Young Prometheus
Catalog #: NV6140
Release Date: February 9, 2018
21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalClarinetPianoString QuartetInspired by poetry and prose, composer Mark Volker’s latest release YOUNG PROMETHEUS is about reactions. From the philosophical reaction to the “Three Quotations" to the physical reactions in “Echoes of Yesterday," Volker creates an atmosphere that both conveys the optimistic and ominous.
Shostakovich
Catalog #: NV6125
Release Date: October 13, 2017
20th CenturyChamberString QuartetFollowing their debut release DRESS CODE on Navona Records, Altius Quartet returns with a drastically different set of repertoire on SHOSTAKOVICH STRING QUARTETS 7, 8 & 9 but is played with the same passion and meticulous dedication one could expect from the group. The quartet notes that through studying these works the group was able to find their artistic voices both as individuals as well as an ensemble.
Skyborn
Catalog #: NV6128
Release Date: November 10, 2017
21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalChoirPianoString QuartetShocking, gripping, and thought-provoking, Mara Gibson's new album SKY-BORN conjures a flurry of emotions through its moody music. In one moment, the busy strings create a fury of anxious, energetic sounds; the next, the strike of a lone piano chord paints a brooding soundscape.
Ascend
Catalog #: NV6112
Release Date: July 14, 2017
21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalClarinetElectroacousticString QuartetASCEND, the latest collaboration between PARMA Recordings and the Society of Composes, Inc., is an enthralling showcase of leading composers and performers from around the world. Featuring fantastic ensembles, and with works that reference far-flung locations and historical events, this album journeys fascinatingly through time and space as it compiles a competitively selected sample of today’s best compositions.
Spells
Catalog #: NV6096
Release Date: May 12, 2017
21st CenturyChamberOrchestralChoirOrchestraString QuartetSPELLS, a new retrospective collection highlighting the music of poet and composer Juli Nunlist, marks a touching journey through the earnest, romantic, and dramatic sounds of the late artist’s compositional language. The album’s works demonstrate Nunlist’s appreciation for tradition and grandeur, and are driven by her remarkable gift for melody and clear fascination with instrumental texture.
Bliss Point
Catalog #: NV6093
Release Date: May 12, 2017
21st CenturyChamberFlutePianoString QuartetWhen approaching his latest chamber album BLISS POINT, Polish-born violinist and composer Piotr Szewczyk turned to a unique lens of inspiration – food science. His interpretation of a “bliss point” in the culinary sense embodies the technique’s saturation of a flavor just before the point of diminished potency. Of course, he trades in the contents of his spice cabinet in favor of diverse instrumental pairings, and in doing so, the composer explores the “saturation limits in the full spectrum of emotions, textures, and characters.” In doing so, Szewczyk is confident that the resulting collection of chamber works “covers the entire expressive range of my vocabulary and artistic sensitivity.”
An Arc of Quartets
Catalog #: NV6081
Release Date: March 10, 2017
20th CenturyChamberString QuartetAs the title of this album suggests, AN ARC OF QUARTETS gives listeners unique access to a continuum of composer Michael G. Cunningham’s intricate and inviting string music. Five international string ensembles present the album’s seven compositions, including Sirius Quartet from New York; The Moravian Quartet from the Czech Republic; the Millennium Quartet from Florida; and The Pedroia Quartet and New England String Quartet, both from Massachusetts.
String Quartet No. 1 The Music of Erich Zann
Catalog #: NV6083
Release Date: February 10, 2017
21st CenturyChamberString QuartetComposer Michael J. Evans’ THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZANN is a startling and surreal musical interpretation of H.P. Lovecraft’s 1922 tale of the eponymous violist – a mysterious old man who seemingly protects himself from dark, magical forces by playing the viol. Evans is a gifted melodist, and his other PARMA Recordings and Navona albums showcase his predilections for the rich textures and harmonic language of late European Romanticism.
Pheonix Ensemble
Catalog #: NV6076
Release Date: February 10, 2017
20th CenturyChamberClarinetString QuartetWind EnsembleNavona Records is proud to present PHOENIX ENSEMBLE: CHAMBER WORKS OF HENRI MARTEAU AND ALEXANDER ZEMLINSKY. The Phoenix Ensemble is a mixed instrument chamber music ensemble. Founded in 1991 by New York-based clarinetist Mark Lieb, the Phoenix Ensemble aims to “inspire a new and diverse audience for classical music.” They undertake this challenge by presenting two works by late romantic French composer Henri Marteau, who is relatively unknown in the music world, as well as presenting one work by Austrian composer Alexander Zemlinsky. Both composers were active at the turn of the 19th century.
Dress Code
Catalog #: NV6078
Release Date: April 14, 2017
ClassicalChamberString QuartetNavona Records proudly presents DRESS CODE, the debut release from Colorado-based string ensemble Altius Quartet. Comprised of violinists Joshua Ulrich and Andrew Giordano, violist Andrew Krimm, and cellist Zachary Reaves, the quartet’s core mission is to strive for universality in their music and communicate directly with their listeners.
The Passing Sound of Forever
Catalog #: NV6068
Release Date: January 13, 2017
21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalFluteString QuartetViolinSound and space are two elements that emerge at the heart of Jane O’Leary’s THE PASSING SOUND OF FOREVER. The collection showcases O’Leary’s compositional gifts through a variety of her chamber compositions. O’Leary’s string writing soars in THE PASSING SOUND OF FOREVER, and demonstrates her remarkable sensitivity to the instruments’ sonic palette and expressive potential. Every color, from ethereal natural harmonics to frenetic bowing, is at O’Leary’s disposal, and is exploited beautifully to produce evocative and compelling soundscapes.
Splash of Indigo
Catalog #: NV6064
Release Date: November 18, 2016
21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalPianoPiano TrioString QuartetAmerican composer Marty Regan specializes in composing music for traditional Japanese instruments, a fascination he has developed since 2000. Regan describes his Japanese-style compositions as, “hybrid musical soundscapes that reflect the age in which we live, an era based not necessarily on globalization, but of partnership based on global cultural interaction.” In contrast, SPLASH OF INDIGO features a complementary side of Regan’s output, containing only works for Western orchestral instruments and voice.
Sursum
Catalog #: NV6062
Release Date: November 18, 2016
21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalPianoString QuartetWith his new album SURSUM, composer Michael Slayton presents six compelling compositions, each performed by a different ensemble or solo performer. Despite the album’s varied & esteemed assemblage of performers, there lies a common thread throughout in both the form of Slayton’s distinguished composing style – dreamy but focused, and equal parts smooth and dissonant – as well as the imagery that the music conjures.
The Crossroads Project
Catalog #: NV6054
Release Date: September 9, 2016
21st CenturyChamberString QuartetThroughout history, musicians and activists have enlisted the power of music to connect us to the pressing issues of our times. The brainchild of physicist Robert Davies, THE CROSSROADS PROJECT comprises two performances, Rising Tide and Emergence, performed by the Fry Street Quartet in multi-disciplinary collaboration.
Three String Quartets
Catalog #: NV6048
Release Date: July 8, 2016
21st CenturyChamberString QuartetComposer Jeffrey Stadelman presents three string quartets on Navona Records, each offering distinct perspectives on his career and versatile style of composition. Performed by the New England String Quartet, these works illustrate the composer’s intense, lyrical, and sensuous modes of expression.
Infinite Landscapes
Catalog #: NV6040
Release Date: May 13, 2016
21st CenturyChamberClarinetString QuartetOn his Navona release INFINITE LANDSCAPES, composer Elliott Miles McKinley presents Three Portraits and his String Quartet No. 7 – two adventurous works commissioned by renowned chamber ensembles.
Fred Broer
Catalog #: NV6042
Release Date: June 10, 2016
21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalPianoString QuartetComposer, author, and educator Fred Broer presents his String Quartet No. 8, as well as four colorful piano works, on his Navona release FRED BROER: MUSIC FOR STRING QUARTET AND PIANO SOLO. Broer’s adventurous String Quartet No. 8 is performed masterfully by the New England String Quartet and is dedicated to the memory of his good friend Hilda Ayer.
In Times Of Torment
Catalog #: NV6035
Release Date: April 8, 2016
21st CenturyChamberCelloString QuartetViolinIN TIMES OF TORMENT, from the late composer Yves Ramette (1921-2012), displays major themes from almost every single musical era. Composed from 1941-1944 in Paris during the Nazi occupation, the album presents a unique perspective from Ramette, breaking away from the virtuosic piano works found in his previous albums to showcase varying chamber ensembles. Although his sonatas were written for the virtuosic violin and cello, the piano continues to be highlighted throughout his pieces, making it more than an accompaniment, but rather a featured instrument.
Blurred Boundaries
Catalog #: NV6038
Release Date: April 8, 2016
20th CenturyChamberString QuartetApollo Chamber Players’ present their latest Navona release BLURRED BOUNDARIES, featuring commissions from veteran composers Libby Larsen and Marty Regan, as well as from the winner of Apollo’s inaugural International Commissioning Contest, Erberk Eryılmaz. These three commissions mark the beginning of 20x2020, Apollo’s initiative to commission 20 new folk music-inspired works by the end of the decade. Each of these composers explores culturally-specific musical traditions and presents folk material in ways that are engaging, unique, and revelatory.
American Dreams
Catalog #: NV6004
Release Date: August 14, 2015
21st CenturyChamberString QuartetThe intersection of classical music and popular and folk music is where the journey begins for the Seattle-based Saint Helens String Quartet - consisting of Stephen Bryant, violin; Adrianna Hulscher, violin; Michael Lieberman, viola; and Paige Stockley, cello - exploring a sonic vision of American culture presented by four contemporary composers on their debut Navona Records release, AMERICAN DREAMS.