Catalog

Three concerto-like works by Jeffrey Mumford are offered on his newest recording for Albany Records. Mumford is the recipient of numerous awards, commissions, fellowships, and grants including the American Academy of Arts & Letters and the Guggenheim Foundation, among many others. His music has been performed extensively in the U.S. and abroad. Mumford was on the faculty at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and is currently Distinguished Professor at Lorain County Community College. In his music, Mumford cultivates rich connections between the aural and the visual, creating intricate, profoundly expressive music directly influenced by the people with whom he works over his long career. Noted soloists Christine Lamprea (cello); Winston Choi (piano); and Christine Wu (violin) are joined by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kazem Abdullah; Ensemble Dal Niente conducted by Michael Lewanski; and the Chicago Composers Orchestra conducted by Allen Tinkham.

This recording commemorates the assassination of President John F. Kennedy through three works. The Julius Quartet, based in Dallas, still sees the remnants of the assassination and its effects throughout the city. Two of the works (One Red Rose and The Sixth Floor) were commissioned in commemoration and the third, Samuel Barber's famous Adagio, was performed on a nationally broadcast radio concert on the day after the assassination. Commended for leaving audiences "mesmerized by its resonant sounds" The Julius Quartet has cultivated a distinguished voice since its formation in 2012. They have performed all over North America and shared in numerous collaborations with celebrated artists. Winners of numerous awards, The Julius Quartet served as ensemble-in-residence at Southern Methodist University and continues an active performance schedule.

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.

Frederic Rzewski is widely considered on of the most important and renowned American composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Rzewski's musical ideas are bold, brash, and unapologetic and are inspired by deep social conscience. He is most often compared to Charles Ives for his pioneering spirit, free and complex counterpoint, and use of quotation; to Beethoven for his forward-thinking approach; and to Franz Liszt for his pianist virtuosity. Pianist Matthew Weissman performs several of Rzewski's piano compositions on this 2-CD set, including the complete North American Ballads. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, and Indiana University, Weissman is the recipient of many awards and prizes, including the Los Angeles Liszt Competition and the Grieg International Competition. He has taught at four colleges/universities and the Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts.

Thai composer Dr. Narong Prangcharoen’s success as a composer was confirmed by his receiving the prestigious Charles Ives Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Barlow Prize. He enjoys an international reputation and is recognized as one of Asia’s leading composers. His music has been performed worldwide by many renowned orchestras and new music ensembles. He was composer-in-residence of the Pacific Symphony and is now composer-in residence of the Thailand Philharmonic and Artistic Director of the Thailand International Composition Festival. This recording, his third for Albany Records, features seven of his orchestral works.

Christopher Theofanidis’ music has been performed by many of the world’s leading performing arts organizations. He is a two-time Grammy nominee for best composition and his work for viola and chamber orchestra won the 2021 Grammy for Best Classical Instrumental Solo. He is on the faculty at Yale University and the Aspen Music Festival. Italian guitarist Nicolò Spera initiated this project of recording all of Theofanidis’ music for guitar, which includes a work for viola, guitar, and flute; a work for flute and guitar; and a large work for chorus and guitar. Spera enjoys a distinguished career as a recitalist and chamber musician. He is known for his research on the Franco-Andalusian composer Maurice Ohana. He is on the faculty of the University of Colorado Boulder. EXIGENCE is a professional vocal ensemble highlighting artistry within Black and Latinx communities. Melissa Studdard is the author of two poetry collections. Her awards include The Penn Review Poetry Prize, the Poetry Society of America’s Lucille Medwick Award, and the Tom Howard Award.

Composer Luke Dahn says that this recording has been a true collaboration from start to finish, with every piece being written especially for pianist Viktor Valkov, who provided input at each step of the compositional process. Dahn's compositions are heard throughout the United States and abroad performed by noted new music ensembles such as the Moscow Conservatory Studio for New Music, the League of Composers Chamber Players, and others. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including the J.D. Robb International Composition Competition in 2014. He studied at the University of Iowa and Western Michigan University and is now on the faculty at the University of Utah. Viktor Valkov was the winner of the 2015 Astral Artists National Auditions and gold medalist at the 2012 New Orleans International Piano Competition. He has performed as a recitalist, orchestral soloist, and chamber musician. He is on the faculty at the University of Utah.

Cellist Clancy Newman has enjoyed an extraordinarily wide-ranging career, not only as a cellist, but also as a composer, producer, writer, teacher, and guest lecturer. He has performed as soloist throughout the United States, as well as in Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. Newman's interest in composition focuses on works for cello, one of which (From Method to Madness) is heard on this recording. His collaborator, pianist Natalie Zhu, is the recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, as is Newman. Zhu has performed throughout North America, Europe, and Asia as a soloist and chamber musician. For this recording they have chosen works for cello by Samuel Barber, Lukas Foss, and Kenji Bunch, in addition to the work by Newman. The earliest work on this recording, the Barber, was written in 1942; the Foss in 1946, while the Bunch and Newman are recent works.

With the exception of far sight sun light, the compositions on this recording of music by Ketty Nez take their inspiration from East European folk sources, including an Anatolian Turkish folk song and Bartok's transcriptions of Rumanian folk tunes. Ketty Nez is on the faculty at the Boston University School of Music and was a guest teacher at the Liszt Academy in Budapest and has had residencies at the Ecole Nationale de Musique in Montbeliard, at CCRMA, and at the Institute de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique. Her music has been performed in Europe, North America, and Asia. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, the Eastman School of Music, the Curtis Institute of Music, and Bryn Mawr College.

American composer Vivian Fine (1913-2000) wrote more than 140 works during her 70-year career, including 20 pieces that feature the flute in solo and chamber music settings. Only two of her flute works have been professionally recorded and this recording aims to fill this gap. The recording features selected chamber music for flute by Fine, which create a varied recording of beautiful and exciting works. Flutist Erin K. Murphy frequently performs with orchestras, in chamber music collaborations, and as a soloist throughout the U.S. and abroad. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Northwestern University, and the University of Michigan, she is currently on the faculty at Oklahoma State University. She is a founding member of Lakeshore Rush, A Chicago-based chamber ensemble that performs 20th and 21st century works.

Jonathan Borja's second recording for Albany Records continues his interest in performing music for flute by Mexican composers. Included are works by Arturo Rodríguez,José Pablo Moncayo, Juanra Urrusti, Samuel Zyman, Diana Syrse, Eduardo Gamboa, and Arturo Márquez. Borja enjoys a varied career as a performer and educator. He is on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and is a member of the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra. He holds degrees from the UMKC Conservatory of Music, Principia College, and the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City. His collaborator, pianist Hector Landa is a prizewinner of the Edvard Grieg and the Isaias Noriega de la Vega Piano Competitions. He is on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Composer James Adler calls this recording a celebration — a celebration of his love for composing musical theater and art songs. Performed by a stellar group of singers from both the musical theater and classical art song world, the songs underscore Adler's affinity for putting the spoken word to music. Known as a renowned pianist as well as a composer, Adler has performed across the U.S. as well as internationally. Sung by cabaret singer Shana Farr, Broadway stars Michael Buchanan, Kennedy Kanagawa, and Perry Sook, Metropolitan Opera star Victoria Livengood, and classically trained Elizaveta Ulakhovich, this stellar group brings these songs to life.

Esteemed composer Bernard Hoffer's eighth recording for Albany Records features three works for piano — one with string; another with French horn and violin; and the third with two trumpets. Hoffer is known not only for his chamber and orchestral music but also for music written for films, television, and commercials. He scored the hit children's cartoon series Thundercats and the theme for the PBS News Hour. Winner of the First Prize at the New York International Artists Association Piano Competition and the Silver Award at the Paris International Competition, pianist Kayoung An made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2013. She has performed with orchestras both in the United States and abroad. On the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music, Ms. An studied at the Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, Colburn Conservatory, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her collaborators include conductor David Gilbert, violinist Kurt Nikkanen, horn player Dan Wions, and Gil Hoffer and Christian Hinkle, trumpets.

This DIGITAL ONLY recording embraces the highs and lows of Jewish life - the Holocaust (Remember), a psalm setting (Revere), and love poetry and joy (Rejoice). udith Clurman’s Essential Voices USA (EVUSA) is one of New York’s preeminent choral ensembles. EVUSA boasts a talented roster of seasoned professionals and auditioned volunteers, dynamically fitted to the unique needs of each project. They have appeared at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and on NPR’S Tiny Desk Concerts. Their recordings include “America at Heart,” “Appalachian Stories,” “Celebrating the American Spirit,” “Cherished Moments,” “Cradle Hymn,” “Holiday Harmonies,” “Rejoice! Honoring the Jewish Spirit,” “May You Heal,” “Washington Women,” “Winter Harmonies,” and “Words Matter.” Conductor Judith Clurman conducts Essential Voices USA, and the Singing Tree Float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Her work has received Emmy and Grammy nominations and she has collaborated with the major classical orchestras and conductors of the world. She was Director of Choral Activities at The Juilliard School for 18 years and a faculty member for the National Endowment for the Arts/Columbia University Institute in Classical Music and Opera. Judith currently teaches private and ensemble voice at the Manhattan School of Music.

Joseph Summer is familiar to audiences both as a composer and as the founder/director of The Shakespeare Concerts. Summer's oeuvre includes eight operas, chamber opera, cantatas, more than 100 vocal works, string quartets and many works for chamber ensembles. He studied at Oberlin and Carnegie Mellon University. This is the sixth recording of his music for Albany Records. The Ulysses Quartet was founded in 2015 and won a gold medal at the 2016 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and first prize in the 2018 Schoenfeld International String Competition. They have performed around the world to critical acclaim and advocate for music by underrepresented composers.

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.

Since the Renaissance, keyboard composers have used the titles Fantasia and Fantasy to designate a work that has a relatively free form, where they could allow their imaginations to take flight without the necessity of being restricted to previously existing models. Similar in providing a vehicle for a free approach to form and imaginative exploration, the term Rhapsody also traditionally suggests an epic quality. Pianist Geoffrey Duce has chosen a program of both these forms for this recording with works spanning the Baroque to the 20th Century. Known as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber music collaborator, Duce has performed in major venues in the U.S. and Europe such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, and the Wigmore Hall. His awards include the Making Music Award from Britain's National Federation of Music Societies and the Prix de Piano at the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau. Duce studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester University, Universität der Künste Berlin, and the Manhattan School of Music. He is currently on the faculty at Illinois State University, has served as a resident international visiting faculty member at the University of Taipei, and has given masterclasses around the world.

With the release of this 3-CD set, Marc Peloquin has now recorded the complete piano music of David Del Tredici. The first volume was released on Naxos. The collaboration and friendship between Peloquin and Del Tredici goes back two decades and has proven fruitful for both composer and performer. David Del Tredici, known as the founder of Neo-Romanticism, is one of America's most distinguished and honored composers. Del Tredici has been on the faculties of Harvard and Boston University and was Distinguished Professor of Music at The City College of New York for more than 25 years. Marc Peloquin, known for his advocacy of new music, has recordings on CRI, Naxos, Urtext, and Albany Records. He is on the faculty at the Bloomingdale School of Music and formerly taught at the New School University. He is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music and Boston University.

Violinist Timothy Schwarz conceived of this recording as an exploration of works by living American composers who are writing in a wide range of musical styles. Some are heavily influenced by older composers; others are writing in a musical tradition they were not born into, exploring these ideas from the view of an outsider; and still others are taking well established genres and writing in a way that bridges them with the world of classical music. The works on this recording are beautiful, painful, though-provoking, and fun. Violinist Timothy Schwarz has enjoyed a brilliant career as a soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue. He served as an Artistic Ambassador for the United States from 1996-2001, bringing American music throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. He is currently on the faculty at Rowan University and a visiting professor at the London College of Music. He is joined on this recording by a stellar group of musicians including Charles Abramovic, Douglas Mapp, and Doug Hirlinger.

Ms Butterfly is a futuristic electro-acoustic music adaptation of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, conceived, produced and directed by Dennis K. Law with music supervision by Zhou Jiaojiao; electronic organ orchestration by Wu Danxia; and analog synthesizer programming by David Wohl. Set in 2036, this blu-ray video of the adaptation of Madame Butterly has lavish sets, costumes, and sound taken from performances at the Denver International Festival of the Arts and Technology.

Justin Hellman came back to composing classical music on his 41st birthday. He started his involvement in music as a teenager by performing electric bass and writing songs. From there he moved to studying the acoustic bass and began focusing more on jazz. His jazz quartet performed regularly in the Bay Area and one of his compositions was featured on an episode of The Good Wife. He went back to school to pursue a medical degree, training in oculoplastic surgery. Garden of the Gods is Hellman’s first classical album. The Friction Quartet is known for its commissioning of new works, curating imaginative programs, collaborating with artists, and presenting interactive educational outreach. Since their formation in 2011, Friction has given world premiere performances of more than 80 works. Their performances appear on National Sawdust Tracks, Innova, Albany, and Pinna Records.

Born in Poland, composer Jakub Polaczyk graduated from the Penderecki Music Academy, Jagiellonian University, and Carnegie Mellon. He lives in New York City and is on the faculty at the New York Conservatory of Music. His music has won numerous awards, including the American Prize in Composition, and the Iron Composer First Prize. His music has been performed around the world in concert hall and music festivals. This recording features his chamber music, most of which was composed in New York City. Union Square, the title of the recording as well as one of the compositions, is a special place to Polaczyk. He goes there for inspiration, to play chess, and enjoy the intermingling of many cultures. He often describes his compositional approach as playing a game of chess.

Remember is a collection of Romantic American choral music devoted to loss, commemoration, and consolation. Several of the musical works were written at the conclusion of World War I or to mark the tenth anniversary of the armistice. Much of the music has remained unperformed — even unknown — since it was written. Composers include George Whitefield Chadwick, George Whiting, Charles Martin Loeffler, Marian Bauer, Edith Lang, Dudley Buck, and J.C.D. Parker. Led by David P. DeVenney, the West Chester Concert Choir performs music of all styles and epochs. They have performed nationally and internationally and has recorded seven commercial CDs. DeVenney, who studied at Iowa State, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, is on the faculty at West Chester University. He has made substantive contributions to scholarship in American choral music through his 16 books and dozens of articles. He was the guiding editor for choral music for the new Grove Dictionary of American Music, second edition.

This recording is taken from live performances of the distinguished Sinfonietta of Riverdale and includes works by American composers Karel Husa and Steven Stucky as well as works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Edward Elgar, and Anton Bruckner. Large enough to perform chamber symphonies, it is also small enough that each of its world class musicians is a featured soloist. Their recordings are on the Arabesque and Albany labels. Conductor Mark Mandarano enjoys an international career as a conductor that has included performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and other major venues in the U.S. and abroad. He has served as principal guest conductor of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, and is now director of the Macalester Symphony Orchestra and artistic director of the Minnesota Youth Symphonies.

With this recording, the Carolina Trombone Project — an ensemble of professional trombonists from North and South Carolina — adds to the growing repertoire for trombone ensemble with six new works commissioned through a nationwide consortium. Ranging from five to eight players, the programmatic works are as versatile as they are accessible. Composers include Andrew Markel, Christopher Even Hass, Gina Gillie, Christopher Sharpe, Gary Kulesha, and David F. Wilborn. Performers include Jeremy Marks, Scott P. Hartman, Zsolt Szabo, Tom Burge, Eric Henson, Mark Whitfield, Joseph Brown, and Justin Isenhour.

In the midst of the global strife caused by COVID, the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, and the erosion of civil liberties around the world, we have felt an overwhelming need to shout. The music on this recording is centered around the need to shout; shout in frustration over the loss of individual freedoms or the overwhelming desire to shout for joy. The music reflects this very human need. While Olin Hannum's work is a piece written to reflect the dual characters of devastation and solemnity, built on turbulence and instability from the opening figures to the final note, the central driving force of Maslanka's work is the impulse to shout for the joy of life. The Oregon State University Wind Ensemble explores new literature as well as performing the masterworks of the wind ensemble genre. They have commissioned 11 composers and their reputation for excellence is acknowledged by the wind ensemble community. Conductor Erik Leung is a native of Canada. He is a graduate of Northwestern University, the University of Toronto, and the University of Calgary.

Hailed by Chamber Music America as an ensemble which “approaches the commissioning and performing of new works as a special mission,” the Ancia Quartet (Matthew Sintchak, David Milne, Joan Hutton, Angela Wyatt) has been dedicated to expanding the saxophone repertoire for more than 30 years. Ancia has been the recipient of numerous national, regional, and local grants and awards, and has collaborated with composers through Society of Composers, Meet the Composer, American Composers Forum, and THE Commission Project. Individual Ancia members enjoy careers as soloists, chamber musicians, and professional saxophonists in a broad range of musical genres. This recording showcases their virtuosity with works by Astor Piazzolla, Libby Larsen, Chris Rutowski, Ramon Ricker, and Jerry Dodgion.

Robert Xavier Rodríguez’s (b. 1946) music has been described as “romantically dramatic” and glowing with a physical animation and delicate balance of moods that combine seductively with his all-encompassing sense of humor.” He has received a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Goddard Lieberson Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, among many other prizes. He has served as composer-in-residence with the San Antonio Symphony and the Dallas Symphony. His music appears on more than 20 recordings. The music on this recording includes a song cycle for mezzo-soprano and string quartet based on poems from Albert Giraud’s Pierrot Lunaire. The second work, Romance With a Double Bass is for narrator, double bass, and piano and is based on a comic short story by Anton Chekhov. Performers include the Amernet String Quartet, mezzo-soprano Rachel Calloway, bassist Daniel Nix, pianist Mikhail Berestnev, and narrator Mary-Margaret Pyeatt.

Influenced by Bach's magisterial Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, composer Larry Bell's 24 Preludes and Fugues actually began as another work and it wasn't until he wrote a Prelude and Fugue in F Major for piano that he decided to complete the remaining preludes and fugues. Bell wrote the fugues first with their preludes being fashioned out of motives derived from the fugue's subject. Each is self-contained and designed to culminate in one large narrative that the listener may experience without knowing any of the specialized techniques of its composition. Larry Bell is an award-winning composer with the Rome Prize and the Charles Ives Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters to his credit, among many orders. His music has been commissioned and performed by a distinguished array of performers, chamber ensembles, and orchestras. The 24 Preludes and Fugues are performed by four outstanding pianists — Carmen Rodríguez-Peralta, Maja Tremiszewska, Jennifer Elowsky-Fox, and John McDonald — all of whom enjoy noted careers as recitalists and chamber musicians.

Thoughts and Prayers is an album of tributes that draw upon composer Larry Bell's personal, social, national, and international awareness. The music is drawn from a solemn personal conviction and desire to preserve the lives of others in our memory. It is also a simple act of bearing witness to events that may be all too soon forgotten or too painful to contemplate. Bell offers four works for solo piano interspersed with two works for soprano, cello/viola, and piano. Award-winning composer Larry Bell's music has been commissioned and performed by a distinguished array of musicians, ensembles, and orchestras. He has taught at The Juilliard School, the Boston Conservatory, New England Conservatory, and the Berklee College of Music. He is joined on this recording by mezzo-soprano Jennifer Webb, cellist Sam Ou, pianist Deborah Nemko, and violist David Wallace.

The Albany Symphony, conducted by David Alan Miller, performs two world premiere recordings of works by the distinguished and original composer, David Del Tredici. Pop-Pourri is the very first piece in Del Tredici's legendary "Alice" series and is scored for orchestra, soprano, rock band, and chorus. Adventures in Wonderland includes The Pool of Tears and The Mouse's Tale, which are connected with narration, sketching the events occurring in between. Hila Plitman, the soprano soloist is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and actress. The Albany Symphony is legendary for its commitment to American music. Conductor David Alan Miller is one of the leading American conductors of his generation. He and the Albany Symphony are the recipients of two Grammy awards.

Composer Matt Cataldi first conceived of these 24 Preludes as live improvisations. Teaching during COVID, he used the Op. 28 Preludes as the basis for a class on improvisation. In the weeks that followed he decided to formally plan a composition and over the next two years, he arranged and recorded them. His goal was to create unique and innovative pieces that would stand on their own while still being related and inspired by Chopin's Preludes. Dr. Matthew Cataldi enjoys a versatile career as a soloist, collaborative artist, conductor, composer, and educator. He studied at Florida State University as well as Indiana University. He currently is on the faculty at Radford University, where he is the director of piano studies.