CDwest.ca and our parent-company Precision Disc Manufacturing Corp. are pleased to announce the winner of our Prize Giveaway to members of the Alberta Music Industry Association Prize.

We are pleased to present the prize to Sidney York !

Its certainly fitting that the world was first introduced to the multi-faceted musical charms of Sidney York on Feb. 29, 2008. Thats a special leap year day, and since that public debut at a Edmonton benefit, Yorks career has progressed in rapid leaps and bounds.

With a well-received self-titled EP already under her belt, Sidney is now ready to release her full-length self-titled debut album, one destined to grab the Canadian music industry by its collective ear.

Sidney York may be a new name on the scene, but shes far from a musical novice. You see, shes the creative alter-ego of Brandi Sidoryk (the choice of name is a clever near-anagram), a highly accomplished musician and teacher in the classical realm. She has a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Toronto and a Master of Music from the University of Melbourne, and remains active as a classical music performer and teacher. She took a principal role in the opera medley Children Of War in Melbourne and played the role of The Leader in Kurt Weills Down In The Valley in Calgary.

The seeds for Sidney Yorks creation were sown while Sidoryk was studying in Melbourne. Inspired by that citys fertile music scene, she began writing her own songs, something she quickly discovered was a really good expressive outlet for me. This material drew upon a wide range of musical influences and styles, and her healthy eclecticism is vividly showcased on Sidney York .

Trying to define the Sidney York sound is about as tricky as riding a bucking bronco. I do not have a nifty phrase for it, Brandi admits. It is just so me, in so many aspects. There are country influences from the music my parents listened to as I was growing up in Saskatchewan and Alberta, there are jazz influences, and many of my vocal techniques come from the classical side. I still teach classical and musical theatre and perform classical music, I sing jazz every now and again with the military, and Im a French horn player. I dont fit into a category so I dont expect my music to.

To learn more about Sidney and her music please visit her website at http://www.sidneyyork.com