Sarah Davachi wins Venice Silver Lion, releases 'The Will of Tongues'

Sarah Davachi has released her album The Will of Tongues and been awarded the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale. The Canadian composer's two-and-a-half-hour epic features strings from Lucy Railton, Whitney Johnson, and Eyvind Kang, flute from the Phaedrus ensemble, brass from Diapason, and vocals from Chamber Choir Ireland.

“It's significant because it's not just connected to an album or a concert,” Davachi said of the prize. “It feels like I've done something right at some point, which is a really nice feeling.”

Known for long-form organ work since 2011, Davachi is used to sustained sound. "I remember intuitively knowing that the piano wasn't right," she said, citing her instrument museum job. "I could sustain the sound in the way that I'd been wanting to."