Catalog

Eric Ewazen writes, "In the Spring of 2006, I was delighted to find out that the extraordinary chamber ensemble, Ibis Camerata, was interested in recording a CD of my music (from the mid-80's through the mid-90's)...they chose works of mine which showcase the melodic, rhythmic and harmonic language I was focusing on at that time...The Ensemble has brought my music to life beautifully and I am very grateful to them for introducing this collection of pieces to you."

The exceptional clarinetist Sean Osborn gives magnificent performances of these staples of the chamber music repertoire. Sean Osborn has traveled Europe and the US as a soloist and chamber musician, and traveled the world during his 11 years with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He has also performed as guest principal clarinet with the New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and the American Symphony Orchestra. Recently appointed Clarinet Teacher at the University of Washington, Sean is currently based in Seattle, composing, teaching, and touring.

With works spanning both chamber and orchestral genres, Sebastian Currier's music has been performed at major venues worldwide by acclaimed artists and orchestras. His music has been heralded as "music with a distinctive voice" by the New York Times and "lyrical, colorful, firmly rooted in tradition, but absolutely new" by the Washington Post. Currier has received many prestigious awards including the Grawemeyer Award, Berlin Prize and an Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. This recording features his music for violin and piano performed by internationally known violinist Yehonatan Berwick, who plays on a violin by Joseph Guarneri from 1735 and pianist Laura Melton, who is on the faculty at Bowling Green State University and a noted chamber musician and soloist.

The works on this recording span 25 years -- from the Sonata for Cello (1982) to unaccompanied minor (2007). Joel Hoffman comments that, "Like so many composers of my generation, I have worked, over these years, with a number of stylistic dialects -- from a hybrid serialism to a tonal/pan-tonal mix to a folk-inspired modal work to a post-minimalist framework. While I'm arguably the least qualified to describe the threads of continuity...I do observe two persistent qualities...a pervading lyricism and a rhythmic vitality." Hoffman is currently Professor of Composition at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music, where he is also Artistic Director of its annual new music festival, MusicX.

Acclaimed by the San Francisco Chronicle as "one of the great quartets of our times," the Pro Arte Quartet has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as one of the most enduring string quartets in existence. Founded in Brussels in 1912 by violinist Alphonse Annou and violist Germain Prevost, the Pro Arte became the court quartet to Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. Its world reputation soared with a European tour in 1919, earning the group such outstanding acclaim that many composers - including Bartok, Milhaud, and Honegger - composed new works for the Pro Arte. In 1940, stranded in the United States by the outbreak of World War II, the University of Wisconsin-Madison offered the Quartet the position of Artist-in-Residence, which continues to the present day. Current members, David Perry and Suzanne Beia, violins, Sally Chisholm, viola, and Parry Karp, cello, have continued the Pro Arte legacy. The guest artist on this CD, Samuel Rhodes, has been a member of both the Juilliard String Quartet and the faculty of the Juilliard School since 1969. His Quartet was written while he was studying for his Master of Fine Arts degree at Princeton (with Roger Sessions) shortly before he joined the Juilliard String Quartet. Sessions's influence is very much felt in the piece, especially in the first movement.

Saxophonist John Sampen is dedicated to the promotion and performance of contemporary art music. His sponsorship of new music has resulted in premieres of over sixty works, including commissions by Rands, Subotnick, Cage, Adler and Babbitt. He has also premiered first performances of saxophone arrangements by Lutoslawski, Stockhausen and Tower. Dr. Sampen is presently Distinguished Artist Professor at Bowling Green State University and past-president of the North American Saxophone Alliance. Composer/pianist Marilyn Shrude is an active proponent of contemporary music in America and she has won a Kennedy Center Friedheim Award for Orchestral Music. Her compositions are recognized for their "shimmering sounds" and "sensuous beauty." She served as chair of the Theory and Composition Department at Interlochen Arts Camp and was a visiting faculty member at Indiana University. She is currently Distinguished Artist Professor and chair of the Musicology/Composition/Theory Department at Bowling Green State University. She has been performing with John Sampen since 1972.

Alice Shields writes: "I received a doctor of Musical Arts in composition from Columbia University, studying with Vladimir Ussachevsky and Jack Beeson. I have gratefully absorbed grants from, among others the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Opera Institute and the New York Foundation for the Arts, and have done my time as Associate Director of the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center and Associate Director for Development of the Columbia University Computer Music Center. I've performed South Indian rhythmic recitation in Bharata, Natyam dance-dramas with Indian dancer Swati Bhise and her troupe of dancers and Indian musicians, at venues including Wesleyan University, Juilliard School and the Asia Society. In a former life I also sang operatic roles with the New York City Opera, the Opera Society of Washington, D.C. and the Clarion Opera Society in Italy, among others. I composed Vegetable Karma in Fall, 1999, while artist in residence at the Computer Music Center of the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College. Veggie Karma, as I tend to call it, was the piece I created using ProTools. In creating the piece I used sound sources from hip-hop sample albums, and molded them into pitches of Todi raga, which is from North Indian classical tradition. The work was premiered at the International Electroacoustic Music Festival at Brooklyn College, November 7, 1999. Dust was commissioned by choreographer Mark Taylor of Dance Alloy of Pittsburgh, in collaboration with choreographer Anita Ratnam of the Arangham Dance Theater of Madras, India. Shenandoah is the second of three computer pieces I wrote for choreographer Mark Taylor. It was commissioned by the School of Theater and Dance of James Madison University. I created Shenandoah in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Within days of 9/11, I had to take an eerily empty train from New York City to Washington, D.C. and then a bus to Virginia in order to participate in the first artist residency of this project. It seems almost inevitable then, that Shenandoah came to be about non-violence and peacefulness. The premiere performances took place March 21-23, 2002, at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia."

Born in Mexico in 1987, Juan Pablo Contreras has been called one of the most prominent young composers of Latin America. His music has been heard throughout the U.S., Europe and Latin America and performed by major orchestras in Mexico. The winner of numerous awards and grants, he has served as composer-in-residence at the Turtle Bay Music School and the Concerts on the Slope chamber music series. He is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and the California Institute of the Arts. Contreras' music has been largely focused on exploring what it means to be a Mexican classical music composer in the 21st century. His music shows a synthesis of classical contemporary music and Mexican popular and folk music, addressing issues that are sensitive in Mexico but also speak about themes of universal interest, aspiring to communicate deeply with listeners worldwide. You can watch a video of the recording on youtube at this link: http://youtu.be/66nNZYj3aDc

This debut recording of the Momenta Quartet (Emilie-Anne Gendron & Adda Kridler, violins; Stephanie Griffin, viola; Michael Haas, cello) offers three works by Philip Glass, Arthur Kampela, and Claude Debussy. On the surface, they may appear to have nothing in common, but hearing them in succession reveals unexpected connections. All three pieces are daring, energetic, and uncompromising. They generate unique, magical worlds from minimal materials. All three composers are innovators, making bold statements for their times that continue to affect the course of music today. The Momenta Quartet is celebrated for its innovative programming, juxtaposing contemporary works from widely divergent aesthetics with great music from the past. Momenta has premiered more than 100 works and collaborated with more than 120 living composers while maintaining a deep commitment to the classical canon. They have appeared at prestigious venues throughout the United States and performed in international festivals around the world. Their recordings appear on the Centaur, Furious Artisans

Born to Polish-American parents in Niagara Falls, New York, Lawrence Gwozdz has achieved an international reputation for his success at revealing the inherent qualities of the saxophone intended originally by its inventor, Adolphe Sax. His debut in New York's Weill Recital Hall was described in Musical America as an "extraordinary performance of contemporary music" with "the kind of timbre Adolphe Sax most likely had in mind...always with subtlety and taste." He is Professor of Saxophone at the University of Southern Mississippi, and did indeed study with Sigurd Rascher, among others.

Although the six pieces that make up this program were not composed with this purpose in mind, each work explores different ways to combine the sounds of flute and percussion. Two of humanity's oldest instruments, they remain favorites of contemporary composers. Stylistically, the pieces on this recording vary greatly, but they also complement each other by showing manifold possibilities that flute and percussion duos offer.

Lansing McLoskey (b.1964) came to the world of composition via a somewhat unorthodox route. The proverbial "Three B's" for him were The Beatles, Bauhaus and Black Flag. His first experiences in composition were as a guitarist and songwriter for punk rock bands in the Bay Area in the early 1980s. It was through these years in the visceral world of punk that he first developed a love for classical music. Hailed as "one of the best composers of (his) generation," McLoskey has had his music performed to critical acclaim across the U.S. and in 12 other countries on five continents. His music has an emotional intensity that appeals to academic and amateur alike, defying traditional stylistic pigeonholes.

Brian Fennelly was a pupil of Mel Powell, Donald Martino, Gunther Schuller and George Perle. The music on this disc grows out of strong European and American traditions: it echoes the highly charged chamber music of early 20th century Austria; it recalls the visceral excitement and structural integrity of Sessions and Carter as well as the rhythms and harmonic richness of sophisticated jazz and swing. It is music for listeners with open minds and receptive ears.

David Ross Gunn began his musical training at Settlement Music School in Philadelphia, studying piano and percussion. He later graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in music composition. It's easy to be dismissed as trivial when your music is attractive, and with David Gunn's music, that would mean missing out on its real attraction. Long before it was fashionable, Gunn used clear-cut rhythms, evident melodies, and explicit harmonies - all while moving music forward into new territory, not backward into some neo-romantic haze. Besides being a composer, Gunn is also a writer, humorist, a new music radio show co-host. He currently lives in the middle of Vermont and in hope of, in order, peace on earth, good will towards men, and a pile of cash in the bank.

This recording presents works for flute and harp that seamlessly arc between the natural world and the human spirit, serving as reminders of the fragility of the environment and the ability to perceive and affect it. As the Aletheia Duo, flutist Jonathan Keeble and harpist Ann Yeung share a passion for bringing the creative possibilities of the music of this time to their audiences and have inspired critics to describe their evocative performances as having "lyricism, and above all, magic." This passion balances their commitment to reinterpreting contemporary and historic compositions for flute and harp with verve, sensitivity, and enthusiasm. Individually recognized as leading performers and exceptional pedagogues, they have been performing together since 2002. They are both on the faculty of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The San Marco Chamber Music Society in collaboration with the Lawson Ensemble present three American works: one (Amy Beach), a glowing example of the American Romantic style; another (Szewczyk) a world premiere for oboe and viola; and the third (Douglas) a concerto for oboe and string quartet. The San Marco Chamber Music Society is based in Jacksonville, Florida and has been performing chamber concerts there since 2008. Founded by Eric and Ellen Olson, the performers are primarily members of the Jacksonville Symphony. Formed in 2015 the Lawson Ensemble is a string trio who is in residence at the University of North Florida.

Mallarmé Chamber Players, the distinguished ensemble based in Durham, North Carolina presents a program of chamber music by African American composers. Spanning several generations of composers, the recording includes works by Undine Smith Moore (1904-1989); Thomas Jefferson Anderson (b. 1928); William Banfield (b. 1961) and Anthony Kelley (b. 1965). Six-time Grammy Award-nominee Nnenna Freelon joins Mallarmé to perform Soul Gone Home by William Banfield, which, along with Grist for the Mill by Anthony Kelley, was commissioned by the ensemble. You can go to this link to hear a fascinating interview done by WUNC Radio in Chapel Hill with Nnenna Freelon, William Banfield and representatives from the Mallarmé Chamber Players and Videmus Records, who produced the recording.

Stephen Dankner attended New York University, Queens College and the Juilliard School where he received his Doctor of Musical Arts. His principal composition teachers were Roger Sessions and Vincent Persichetti. To date he has composed more than 50 works including music for synthesizers, computers and solo instruments. Currently he is Chairman of the Music Department of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, an arts high school in New Orleans and also teaches both undergraduate and graduate advanced music theory, composition and electronic-computer music at Loyola University's College of Music. About Songs of Bygone Days Dankner writes: "The lyrics of the five songs that comprise this cycle of songs for soprano and baritone were assembled from songs that were successful in the 1890s. The idea of composing new music to popular song lyrics nearly 100 years old intrigued me, as it offered the possibility of merging the popular idiom of the past with a contemporary approach to song composition. Such a style could at the same time borrow from a previous commercial formula yet infuse it with an enriched scope of expression through the more elaborate melodic and harmonic treatment found in concert music." Mr. Dankner carries out his ideas beautifully in these tuneful, accessible songs. "The conception for my Piano Sextet originated from a desire to return to purely instrumental composition after a period of time in which I had composed mainly electronic music." In this music Dankner has created a big, bold, romantic work, worthy of the name sextet.

John Marcellus is the current chair of the woodwinds, brass and percussion department at the Eastman School of Music, and has been professor of trombone and director of the Eastman Trombone Choir since 1978. He was formerly principal trombone of the National Symphony Orchestra and adjunct professor of music at Catholic University, where he was founder of the Catholic University Trombone Choir in 1969. He has been a soloist and clinician with orchestras, music festivals, and college and high school bands, and has led many brass workshops and master classes throughout the world. Marcellus has premiered numerous contemporary works for trombone and trombone ensemble. He is a member of the Eastman Brass Quintet and principal trombone of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. He is also past president and a founding board member of the International Trombone Association. All of the other performers on this CD have had some association with the Eastman School of Music, having either taught there or graduated from the School.

Recently hailed for her "unparalleled artistry," Julianne Baird, soprano, is "one of the most extraordinary voices in the service of early music." Her busy recital and oratorio schedule includes recent appearances in Lincoln Center, Philadelphia's Academy of Music, Symphony Hall in Chicago, Severence Hall, and the Kennedy Center. James R. Oestreich, in his comprehensive survey of New York's seasonal performances of Handel's Messiah for The New York Times, recently concluded with special praise for Julianne Baird's interpretive skills: "in that respect, Ms. Baird remains the model." Darin Kelly enjoys a reputation as one of the Philadelphia area's foremost soloists in the Baroque repertoire. Stephen Alltop enjoys a busy career performing with modern and period ensembles as a keyboard artist and conductor.

This recording is a joint effort between American composers with ties to the Midwestern states and Russian performers associated with the Moscow Conservatory Studio for New Music, and as such represents a unique collaboration meant to deepen artistic and cultural bonds between the two nations in this early portion of the 21st century.

The sound of Rodney Mack's trumpet has reverberated throughout the world; whether playing baroque piccolo trumpet or interpreting works commissioned especially for him. He was born in New Orleans where he began his musical studies at the age of six. When he was eleven, he began taking classical trumpet lessons with his cousin, Wynton Marsalis. He made his solo debut with the New Orleans Symphony at the age of fifteen. At the age of nineteen, he performed as a soloist with the Boston Pops. Classical concert pianist Karen Walwyn made her New York recital debut at Merkin Hall. The concert was quickly followed by her debut performance on National Public Radio. She has served on the faculties of the School of Music at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield.

An internationally celebrated soloist and chamber musician, clarinetist Nathan Williams has been praised for his "sublime control," "silky sound," and "dazzling technique." He is principal clarinetist of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra in Houston and a founding member of Strata, a clarinet, violin and piano trio that has commissioned and performed music for this ensemble for the past 20 years. He is a frequent guest performer and teacher at conservatories, colleges and universities across the country and abroad. Williams has appeared at Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Merkin Hall as well as having given concerts throughout the world including Europe, China, Israel, and Japan. His recordings appear on Albany Records, CRI, Naxos, New Dynamic Records and Arizona University Recordings. A graduate of Eastman and Juilliard, Williams is an artist/clinician for Vandoren and a Buffet Group USA Performing Artist.

The Albany Symphony Orchestra has had a long association with both Francis Thorne and Robert Starer. The Orchestra commissioned Thorne's Symphony No. 7and performed the Hudson Valley Suite by Robert Starer in the early eighties shortly after it was premiered by the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. To complete this disc, there are works for brass quintet by each composer. This recording will appeal to those who enjoy contemporary American music.

Featuring performances by Grammy Award winners Gloria Cheng, Masumi Rostad (Pacifica Quartet) and Oto Carillo (Chicago Symphony), the four pieces on this recording are all inspired by our relation to the world, both natural and invented. The Machine Awakes is about technology and where it's leading our spirit. Seven Memorials is inspired by Maya Lin's elegy to our planet; Quark Shadows and Nebulae are about the world untouched by us. Stephen Andrew Taylor, born in 1965, teaches music at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

di.vi.sion is an active and driven chamber ensemble that collaborates with composers who inspire them. Drawing from its 35 musicians, they curate a chamber series in the Bronx and around the New York metropolitan area. di.vi.sion regularly premieres new works by American composers and this recording, featuring premieres by Steven Burke, is one example of their commitment to contemporary music. Originally dividing his time at university between science and music, he turned to composition and studied at Sarah Lawrence, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Yale and Cornell. He has won recognition from the American Academy of Arts and Letters as well as fellowships and prizes. His music has been performed by distinguished ensembles including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, and Eastman Wind Ensemble, among many others. Performers on this recording include Renée Cometa Briggs, Matt Goeke, and Donald Mokrynski, all of whom enjoy distinguished careers.

Jason Calloway of the Amernet Quartet says that "The string quartets of Steven R. Gerber represent a deeply personal testament for the composer himself while serving as a spiritual bridge to us as performers " His first three quartets span the period of 1973 to 1988 and offer a glimpse into the transitional period of his musical development. His last quartet, composed for the Amernet in 2012, shows his evolution to a unique brand of polystylism. Steven Gerber (1948-2015) held degrees from Haverford College and Princeton. His music has been performed by noted orchestras and chamber ensembles around the world and recordings of his music appear on Opus One, CRI, Naxos, and Albany Records. The Amernet Quartet has garnered international recognition as one of today's exceptional string quartets. They have performed throughout the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Three string quartets by the distinguished American composer Steven R. Gerber as well as a Fantasy, Fugue, and Chaconne are performed by the Amernet String Quartet. Praised for their "intelligence" and "immensely satisfying" playing by the New York Times, the Amernet has garnered recognition as one of today's exceptional string quartets. They are Ensemble-in-Residence at Florida International University in Miami. Gerber's String Quartet #4 was written in 1972 for the Fine Arts Quartet; #5 in 1995 for the Carpe Diem Quartet; and #6 in 2011 for the Amernet String Quartet. The Fantasy, Fugue, and Chaconne was written in 2007. In addition to this recording, Albany Records has released a recording of Gerber's piano music. Other recordings of his music appear on the Naxos, Arabesque, Chandos, and Koch International record labels.

Dr. Harvey J. Stokes is professor of music at Hampton University, and founder and director of the Computer Music Laboratory. His degrees are from Michigan State University, the University of Georgia and East Carolina University. He writes about this music: "One of several pinnacles in my creative career has been the composition of a trilogy of works for the Oxford String Quartet. My String Quartet No. 1 was commissioned by this ensemble and completed during the fall of 1990 in Hampton, Virginia. Since its premiere in 1991, it has been performed many times by them to great acclaim. Due to the success of this work, I decided to dedicate two additional compositions to the Oxford String Quartet. String Quartet No. 2 and String Quartet No. 3 were completed in 1992 and 1995 respectively. String Quartet No. 3 was premiered in 1996 on a concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Oxford String Quartet, and String Quartet No. 2 was premiered later that year during a concert tour of Argentina by the ensemble." In the Oxford String Quartet innovation and tradition come together. The Cleveland Plain Dealer raves about "vibrant, spell- binding strings...first class from top to bottom...who interacted with a corporate sense of articulation, balance and nuance provided by only the most astute Chamber players."

Composer David Gompper has lived and worked professionally as a pianist, conductor, and composer in New York, San Diego, London, Nigeria, Michigan, Texas, and Iowa. He studied at the Royal College of Music, and the University of Michigan. Since 1991 he has been Professor of Composition and Director of the Center for New Music at the University of Iowa. His many awards include an Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City, and a Fromm Commission. Recordings of his music appear on the Albany and Naxos record labels. He has chosen recent chamber music written for string instruments for this recording, which are given stellar performances by violinist Wolfgang David, cellist Hannah Holman, double bass player Volkan Orhon, and pianists Réne Lecuona and David Gompper.

This 2-CD set honors the life and career of Charles Bestor with a selection of his late chamber music. Bestor (1924-2016) studied at Yale with Paul Hindemith after returning from service in World War II; then at Juilliard where he was a student of Vincent Persichetti and Peter Mennin. Bestor worked as a jazz arranger to supplement his income as a composer but turned to teaching. He taught at the University of Colorado; Juilliard; was Dean of the College of Music of Willamette University; but his longest tenure (35 years) was as Head of the Departments of Music and Dance at the University of Massachusetts. He continued to compose, tending toward shorter works because of time constraints. The compositions on this recording include song cycles; a suite for saxophone and piano; a cello sonata; a work for chamber ensemble; and a work for narrator and piano.

Joshua Rosenblum has composed extensively for both the concert hall and the theater. In addition to the works on this CD, he has written pieces on commission for trumpeter Philip Smith of the New York Philharmonic, flutist Kathleen Nester of the New Jersey Symphony and for French hornist Eric Ruske, one of Albany's premiere artists. For the theater, Rosenblum wrote the score for the acclaimed cult hit Off-Broadway musical, Fermat's Last Tango. He has also conducted the orchestras for such Broadway shows as Miss Saigon, Wonderful Town and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The works on this disc are a melding of both classical and popular idioms, with many inspired by or commissioned from several of the musicians involved.