Choose artist...
Home   >   Projects

Projects

Artist: All Artists
Projects per page:
Lucie Horsch:

The Bruggen Project

Dutch recorder virtuoso Lucie Horsch announces her new Decca album, a compelling programme of early 18th-century compositions delivered on instruments of the same vintage. The Brüggen Project, out today, just after the 90th anniversary of Brüggen’s birth, takes the listener back to a golden age of instrument making. Its tracklist features fourteen historic recorders, each blessed with its own distinctive sound and musical personality.

Frans Brüggen, a towering figure in the world of period-instrument performance, often played on the historic recorders he acquired during his long and illustrious career. The Dutch musician’s peerless collection largely fell silent after his death ten years ago. Lucie has restored it to vibrant life. The album contains sublime interpretations of ensemble pieces by Marcello, Corelli and J.S. Bach, including the famous Air from the latter’s Third Orchestral Suite and Brüggen’s transcription of his Concerto in E major BWV 1053. It also trains the spotlight on a sequence of solo works that demonstrates the tonal variety and subtle nuances of instruments created three centuries ago in London, Paris, Nuremberg and the Netherlands.

Yuja Wang:

Messiaen - Turangalila Symphonie w/BSO,Nelsons

Captured at Boston’s Symphony Hall in April 2024, this new Deutsche Grammophon recording presents Messiaen’s monumental Turangalîla-Symphonie. The work was one of the centrepieces of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s “Music of the Senses” Festival, aimed at expanding the audience experience through music that plays with colour, light, sound and time. The BSO and its Music Director Andris Nelsons were joined on stage by pianist and exclusive DG artist Yuja Wang and by Cécile Lartigau, one of today’s rare ondes Martenot players. 

A first taste of their dazzling interpretation can be heard in the exuberant fifth movement, Joie du sang des étoiles, released on 15 November. The full recording will be released as a digital album on 6 December 2025, marking the 75th anniversary of the world premiere, given by the BSO and Leonard Bernstein on 2 December 1949. A physical release will follow in 2025. 
The BSO is celebrating two other significant anniversaries this year – it is 150 years since the birth of Serge Koussevitzky, its legendary ninth Music Director, and 100 years since his appointment to that role. It was Koussevitzky who commissioned Turangalîla, giving Messiaen free rein by telling him, “Choose as many instruments as you desire, write a work as long as you wish and in the style you want.”

The result was this extraordinary, 10-movement symphony for large orchestra – including a vast array of percussion – with solo piano and ondes Martenot (an early electronic instrument). It was the perfect work for the BSO to programme in its festival, not only because of its origins, but also because Messiaen’s synaesthesia meant he saw colours when he heard or imagined sound. He called Turangalîla, which was inspired in part by the Tristan myth, “the most coloured” of his works and a “hymn to joy”. Under Nelsons’ baton, the BSO and the two virtuosic soloists reveal every facet of the work’s kaleidoscopic colours, heady harmonies and sweeping emotional drama.

Shabaka:

Possession

Renowned musician, Shabaka, releases his new EP, Possession via Impulse! Records. The EP follows his recent critically well-received album, Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge It’s Grace, and debuts a new track, “To The Moon” with fellow flautist and hip hop luminary André 3000. The EP is out now across all music providers, and you can listen here. You can watch the accompanying video that features mesmerizing visuals influenced by the album cover art.

The Possession EP release coincides with Shabaka’s ongoing international tour, which brings his experimental soundscapes and introspective compositions to audiences around the world. Upcoming dates include venues across Australia, Japan, US, and China. For more information on the tour please visit https://www.shabakahutchings.com/shabaka-hutchings/#/.

Possession builds on themes from Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace - a deeply poetic work that NPR Music’s Robin Hilton called, “Maybe the most essential listening of the week, if not the year.”  In addition to Andre 3000, notable musicians joining Shabaka on this musical exploration include special guests, Billy Woods, Elucid, Esperanza Spalding, Nduduzo Makhathini, Brandee Younger, Carlos Niño and Jason Moran.
 

Freddie De Tommaso:

Puccini

Freddie marks the 100th anniversary of Puccini’s death with a new EP. Recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Ed Gardner. Having already released some of Puccini’s greatest works including arias and duets on previous albums.

Yo-Yo Ma | Kathryn Stott:

Merci

Merci is a deeply personal expression of gratitude, a celebration of the powerful relationships that keep music alive. This effervescent recording is rooted in the compositions of Gabriel Fauré, whom Stott calls her “musical soulmate,” and follows the arcs of his inspiration and influence, from the creations of his teacher Camille Saint-Saëns and his friend and supporter Pauline Viardot to works by his student Nadia Boulanger and her sister, Lili. Merci is testament to the gift of friendship, to the connections among performers, between students and teachers, and across generations that make music magic.

Ma and Stott—both of whom have connections to Fauré through their respective teachers Luise Vosgerchian and Nadia Boulanger—reveal the extent of Fauré’s influence and inspiration through a recording that juxtaposes Fauré’s works for strings and piano with compositions by members of his musical family. Beginning with his Berceuse, Op. 16, Fauré’s works alternate with those of his student (Nadia Boulanger), teacher (Camille Saint-Saëns), and friends and contemporaries (Lili Boulanger, Pauline Viardot), in a tribute to the belief that, in Ma’s words, “we musicians stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and that we can only hope that ours will sustain those who come after.”

 

National Children's Chorus:

Illumine w/London Symphony Orchestra

The GRAMMY® Award-winning National Children’s Chorus, under the leadership of Artistic Director Luke McEndarfer and Associate Artistic Director Dr. Pamela Blackstone, has quickly become one of the world’s leading children’s choirs. Among the most exciting and fastest growing music institutions for youth in the nation, the chorus provides its unparalleled training to more than 1,400 students, comprising 39 choirs based in the chapter cities of Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Austin, Dallas, Boston and Chicago. 

The NCC’s groundbreaking Season 2024/25, entitled Kaleidoscope, focuses on the impact of the chorus’ artistry, featuring an array of stunning repertoire that demonstrates the organization’s firm commitment to new music, world culture, and extraordinary collaborations.

Illumine is far more than a musical achievement—it is a heartfelt celebration of human resilience, performed by over 250 young singers whose voices resonate with hope, unity, and the vision for a better world. In collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra, these exceptional young artists have come together to create this special collection of artistic diversity. Recorded at the renowned Abbey Road Studios and AIR Studios in London, Illumine champions newly commissioned works and arrangements that honor winter-themed expressions from around the world.

Kian Soltani:

Home

A protegé of Anne-Sophie Mutter and Daniel Barenboim, and hailed by The Times as a “remarkable cellist” and described by Gramophone as “sheer perfection”, Kian Soltani’s playing is characterised by a depth of expression, sense of individuality and technical mastery, alongside a charismatic stage presence and ability to create an immediate emotional connection with his audience. He is now invited by the world’s leading orchestras, conductors and recital promoters, propelling him from rising star to one of the most talked about cellists performing today.

In 23/24 season he is the Focus Artist of Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and will share stages with Wiener Symphoniker, WDR Sinfonieorchester, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, and NHK Symphony Orchestra. Aside from orchestral and recital concerts, he will maintain busy schedule comprising of tours with Camerata Salzburg and Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

His recent orchestral highlights include Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. As a recitalist he continues to appear in prestigious halls and series including Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin; Wigmore Hall, London; Schubertiade; Musikverein, Vienna; Beethovenhaus, Bonn; and Konzerthaus Dortmund.

In 2017, Soltani signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon and his first disc ‘Home’, comprising works for cello and piano by Schubert, Schumann and Reza Vali, was released to international acclaim in 2018, with Gramophone describing the recording as “sublime”. Soltani has since recorded discs including the Dvorak and Tchaikovsky Piano Trios with Lahav Shani and Renaud Capucon, recorded live at Aix Easter Festival in 2018 released by Warner Classics and Dvorák’s Cello Concerto with the Staatskapelle Berlin and Daniel Barenboim in August 2020.

The 25-year-old cellist Kian Soltani releases his debut DG album performed with pianist Aaron Pilsan, Home. Reflecting his Austrian and Persian roots, Home features Schubert's Sonata in A Minor (Arpeggione) and Schumann's "Du bist wie eine Blume," as well as world premiere recordings of Iranian composer Reza Vali's Seven Persian Folk Songs, written for Soltani, and the young cellist's own composition, Persian Fire Dance. 

Donald Vega:

All is Merry and Bright

Echoing the traditions of holiday albums by Oscar Peterson and Nat King Cole, and taking inspiration from Vince Guaraldi’s holiday classic, Donald Vega has set out to make an album that families will enjoy for years to come. The album was recorded in both stereo and immersive sound by Multi GRAMMY-Winner Engineer & Producer Jim Anderson. Here the 2023 Guggenheim Fellow and Juilliard Professor shares his inspiration behind the album: 

“The holiday season, for me, is one of the happiest times of the year. Every family has their unique traditions, whether it be holiday dinners, gathering around the Christmas tree, lighting the menorah, or moments of reflection," Vega shares. "The holidays are a time of fellowship and laughter, where we reminisce fondly on years gone by while continuing to create new memories with friends and loved ones. My hope is this album becomes part of each family’s holiday tradition as they take time to cherish and celebrate one another.”

“All is Merry and Bright" finds Donald Vega teaming up once again with GRAMMY award-winning engineer/producer Jim Anderson. They recently collaborated on Vega’s last album, “As I Travel”, (Imagery Records, 2023). The recording of “All is Merry and Bright” renders every inflection of Vega’s piano with such presence and clarity, perfectly complementing Donald's art which is defined by his melodic phrasing and signature light touch. The sessions for “Merry & Bright", recorded, mixed, and mastered in Digital eXtreme Definition (352.8kHz/32bit), are among Anderson Audio's finest engineering achievements with Ulrike Anderson overseeing the technical production. The immersive version was mixed at Skywalker Sound, Marin County, California, and mastered by 2L’s Morten Lindberg in Norway.

Lisa Reagan:

Coventry Carol

A very special release for the holidays from Lisa Reagan, is the newly produced video for “Coventry Carol,” from Lisa’s album Noel. This ephemeral video directed by Jordan Mizrahi, captures the tone of the Tudor period of the English Renaissance, which saw a flourishing of art, architecture, trade, exploration and commerce. Lisa explains, “’Coventry Carol’ dates back to the mid-1500s and was a part of the Coventry Pageant, an annual performance in Coventry, England. In this pageant, Joseph receives a visit from an angel who instructs him to take his child to Egypt to protect him from Herod's massacre of the innocents. In our video, we chose to use a ballerina to represent these innocent souls.

“Each Christmas season brings renewed hope once more: for peace on earth and goodwill toward all. This is my heartfelt prayer.” “Coventry Carol” is the second of three songs included in the nativity portion of the Pageant. It enjoyed its greatest popularity in the 1940s shortly after having been performed in the bombed-out World War II ruins of Coventry Cathedral.

Lisa’s operatic history with the Washington National Opera, provides her with the prowess to impart pathos to the words of the women of Bethlehem. While at the WNO, she had the honor of sharing the stage with icons Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Renee Fleming among others, as well as performing at White House special events.

Clement Ducol & Camille:

Emilia Perez OMPS

Sony Music Masterworks releases EMILIA PÉREZ (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) featuring original songs and score music written by CLÉMENT DUCOL and CAMILLE for the award-winning musical drama from Jacques Audiard. Acclaimed composer Clément Ducol and chart-topping French singer Camille have crafted an expansive body of music covering multiple genres, each tailored to the onscreen story and its cast of characters. Included within the album are 16 Spanish-language vocal tracks featuring performances by the film’s ensemble cast including Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz. With music supervision by Pierre-Marie Dru, who also acts as the album’s executive producer, the soundtrack captures the complexity of each character’s innermost thoughts and feelings, further immersing viewers into the onscreen story while complimenting Audiard’s bold filmmaking vision. Following an award-winning festival run, Emilia Pérez debuts in select US theaters today before making its streaming debut in the US, UK and Ireland exclusively on Netflix beginning Wednesday, November 13.

INSTAGRAM

Samara Joy:

Portrait

“I’m still speechless,” says Samara Joy, reflecting on her 2023 Grammy win for Best New Artist. When the Bronx-raised jazz vocalist, 24, tries to place herself back in that historic moment today, she feels nothing but gratitude.

At the same time, Joy understood then that she couldn’t let the award define her. She still had a lifetime of music to explore, a tight-knit crew of extraordinary collaborators to guide, and a passion for songwriting to nurture. So Joy did what any committed, eternally curious jazz musician would do: She hit the road. For her and her band, a seemingly endless run of sold-out tour dates became a nightly opportunity to reach new creative heights. “I just got back to work, doing what, in essence, got me the Grammy in the first place,” she says. 

Joy’s new Verve Records release, Portrait, is the proper follow-up to Linger Awhile, her 2022 breakthrough LP, and it represents the next phase in her continuing artistic evolution — unbound by expectations. 

Portrait documents the immersive, seemingly telepathic rapport she’s developed with her touring band, which includes musicians she learned the jazz craft alongside while earning her undergraduate degree; in fact, it wasn’t until college that Joy began to pursue jazz singing. On the strength of that cozy dynamic — on the road, "I'm among friends, which explains personal chemistry that translates to our live performances,” Joy says. The vocalist offers an album that both honors jazz heritage while staking out bold, singular territory. Whatever a rote, singer-with-sidemen record is, Portrait is not.  

Jon Batiste:

Beethoven Blues

Multi-Grammy and Oscar Award winner Jon Batiste today announced his eighth studio album, Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1), out November 15 via Verve Records / Interscope. Marking the first installment in Batiste’s new solo piano series, the project showcases his interpolations of some of Beethoven’s most iconic works, which he has reimagined through an expansive lens. These reimagined classics embody the indomitable spirit of the blues, and – true to Batiste’s “message of open-armed inclusivity” (New York Times) – embrace a broad genre spectrum.  

The inspiration for Beethoven Blues gained momentum after a 2023 interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace, where Batiste demonstrated music’s ability to transcend genre borders by transforming Beethoven’s Bagatelle No. 25 (“Für Elise”) at the piano (watch HERE). The profound response from audiences across social media helped signal the timing was right to make this long-held album idea a reality. For years, Batiste has incorporated interpolations of classical music into his albums, TV performances, and live shows, but Beethoven Blues marks the first time he’s dedicated an entire album to this practice.

“For each work on the album, the starting point was one of Beethoven’s original compositions,” Batiste shared. “From there, I created something new at the piano, in real time. Spontaneous composition is a practice that’s all but lost in classical music, which can sometimes feel overly canonized.  Recording this album was a deeply spiritual experience. It allowed me to honor Beethoven’s transcendent artistry while bringing his work into dialogue with my own creative journey.”

Batiste has been variously described as “a certified musical genius” (The Guardian), “a protean pianist and megawatt personality” (Variety), and “a once-in-a-generation talent, with a passion for … connecting people through a shared love of music-making” (Classic FM). Born into a long line of Louisiana musicians, he trained as a classical pianist and received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano from New York’s Juilliard School. He now works with students and faculty as an inaugural Juilliard Creative Associate, as well as serving on the Juilliard board.  Additionally, Batiste is on the Board of Trustees at Carnegie Hall as an Artist Trustee.

He returned to his classical roots in the 2021-22 season, when he curated a multi-concert “Perspectives” series at New York’s Carnegie Hall. This was crowned by the world premiere of his American Symphony (2022), a Carnegie Hall commission, on the venue’s main stage. Classical Source welcomed this large-scale orchestral work as “a joyous and beefy blend of orchestral sounds, funk, Dixieland, Latin, gospel, country, cool jazz, swing, hip-hop, R&B, as well as other styles and genres,” while Variety reported: 

Labeques / Dessner / Chalmin:

Sonic Wires

“Several years ago as we were finishing our album ‘El Chan’ which my dear friends Katia and Marielle Labèque made for Deutsche Grammophon, Katia and Marielle asked me if I would consider adding a piece in which I also play on the album (the record consists of music I had written for Katia and Marielle including a two piano piece and the large double concerto which they have performed very widely.) I thought it was a great idea and I composed ‘Haven’ for two pianos and two electric guitars that we would record along with guitarist and producer David Chalmin. This piece was the start of the Dreamhouse Quartet and a several year journey which has included many concerts and premieres and new commissions.

Prior to ‘Haven’, Katia, Marielle and David had been working on several installments of their ‘Minimalist Dreamhouse’ project which dedicates their incredible musicianship toward the various strands of the American minimal movement in music. Katia and Marielle have a long personal history playing new creations by many of the 20th century’s greatest composers including Berio, Boulez, Messiaen, Bernstein. Their passion and dedication to music transcends genre and has brought a whole new repertoire for two pianos to life.

Prior to meeting Katia and Marielle and David in 2014, I had spent the better part of 20 years living in New York City. My own experience of minimal music began in my early twenties just after finishing music school at Yale, I was asked to tour and record with the great American composer Steve Reich. Some of my first trips to Europe as a twenty five year old were performing with him. This was a highly influential time for me and Steve was also very supportive of my own compositions. Around that time I also toured with Philip Glass performing on stage with him several of the early Glass compositions from the 60s and 70s including ‘Music in Fifths’ and ‘Music in Similar Motion’.

Jean-Michel Blais - Lara Somogyi:

desert

Jean-Michel Blais and Lara Somogyi collaborate on an entirely improvised new album désert, to be released 28th February 2025 through Mercury KX. Pioneering electronic harpist Lara Somogyi and award-winning pianist/composer Jean-Michel Blais have joined forces for a groundbreaking album project, désert. The album emerged from a serendipitous encounter at Lara’s remote studio amidst the serene expanse of Joshua Tree. Entirely improvised, it captures the natural, organic interaction between the two artists, reflecting both their intuitive musical connection and the true essence of the moment in which they recorded it.

Inspired by the passage from dawn to dusk, their improvisation distilled into eleven tracks – mirroring a journey from illumination to obscurity, from simplicity to intricacy, and from strangers to kindred spirits. Melodies convey transcendence and harmonies channel synchronicity – weaving an unforeseen, timeless narrative. 

Mao Fujita:

72 Preludes - Chopin Scriabin Yashiro

Following his “consistently impressive” (Gramophone) traversal of Mozart’s complete Piano Sonatas for Sony Classical - winner of an Opus Klassik Award - Japanese pianist Mao Fujita presents a similarly ambitious project: matching sets of 24 Preludes by three composers, Frédéric Chopin, Alexander Scriabin and Akio Yashiro. In so doing, Fujita unites the Europe in which he now lives with the Japan where he was born and raised. His new Sony Classical Album - 72 Preludes - is set for release on September 6, 2024. Accompanying today’s news is the new track 24 Preludes: No. 8. in F-Sharp Minor - Andante tempo di Barcarolle

Chopin’s landmark set of 24 Préludes, completed in 1839, was the first work to treat the piano prelude as a self-contained work capable of standing alone. After the model laid down in Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier, the set traverses every key from C major to D minor, alternating major tonalities with their relative minors.

On his new album 72 Preludes, Fujita treats Chopin’s expressive yet elusive cycle as the basis for a dialogue that traverses borders and epochs. In 1884, Russian visionary Alexander Scriabin began work on his own set of 24 Preludes, directly inspired by Chopin’s. Scriabin’s pieces build on the grace and fluency of Chopin’s - also using his key scheme - while showing glimpses of the composer’s emerging radical harmonic and rhythmic character. They suggest that Scriabin, known for music on a huge scale, was an exquisite miniaturist.

Kian Soltani:

Schumann

For his new Deutsche Grammophon album, cellist Kian Soltani is focusing on the music of Schumann. The cornerstone of Soltani’s much-anticipated follow-up to Cello Unlimited – winner of the 2022 OPUS KLASSIK Innovative Listening Experience award – is Schumann’s masterful Cello Concerto in A minor, op. 129. This is a work Soltani has played to enormous acclaim many times (“The cello bow seemed to be a mere extension of his arm, his fingers flying over the fingerboard as if it were the most natural thing in the world … an unforgettable musical experience” – Seen and Heard International on his performance with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich in September 2023). 

Joined here by the players of Camerata Salzburg, led by concertmaster Gregory Ahss, Soltani directs the ensemble from the cello in the Concerto and in orchestrations of four other works by Schumann. The album also features Soltani’s own transcriptions for cello and piano of music by both Robert and Clara Schumann, in which he is accompanied by French pianist Julien Quentin. Kian Soltani – Schumann is released digitally and on CD on today. The orchestrated version of “Abendlied” from the 12 Klavierstücke, op. 85 is available to stream or download, complete with performance video, and the Sehr lebhaft finale of the Cello Concerto.

Igor Levit:

Brahms w/Vienna Philharmonic-Christian Thielemann

“Feel-good vibes effervesced, while applause resounded around the stage: that’s amore!” This is how the Viennese newspaper Der Standard described the audience’s enthusiastic reaction after Igor Levit, Christian Thielemann, and the Vienna Philharmonic performed Brahms’s First Piano Concerto at Vienna’s famous Musikverein in April 2024: “During these fifty minutes, an irresistible dose of emotion was conveyed – but at the same time the sophisticated structure of Brahms’s masterpiece remained crystal-clear.” Levit and Thielemann had already performed the Second Piano Concerto with the same orchestra in December 2023; the headline in Die Presse at the time ran: “Igor Levit sets a new gold standard for Brahms.” 

These two concertos make up the first joint recording by Levit and Thielemann, which will be released as a triple album with Levit’s recording of Brahms’s well-known solo works opp. 116–119. Levit’s and Thielemann’s first meeting was quite unplanned, although both had been curious about each other for a long time. In 2015, Levit spontaneously stepped in for a colleague who had fallen ill and performed Mozart’s C major Concerto K 467 with Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden in Munich. Despite an extremely short rehearsal period, the two hit it off straight away: “We have such a similar way of thinking that it is not necessary to discuss many things,” says Thielemann. And Levit adds: “When the piece begins, I simply have complete confidence in you. I know I can’t take a wrong turn. Having such unconditional trust is extraordinary.”

Musica Viva NY:

Crimson Roses w/Choir, Orch. von Stade, Sensenig

New York City’s leading chamber choir, Musica Viva NY, today announced its forthcoming album Crimson Roses: Contemporary American Choral Music. On its first release for Naxos, due out Nov 22nd, Musica Viva NY reveals why it has recently been hailed as a treasured institution. The album showcases the choir’s gifts as performers and interpreters and bridges its deep and far- reaching exploration of the full contemporary choral spectrum. Led by Musica Viva NY’s artistic director/conductor, Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez, celebrating his 10th year at the choir’s helm, 30+ singers and orchestra perform an indispensable compilation of contemporary American choral music by three living composers: Joseph Turrin, Richard Einhorn, and Gilda Lyons.

ALL PRESS SECURED BY April Thibeault - Amt Public Relations

Laila Biali:

Wintersongs

3 years in the making, the new album from multi-award-winning vocalist, pianist and composer Laila Biali offers a cinematic set of winter-themed original songs that feature JUNO-winner & GRAMMY-nominee Jane Bunnett, the Venuti String Quartet and chamber orchestra.

18 months after the release of her critically acclaimed and JUNO-nominated jazz standards album, Your Requests, Laila Biali is back with an entirely fresh and original offering, marking her 10th recording as a bandleader. Composed from a cabin surrounded by snow-capped mountains during a writing retreat in the heart of Canada’s Rocky Mountains, Wintersongs is Biali’s musical love letter to winter.

Biali comments, “Rob Mathes has been on my dream-list since I first heard his early work.. There was magic in his writing. He and (GRAMMY nominee) Drew Jurecka really brought grandeur and a spirit of play to Wintersongs through their string treatments.”

Vonn Vanier:

Dawn

Bright, new composers offer the best kind of promise for American music, and Vonn Vanier – at the age of 17 – is well on his way. With his quiet confidence, thoughtful ambition and rapidly evolving talent, he is an emerging voice within the world of classical music. The proof is in the remarkably varied compositions Vanier has written in his recording debut on the new album Dawn from Montclair Records.

Dawn introduces listeners to the young composer's initial orchestral, chamber and solo works that reflect his interest in bringing together the intellectual innovation of contemporary music with the sounds of classical tradition.

Vanier discovered his future early, as an inquisitive member of the century-old Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys in San Francisco. By the time he was in the eighth grade at the Cathedral School for Boys, he had composed a hymn the choir performed, and, in his words, his direction began to “bloom and develop to where I am today.”

When the pandemic lockdown hit, Vanier took advantage of the isolation to immerse himself in theory and orchestration books and in learning repertoire, as well as honing his improvisatory skills as a pianist. Three succeeding summers as an invited participant in the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) introduced him to more a formal course of study and development, chiefly with Dr. Martin Amlin, Boston University’s Chair of Composition, and Drs. Len Tetta and Justin Casinghino.

Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next