Glenn Gould

Gould graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto at twelve, stunning global audiences in 1955 with his explosive, crystal-clear Columbia recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations. Humming along at his uniquely low chair, his extraordinary technique fascinated classical connoisseurs.

In 1964, Gould permanently retired from public performance at age thirty-one, declaring the concert hall dead. In the studio, he pioneered creative recording splices and produced innovative 'contrapuntal' sound documentaries for CBC radio, notably The Idea of North. His Bach recording was included on the Voyager Golden Record launched into deep space.