separated the voices into the four voices on our instruments (each musician plays one voice in the right hand and one voice in the left hand). In order to sound as musical as possible, we distributed the soprano and tenor voices into accordion I, and the alto and bass voices into accordion II. At times, we needed to alter the octaves from the original scores (for example, lower the bass voice by one octave) so that the music speaks through the accordion in the best range. As for authenticity, these adaptations have been prepared with a historically informed approach, respecting the original modal structures, voice-leading, and contrapuntal clarity, while carefully adapting the music to the expressive, timbral, and dynamic resources of our two accordions. Therefore, the music in our adaptations is Palestrina’s original music. We did not modify the music per se, as we believe that it is important to respect the intentions of the composer. We only adapted it where needed to speak the best through our instruments.
In the Renaissance period, arranging music each time anew for a performance was a daily practice, so actually this arrangement bears absolutely no contradiction to the composer’s intent or to the Zeitgeist of the music, does it?
AP: In the Renaissance, music was not treated as a fixed, untouchable artifact in the modern sense. It was a living practice. Performers, composers, and arrangers routinely adapted works to suit specific occasions, ensembles, acoustics, or expressive needs. Re-instrumentation, ornamentation, diminution, and even recomposition were integral to the musical culture of the time. From that perspective, adaptations such as these are not a betrayal of the composer’s intent, but arguably closer to the historical spirit in which the music originally existed. The very notion of a single definitive version is largely a later, Romantic concept. Renaissance musicians expected music to be reshaped in performance. Therefore, our adaptations stand not in contradictions to the Zeitgeist of the musical period, but very much within it. Our adaptations preserve the rhetorical character, contrapuntal integrity, and expressive essence of the original work.
What did the recorded Palestrina pieces look/sound like in the original version, and how was the arrangement for the final version made?
PS: Palestrina wrote the pieces that we recorded mainly for four voices—soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. Together, Antonio and I notated the scores based on the original manuscripts by Palestrina, and then played through the music on our instruments in order to make the necessary changes. Even writing the scores out is quite a process, because different clefs were used in Palestrina’s scores, and therefore, often, the notation needs to be transferred into the correct clefs for the accordion. In addition, the time signatures were different in the original manuscripts, as music was imagined differently in that time period. We aimed to find a balance between preserving the original writing from that time period, and notating it in a way that musicians today would understand. In the Renaissance period, there were options at times to choose which accidental to use, such a B♮ or B♭—a performance practice referred to as musica ficta. We needed to make informed decisions about which accidentals to use. These adaptations were created by both of us together, and have been published by MusiCurate. We sincerely hope these will be helpful for other accordionists, and for other instrumentalists to use where suitable.
The most memorable moments for both of you from behind the scenes?
AP: We have many memorable moments in the realization of our Palestrina project. The genuine excitement in discovering this timeless music together; the long, detailed rehearsals and discovering musical creative moments together; finding solutions in the recording studio to record as a cohesive duo; searching together for the right sound quality, combination, and balance. Alex Bohn, our fantastic recording engineer, spent a lot of time with us ensuring we were satisfied with the results. The memorable moment when we both heard the first playback of some of our recorded pieces: we were elated, joyful, and grateful! Working together as a duo has been a profound musical revelation for us.
How many performances have you given as a duo, and what are your future plans?
PS: We began performing smaller events in Calgary, the Canadian city we live in. We then performed together internationally, including a concert tour in Italy in October 2025. Recent highlights include performing our album release concert in April 2026, which was exciting, to celebrate this beautiful music coming together and share it with the world; and performing in the Accordion Spring Festival in Teramo, Italy in May 2026. During this period, our focus as a duo is to create important projects. This coming fall, we look forward to a significant project where our Mysterium Duo is teaming up with the Vaughan String Quartet. As six musicians, we will be performing music expressly written for us by Canadian composer Kristin Flores, tango music by Astor Piazzolla, and a special piece by Palestrina (this time performed with two accordions and string quartet). In addition to the concert, we will present a workshop, record an album, and create a video documentary. Through this project, we will be working closely with composer Kristin Flores and with distinguished visual artist Sir Antonio Caruso, whose works inspired Flores’s composition that we will be performing.
Moving forward, we are both hoping to influence young accordionists in positive ways through creating new method books about learning to play the accordion, for example, which we are currently working on. We are also composing original works for the modern accordion, which we hope will be helpful to the upcoming generation.
We see our future plans as a duo expanding far beyond traditional performance paths, creating rare and unusual artistic projects. Our long-term vision and commitment as a duo is to establish a distinctive and internationally recognized artistic presence at the highest level of the global concert stage through originality, innovation, and exceptional musical collaborations. We aspire to create rare and unconventional artistic projects that move beyond traditional performance formats—including commissioned works, interdisciplinary productions, and innovative repertoire experiences that connect deeply with audiences across generations and borders. Along with performing in many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, festivals, and international concert series, we hope to build meaningful partnerships with leading presenters, orchestras, chamber ensembles, and cultural institutions, while continuing to expand our international touring and recording presence. Our goal is to contribute something lasting and original to the evolving international music landscape through visionary programming, emotional depth, and profundity of artistic expression. Our hope is to connect not only with other musicians through these projects, but also in ways that we are able to uplift the human spirit.
How do you feel about the future of classical music?
AP: The future of classical music does not lie in preservation alone, but in its ability to remain profoundly human, in an increasingly distracted world. The classical accordion embodies this beautifully because it is an instrument of breath itself, capable of immense orchestral power and intimate fragility at once. As a duo, we do more than perform music; we transform silence into sound. For a classical accordion duo, that responsibility feels especially profound, because our instrument is built on breath itself: the same breath that sustains life, sustains expression, and sustains music across generations. What gives us hope for the future is that audiences today are searching for authenticity more desperately than ever before. They are overwhelmed by speed, spectacle, and disposability. We believe that classical music will endure because it asks something radically different of humanity: stillness, patience, reflection, vulnerability, and a need for an introspective spiritual direction. We believe that the accordion, a modern instrument with ancient roots, will play a key role in the future of classical music, not as an echo of the past, but as the sound of humanity remembering how to breathe again.
Looking forward to more recordings of yours in the future.
REVIEW 1:
"In a 1962 radio interview, Leopold Stokowski explained the philosophy behind his Bach orchestrations: “Those who love (Bach’s) music should be able to hear that music, and of course they do hear it in churches some times, but the thousands of people that go to symphony concerts should also hear it. So, I have orchestrated it, trying to give the same impression of the music and carry the same message that the music has, the same inspiration that is in the music, through the modern orchestra.” A similar aesthetic purpose attends Harmonic Breath: The Music of Palestrina. The new recording surveys works by the Renaissance composer, arranged for two accordions and performed by the Mysterium Duo (Sir N. Antonio Peruch, Penny Sanborn). In addition to this recording, Peruch and Sanborn are publishing the sheet music of their arrangements for study and performance. For the Mysterium Duo, their arrangements/performances “stand as a clear affirmation of the accordion as a mature instrument, capable of engaging convincingly with Renaissance polyphonic repertoire.” Harmonic Breath comprises 9 Palestrina works, all originally composed for vocal ensemble, with the exception of the opening Ricercar del Primo Tuono. The duo performs on “two free-bass accordions, with extended left-hand range down to C0.” The arrangements are deferential to Palestrina’s works, “respecting the original modal structures, voice-leading, and contrapuntal clarity… The scores are deliberately left unmarked, with no indications for registration, phrasing, dynamics, tempo, bellows programming, or fingering, reflecting Palestrina’s original manuscripts.”
The Mysterium Duo perform their arrangements with the utmost clarity, a compelling unanimity of approach, and clear devotion to the music. The specific instruments aside, the performances strike me as of the kind that should satisfy HIP advocates. The dispositive issue will be whether you want to hear Palestrina played on accordions. If you are at all so inclined, I think Harmonic Breath will provide great pleasure. It certainly did for me. Recommended.
★★★★"
- Ken Meltzer
REVIEW 2:
" Entitled “Harmonic Breath,” this disc takes music by Palestrina, and presents it in “specially curated adaptations”. The intent of this recording is to offer “a rare journey into the inner polyphonic architecture of Palestrina’s sacred music”. Ambitious, certainly, but there are certain traits of an accordion duo that are advantageous: linear clarity aided by timbral homogeneity, plus a certain sense of the music “breathing” (see next paragraph for the perfect example).
Although the authorship of Palestrina’s Ricercari has been cast into doubt (there is no autograph or original print), the mastery of counterpoint within a freer form indicates the attribution should stand (his Ricercari were included in Volume 32 of the Complete Works). There are eight, one for each mode, and this is the first. They do lend themselves to arrangement, while the austerity of the keyboard, too, has an appeal, as harpsichordist du jour, Jean Rondeau has proven; for a string arrangement, try the performance by Ensemble Mare Nostrum, which appears rather aptly on the Ricercar label. The use of accordion duo has a similar effect to a keyboard performance, except that, with the use of bellows, the music literally seems to breathe: one can easily trace “inhalations” and “exhalations” (the “harmonic breath” of the disc’s title, I assume). It also attests to the efficacy of the arrangements, by the two members of Mysterium Duo: Penny Sanborn and Sir Antonio Peruch.
From ricercar to motet: Sicut cervus (first published in 1604 in the first volume of Moteta Festorum). While Palestrina’s many, many masses form the core of his musical significance, the motets, too, hold gold. The four-part Sicut cervus (Psalm 42) has been used as the perfect example of the Palestrina rise-and-fall melodic curve (see Music in the Renaissance by Gustave Reese, for example). The text (absent here, of course), is from the Psalms, the famous “As pants the hart”. The catalog is of course awash with fine performances, from the deeply devotional, serene Stile Antico (Decca, on their Palestrina disc The Golden Renaissance) to the rather more objective New College Oxford and Robert Quinney on Novum. Mysterium Duo are closer to Stile Antico in tempo, but in this arrangement it does sound rather like a church hymn and, despite a nice spread of the sound over stereo, it remains somewhat uninvolving. Another motet, the four-voice Heu mihi Domine (published 1604) comes from the Matins for the Dead, something one can perhaps hear in The Hilliard Ensemble recording on ECM New Series, a perfect performance laden with sorrow, as perhaps befits the text (“Alas, O Lord, I have sinned previously in my life / What am I, wretched, to do”). Palestrina sets “Miserere” with that melodic curve, but descending initially. The accordions together of Mysterium Duo almost sound like an organ here, and there is a lovely sense of independence of lines.
The Missa Papae Marcelli (first published 1567), a free mass (so, no borrowed material), is one of Palestrina’s most famous pieces, aided way back by sharing LP space with the Allegri Miserere on Classics for Pleasure and later reissued on an all-Palestrina two disc set on Gimell reviewed by J. F. Weber in Fanfare 29:2. Just a small excerpt of around two minutes duration of the Credo here, balanced by Panis angelicus (originally to words by Thomas Aquinas, and seen by some of doubtful authenticity). The Credo excerpt is quite bold in this arrangement; the linear freedom of Panis does benefit from two accordions, though.
A Kyrie is extracted from another mass: the Missa Aeterna Christi munera of 1590, perhaps a little pedestrian here (contrast it with the luminous Hyperion performance: Westminster Cathedral Choir and James O’Donnell: Fanfare 15:4). And then, less an extraction, more a separation: the second part of Sicut cervus is presented, Sitivit Anima Mea. This begins rather hesitantly, but grows rather nicely, while the more chordal-based Alma redemptoris mater which follows working rather better. Finally, another of Palestrina’s better-known works, Super flumina Babylonis. Again, the music has a finite sense of respiration that fits nicely with the disc’s ethos (although if you want to hear how this piece can really hit hard, try The Marian Consort and Rory McCleary on Delphian, a disc entitled, In Sorrow’s Footsteps).
A fascinating idea, then, well realized and well recorded. In no way is this a substitute for the originals, but it does shed light on Palestrina’s processes.
★★★★"
- Colin Clarke
If you have access to the latest issue, we invite you to turn to page ## to see the interview and review. We'd also love to hear your thoughts after you've listened to the album.