Harry Somers is one of Canada's greatest composers. Born in Toronto in 1925, Somers only began to study music in his early teens and, as if to make up for lost time, immediately engaged in intensive study. At the age of sixteen he entered the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto where he studied piano and composition.

Somers was known not only for his great versatility but also for his tremendous productivity. His music includes works for orchestra, choir, voice, instrumental ensemble and piano, as well as for stage, film and television. His best-known work is the opera Louis Riel, commissioned for performance during Canada's Centennial Year, 1967, and performed with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Washington, D.C. during the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations.

Visit the Harry Somers website at http://www.harrysomers.com/

Pablo Ruiz Picasso (b. 1881, d. 1973) is probably the most important figure in 20th Century art. He was born October 25, 1881 in Malaga, Spain and by the time he died in France in April of 1973, had created 22.000 works of art in a variety of mediums, including sculpture, ceramics, mosaics, stage design and graphic arts.

Visit one of many sites about Pablo Picasso.