Emma Rush, praised as “one of Canada’s premier classical guitarists” (Vivascene Magazine), brings a forgotten icon to vibrant life with her latest CD, The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten, which is now available worldwide. Rush delivers the first-ever CD dedicated to 19th-century virtuosa Catharina Josepha Pratten, a woman whose legacy she is determined to maintain.

“Pratten was so prolific as a performer, composer, educator, and publisher,” said Rush. “She taught Queen Victoria’s daughter, invented new music notation, and even tuned her guitar down to D—a hundred years before Black Sabbath did!” Despite her influence, Pratten has been “largely excluded from guitar history,” Rush writes. “I intend to set the record straight.”

The album includes seven previously unreleased works by Pratten, as well as first recordings of music by her father Ferdinand Pelzer, her husband Robert Sidney Pratten, colleague Leonard Schulz, and student Frank Mott Harrison, as well as works by her contemporaries Francisco Tárrega, Giulio Regondi, and Ernest Shand. “I wanted an album that showed Pratten’s work in context—to give a picture of the guitar scene in London in the 1800s,” Rush tells me.

Rush recorded the album on two historically significant guitars associated with Pratten: one with Pratten’s own signature and the other a Boosey and Sons “Pratten model” from the 1850s, effectively making them the first signature series guitars. “To hold and play instruments that she herself endorsed—it’s like reaching through time,” Rush mutters.

Highlights include “Absence,” which Rush describes as her particular favourite: “It is a technically rich piece, but has such emotional depth, and I find it really moving.” The single “Evening Song” exemplifies Pratten’s lyrical sensitivity and harmonic flare, showcasing her ability to write short yet profoundly expressive works. Please enjoy the video below.

Rush is no stranger to finding hidden voices. Her 2020 album Wake the Sigh featured rare music by 19th-century female composers, while her 2023 album A Dream of Colour commissioned new compositions inspired by Canadian painter William Blair Bruce. With The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten, she expands her goal by connecting the dots between performance, research, and advocacy.

Rush’s worldwide reputation has grown, with previous appearances at the Altamira Shanghai worldwide Guitar Festival, Future Echoes in Sweden, and a cross-country trip onboard The Canadian. Her 2025-26 touring schedule will take her across Canada and Europe, including the prestigious Iserlohn International Guitar Symposium in Germany and a tour of the United Kingdom.

Rush is a popular lecturer and festival director who co-directs GuitarFest West in Calgary, directs Pigeon Lake Guitar Retreat and Hamilton Guitar Day in Ontario, and collaborates with the Wakefield Guitar Festival in Quebec. Her work has received financing from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and FACTOR.

The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten is more than just a memorial; it is a reclamation. “She really defined the guitar in Britain for most of the 19th century,” Rush recalls. “And now, finally, she can take her rightful place in our musical memory.”