Legendary Canadian/American singer, composer and transgender activist Beverly Glenn-Copeland today announces the reissue of his beloved and influential 1986 album Keyboard Fantasies. The LP will be out on November 27 via Transgressive, marking the 40th anniversary of its original release. The reissue will be accompanied by a 7” of recently re-discovered single “Light Of The Heavens”.

“At the time that I wrote Keyboard Fantasies, I knew I was in an elevated state because of the environment that surrounded me – the woods and lakes of Northern Ontario were my deepest inspiration,” shares Glenn-Copeland. “Also, I was so excited to write with computers and all of the new sounds and tools it afforded me. Today, we are happy to reflect on that period of time and the profound impact that the work has now taken on, some 40 years later. We are grateful to the listeners who have found this music, and all they have done to support mine and Elizabeth’s work. Thank you for listening.” 

The reissue follows the release of Glenn-Copeland’s collaborative 2026 album with his wife and producer Elizabeth Copeland, Laughter In Summer. In addition to glowing coverage in Pitchfork (8.0), The New Yorker, NPR, SPIN, Consequence, Bandcamp Daily, FLOOD, The Needle Drop and Under the Radar, Laughter In Summer is nominated for the 2026 Polaris Music Prize. 

Glenn began his musical career in the 1960s when he studied classical singing at Montreal’s McGill University and performed at Expo 67. A pair of self-titled, multi-genre albums released in the early ’70s showcased his powerful voice and songwriting talent. In 1986, while living in rural Ontario, Glenn taught himself to use digital synthesis and recorded the album that would ultimately alter the entire course of his career. At the time, he self-released Keyboard Fantasies via a 200-copy cassette run, selling just a handful while the rest waited in storage. In 2015, a Japanese record collector emailed Glenn about selling the remainder; a new generation had unearthed his art. The music spread globally, and a few years later, in his 70s, Glenn embarked on his first European tour to share his songs with live audiences, a journey captured in Posy Dixon’s 2019 celebrated documentary Keyboard Fantasies.  In 2020, the album received the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, which honours classic Canadian albums released before the Polaris Music Prize began in 2006 and designates them with the highest artistic distinction, outside of sales, genre or affiliations.

Recently profiled in The New Yorker and The Guardian, and the recipient of the legacy award at the 2025 PTP Pink Awards, Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s creative output has spanned over 50 years. Together with his wife Elizabeth Copeland, they’ve made a life sharing their unselfish hearts, ones too large for earthly configuration, through art and community.

Now, as Glenn lives with a version of dementia known as LATE, their walk has taken on a different weight. Out of this season came Laughter In Summer, an album the couple made together—realizing, before long, that it was a love letter to one another: a tender ledger of memories, shared devotion, grief and joy.

Laughter In Summer followed Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s highly acclaimed 2023 record The Ones Ahead, as well as the 2024 collaboration with Sam Smith on a new recording of his classic song “Ever New” for the Red Hot Org Transa compilation record. 

Glenn-Copeland also recently shared the newly discovered single “Light Of The Heavens”, a track which was recorded shortly after the creation of Keyboard Fantasies, and further showcased the sonic style explored in the pivotal period. MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto) recently announced an exhibition featuring “Light of the Heavens”, displayed in their South Stairwell Sound Series, which will run October 4th, 2026 through Feb. 14, 2027.

A trailblazer in queer and trans activism, Glenn-Copeland was honored with the 2026 CMF Barrier Breaker Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival during the Trans Filmmaker Summit. The award recognizes his groundbreaking career that has defied convention, expanded possibilities for trans artists and inspired generations through music, storytelling and creative expression.

On Sunday, September 20, Glenn and Elizabeth will partake in a live Q&A at Toronto’s It’s OK Studio, moderated by journalist Melissa Vincent, in honor of their Polaris Music Prize nomination. A run of tour dates follow, including two nights in Calgary & Edmonton with acclaimed folk band Big Thief. In 2027 they will perform three nights across Canada, celebrating 40 Years of Keyboard Fantasies: The Music of Beverly Glenn-Copeland in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. Acclaimed Canadian composer Owen Pallett will open each show.

Tickets available here: https://beverlyglenncopeland.com/tour 

Tour Dates

2026:

Sep 28 – Calgary, AB – Southern Jubilee*

Sep 29 – Edmonton, AB – Northern Jubilee*

Oct 26 – Helsinki, FI – Valkoinen Sali

Oct 28 – Stockholm, SE – Kulturhuset Stadsteatern

Oct 31 – Oslo, NO – Oslo World Festival

*with Big Thief

2027:

Jan 30 – Ottawa, ON – National Arts Centre^

Feb 5 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall^

Feb 28 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre^

^with Owen Pallett