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Symphonic Chronicles Vol IV

Richard E Brown composer
Christopher Jessup composer
Matthew Busse composer
Tom Myron composer
Patrick J. Brill composer
Peter Dickson Lopez composer

London Symphony Orchestra
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra
Miran Vaupotić conductor
Pavel Šnajdr conductor
Jiří Petrdlík conductor

Release Date: April 18, 2025

Catalog #: NV6713

Format: Digital

21st Century

Concertos

Orchestral

Flute

Orchestra

Violin

New symphonic music is thriving in 2025, and the wellspring of orchestral expression is continuously tapped by today’s leading composers. SYMPHONIC CHRONICLES VOLUME IV introduces listeners to six of these compositional voices, each of whom offer vivid, cinematic music in a spirit of innovation and artistic exploration.

From the steadfast solar beauty evoked in Christopher Jessup’s Svítání and Tom Myron’s Monhegan Sunrise to the serene, pastoral reflections of Idyll for Violin and Orchestra, these works evoke vivid imagery and emotion. Patrick Brill’s Scherzo for Orchestra, Op. 37 offers a study in absolute music, blending historical styles with original themes, while Richard E Brown’s 2 sets of Korean Dances reimagine traditional melodies with orchestral depth, and Peter Dickson Lopez’s Song of Thirteen Moons (Adagio) offers an intimate reflection on family and memory.

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Track Listing & Credits

#	Title	Composer	Performer
01	Korean Dance No. 1	Richard E Brown	Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra \| Pavel Šnajdr, conductor	2:37
02	Korean Dance No. 2	Richard E Brown	Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra \| Pavel Šnajdr, conductor	2:13
03	Korean Dance No. 3	Richard E Brown	Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra \| Pavel Šnajdr, conductor	1:54
04	Korean Dance No. 4	Richard E Brown	Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra \| Pavel Šnajdr, conductor	2:35
05	Svítání	Christopher Jessup	London Symphony Orchestra \| Miran Vaupotić, conductor	7:39
06	Idyll	Matthew Busse	Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc \| Jiří Petrdlík, conductor; Patrik Sedlář, solo violin	8:20
07	Korean Dance No. 5	Richard E Brown	Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra \| Pavel Šnajdr, conductor	3:04
08	Korean Dance No. 6	Richard E Brown	Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra \| Pavel Šnajdr, conductor	2:17
09	Korean Dance No. 7	Richard E Brown	Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra \| Pavel Šnajdr, conductor	2:20
10	Korean Dance No. 8	Richard E Brown	Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra \| Pavel Šnajdr, conductor	2:47
11	Monhegan Sunrise	Tom Myron	The Royal Scottish National Orchestra \| Miran Vaupotić, conductor; Katherine Bryan, flute solo	7:09
12	Scherzo for Orchestra, Op. 37	Patrick Brill	London Symphony Orchestra \| Miran Vaupotić, conductor	4:43
13	Song of Thirteen Moons: I. Adagio	Peter Dickson Lopez	Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc \| Pavel Šnajdr, conductor	7:49

Tracks 1-4, 6-10, 13
Recorded December 19, 2023, June 17, August 20, September 12, 2024 at Reduta Hall in Olomouc, Czech Republic
Session Producer Jan Košulič
Session Engineer Jana Jelínková
Editing & Mixing Lucas Paquette (Tracks 1-4), Jan Košulič (Tracks 6-10, 13)
Additional Editing & Mixing Melanie Montgomery (Track 13)

Tracks 5 & 12
Recorded June 8, 2024 at LSO St. Lukes in London, England
Session Producer Brad Michel
Session Engineer Jonathan Stokes, Classic Sound
Editing & Mixing Melanie Montgomery

Track 11
Recorded March 28, 2024 at Royal Glasgow Hall in Glasgow, Scotland
Session Producer Brad Michel
Session Engineer Hedd Morfett-Jones
Editing & Mixing Brad Michel
Immersive Audio Engineer Brad Michel

Mastering Melanie Montgomery

Executive Producer Bob Lord

VP of A&R Brandon MacNeil
A&R Danielle Sullivan, Chris Robinson

VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
Production Manager Martina Watzková
Production Assistant Adam Lysák

VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Publicity Aidan Curran
Digital Marketing Manager Brett Iannucci

Artist Information

Richard E Brown

Composer

Richard E Brown, a native of New York State and has been active as a composer-arranger and music educator for many years. His training includes M.M. and D.M. degrees in composition from Florida State University, as well as a B.A. in music education from Central College, which named him a Distinguished Alumnus in 1983. His principal composition studies were with Carlisle Floyd, John Boda, and Charles Carter. He is a member of ASCAP and is represented in the catalogs of several trade publishers, as well as his personal imprint Dacker Music.

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Christopher Jessup

Composer

Christopher Jessup is a multi award-winning composer and pianist whose music has been hailed as “lovely” [The New York Times], “imaginative” [Fanfare], and “ethereal” [Textura]. Highly regarded as both a composer and performer, Jessup is one of the foremost musicians of his generation.

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Matthew Busse

Composer

Matthew Busse, a native of Joliet IL, embarked on his musical journey at a young age. Initially self-taught on the piano, he began formal lessons at age 6. His passion for composition emerged over time, driven by a fascination with the works of classical masters. He pursued studies in composition, conducting, and piano performance at Sam Houston State University, where he refined his ability to blend classical and contemporary influences in his music.

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Tom Myron

Composer

Tom Myron (b. 1959) is an American composer and arranger active in the fields of live and recorded symphonic music. His work, as both a solo and collaborative artist, is heard regularly in major venues in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and Canada, at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, and the Grand Théâtre de Québec.

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Patrick J. Brill

Composer

Dr. Patrick J. Brill is an American composer born and raised in Minneapolis/St. Paul MN. He has composed numerous classical compositions including a cappella sacred vocal works, instrumental chamber compositions, symphonic orchestral pieces, and compositions for both choir and orchestra. Dr. Brill composes with style predicated on a return to Western classical aesthetic principles.

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Peter Dickson Lopez

Composer

Peter Dickson Lopez traces his musical roots to a broad range of early influences including his tenure as a graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley (USA), attendance at Tanglewood (USA) as a Fellowship Composer, and as recipient of the George Ladd Prix de Paris (1976–1978). The eclectic nature of Lopez’s mature style stems no doubt from having worked directly with composers of diverse approaches and philosophies during his early years at Berkeley and Tanglewood: with Joaquin Nin-Culmell, Andrew Imbrie, Edwin Dugger, Olly Wilson, Earle Brown at UC Berkeley (1972–1978); and with Ralph Shapey and Theodore Antoniou during his Fellowship at Tanglewood (1979). Even more influential to Lopez’s artistic development was his residence in Paris where he had the opportunity to listen to many live concerts of contemporary European composers as well as to attend numerous events at IRCAM.

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London Symphony Orchestra

Orchestra

Widely acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, The London Symphony Orchestra was named by Gramophone as one of the top five orchestras in the world. A world-leader in recording music for film, television, and events, it was the official orchestra of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games ceremonies, memorably performing Chariots of Fire on stage in the opening ceremony, conducted by Simon Rattle and with Rowan Atkinson.

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Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Orchestra

Formed in 1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company became the Scottish National Orchestra in 1950, and was awarded Royal Patronage in 1977. Throughout its history, the Orchestra has played an integral part in Scotland’s musical life, including performing at the opening ceremony of the Scottish Parliament building in 2004. Many renowned conductors have contributed to its success, including George Szell, Sir John Barbirolli, Walter Susskind, Sir Alexander Gibson, Neeme Järvi, Walter Weller, Alexander Lazarev and Stéphane Denève.

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Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra

Orchestra

The Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the foremost and oldest symphony orchestras in the Czech Republic. It is based in the historical capital of Moravia, the city of Olomouc, and has been a leader of music activities in the region for the past 70 years. Its artistic development was directly influenced by distinguished figures from the Czech and international music scene.

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Miran Vaupotić

Conductor

Acclaimed as “dynamic and knowledgeable” by the Buenos Aires Herald, Croatian conductor Miran Vaupotić has worked with eminent orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Berliner Symphoniker, the Russian National Orchestra, the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Budapest Symphony Orchestra MÁV, Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional Argentina, and others, performing in major halls around the globe such as Carnegie Hall, Wiener Musikverein, Berliner Philharmonie, Rudolfinum, Smetana Hall, Victoria Hall, Forbidden City Concert Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Dubai Opera, Tchaikovsky Hall, International House of Music, CBC Glenn Gould Studio, and more.

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Pavel Šnajdr

Conductor

Pavel Šnajdr is a Czech conductor and composer. He is a graduate of the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU), Brno in composition (which he studied with Alois Piňos) and conducting (with Emil Skoták). Beyond working with symphony orchestras, he has been engaged by music theatres including the J.K. Tyl Theatre in Pilsen, the Prague State Opera and the Moravian Theatre in Olomouc, and currently conducts opera at the National Theatre in Brno.

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Jiří Petrdlík

Conductor

Jiří Petrdlík (b. 1977) is appreciated as one of the most respectable conductors of his generation. He studied piano, trombone, and conducting — 1995–2000 at Prague Conservatory, and 2000–2005 at Academy of Performing Arts Prague — with Hynek Farkač, Miroslav Košler, Miriam Němcová, Radomil Eliška, and Tomáš Koutník, and took part in the masterclasses of the New York Philharmonic Principal Conductor Kurt Masur and the BBC Philharmonic Principal Conductor Jiří Bělohlávek. Petrdlík also successfully took part in several competitions, including the Donatella Flick Conductor Competition in London.

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Notes

Korean Dances

When I first hesitantly decided to emulate such masters as Brahms, Dvořák, Grieg, and Bartók by writing a set of national/ethnic dances for orchestra, I decided not to base them on the obvious choice of American folk music. Because that had already been masterfully done by earlier composers I saw no point in trying to compete with established standard repertory. So, after giving it considerable thought, I chose Korean folk music — partly because I am “Korean” by marriage, but also because I already had some Korean-inspired music originally written for other mediums that I could recycle as a starting point for some of the orchestral dances.

These eight dances are all based on Korean folk songs. Like the traditional music of its neighbors China and Japan, Korea’s folk music generally utilizes pentatonic scales (having five notes in the pattern of a piano’s black keys). It also tends to favor minor tonalities and triple or compound meters. But although the source tunes are mostly pentatonic, these dances make no attempt to limit themselves entirely to pentatonic scales in expanding on the material.

— Richard E Brown

Svítání

Svítání, meaning “Dawn” in Czech, was composed in 2020. My objective in writing this piece was not only to create a simulation of a sunrise, but also to emphasize the remarkable steadfastness of the rising sun. There are few things we can truly depend on in this world; however, the sun will rise each day — that we can depend on. This phenomenon served as inspiration for my piece. I wanted to take the listener on a journey, but I also wanted to bring him/her back home in the end to demonstrate the cyclical nature of a sunrise.

— Christopher Jessup

Idyll

I am often asked about the meaning or emotion behind my compositions. My usual response is, “Whatever you feel in the moment that you hear it.” My compositional process starts as an exploration of sound. I love sitting at a piano, playing, and experimenting with combinations of notes. I’m fascinated by the sonic interplay of these combinations, and from this exploration, music begins to take shape.

Is there an emotional component to my process? Certainly. I would be remiss to say that emotion or other influences from my mind don’t play a role. However, I rarely set out to compose a piece with a specific emotion or feeling in mind. Instead, my works evolve organically as I engage in the creative process.

Take Idyll for Violin and Orchestra as an example. Originally, I aimed to write a piece for violin and piano while living in Houston TX. Sitting at the piano, I explored chords and harmonies, which became the opening measures of the piece. From there, I introduced the violin melody, and the composition gradually grew into its final form. As I worked, I began to hear an idyllic, serene, and pastoral scene in my mind — hence the title Idyll.

Although the piece was initially written for violin and piano, I felt compelled to orchestrate it. I imagined the opening harmonies played by winds, supported by bass and cello providing the harmonic foundation. I also wanted to use the unique timbral colors of the winds and strings to complement the violin solo, creating a more heterogeneous sound palette.

After developing the violin theme, the piece transitions to a più mosso section, where a new theme emerges and undergoes development before returning to the original tempo primo theme. While I still appreciate the piece in its original violin-and-piano form, the orchestration brings out a richer interplay of instrumental colors, adding depth to the solo line.

I hope you enjoy this work and let whatever emotions you experience while listening become uniquely your own.

— Matthew Busse

Monhegan Sunrise

“Monhegan Sunrise” is the second of the three movements that make up my Symphony No. 3, Monhegan. The piece is a continuous 7-minute span of lyrical, dramatic music that is meant to both illustrate and evoke the sites, sounds, and sensations of experiencing a sunrise from the spectacular 150-foot northeast-facing cliffs of Monhegan Island’s “Blackhead,” some 12 miles off of Maine’s rocky coast.

To this end, the full resources of the 21st symphony orchestra have been deployed. From a single, silvery flute melody tracing soaring, birdlike figures against shifting shades of blue to a 12-piece brass section evoking the orange into-gold transformation of the sun itself, “Monhegan Sunrise” seeks to deliver to the listener a true symphonic sea picture.

Artists of every medium and discipline have been traveling to the island in search of both isolation and inspiration for well over a century. The beginnings of an artist’s colony on Monhegan date to the mid-19th century; by 1890, it was firmly established. Later members of the artist colony have included Jay Hall Connaway, Abraham Bogdanove, Andrew Winter, Reuben Tam, Frances Kornbluth, Elena Jahn, Lynne Drexler, Edward Betts, and Jamie Wyeth.

“Monhegan Sunrise” is dedicated to my dear friends Liane and Don Crawford, whose generous support have made both the composition of Symphony No. 3, Monhegan and this recording of “Monhegan Sunrise” possible.

— Tom Myron

Scherzo for Orchestra, Op. 37

The Scherzo for Orchestra, Op. 37, composed by Dr. Patrick J. Brill, is a single, full orchestral composition scored for 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Bb Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, 4 F Horns, 2 Bb Trumpets, Timpani, 1st Violins, 2nd Violins, Violas, Violoncellos, and Double Basses. The piece is not part of any larger musical work.

The Scherzo for Orchestra is an example of “absolute music,” meaning that there is no specific program, or any kind of extra-musical content associated with it. It was started in 2014, but was set aside for several years. It was later taken up again, and then finally completed in 2021.

It should also be noted that the style of this composition draws from elements of the following Western music style periods: Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and, to a greater extent, the early Romantic style. However, even though some of the aforementioned musical style elements have been adopted and adapted, all of the themes in this piece are original.

Furthermore, no attempt has been made, nor was any attempt ever intended, to create a perfectly consistent example of any historical music style in this composition. The practice of drawing on historical style elements has been done by the majority of composers, both great and small, from the Middle Ages to our own time. An examination of Mozart’s and Haydn’s later works, for example, will demonstrate the existence of Baroque style elements in many of their later oeuvre.

– Dr. Patrick J. Brill

Song of Thirteen Moons: I. Adagio

Memories, impressions, and lingering thoughts of love and joy experienced during the years spent with our son, Peren, growing up has inspired the Song of Thirteen Moons (2018). Though still working on completing the entire work with additional sections, I have released individual movements as they are completed, of which the Adagio is one of these. The Adagio from this also doubles as the second of a series of Adagios which I have contemplated writing over many years. The title of this work originates from a project book entitled Thirteen Moons that Peren completed during grade school. The project consisted of a collection of his poems and pictures describing various “moons” such as the “Harvest Moon.” There were 13 such vignettes in this project. Rather than compose a work that was meant to reflect each “moon” in the project, I decided to use Peren’s project as the source inspiration for reflections about enjoying family life with him as a youth at that time, along with his mother and my wife, Irene. In this sense, Song of Thirteen Moons continues the compositional approach of “Visions des reflets et nocturnes” in leveraging the language of music to explore and express my inner life.

Though there are moments of dynamic energy in Song of Thirteen Moons, such moments are subdued in favor of softer, more introspective, emotions as reflected in the movement titles:
I. Adagio
II. Elegy
III. Serenade
IV. Intermezzo
V. Nocturne
VI. Vocalise

Adagio, Elegy, and Serenade have been completed, and Serenade has previously been recorded and released on the Navona Records label. Vocalise is in progress and will be the longest and most intricate of the movements with the addition of vocal forces including soloists and chorus.

— Peter Dickson Lopez

Symphonic Chronicles Vol IV

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Track Listing & Credits