"The love and care that was put into "Red Sky Prairie" is evident in EVERY note. It literally pours out of this album and seeps deeply into our hearts like silken salve for the spirit. And there it remains." – Dyan Garris "Red Sky Prairie" is the extraordinarily beautiful debut album by the extraordinarily talented Sharon Fendrich. Remember that name, because I'm sure you'll be hearing it a lot now and in the future.  Passionate and emotive, I hope I am able to find the right words to effectively describe this work of musical magnificence. It's THE best album I've heard this year, and I have heard a lot of extremely, outrageously beautiful music this year.  "Red Sky Prairie" was recorded in Stein, Netherlands by Arno Op den Camp at Kerani Music Studio. Joining Sharon's sensitively played piano performances on "Red Sky Prairie" is a roster of also amazingly talented and quite prominent guest artists.   Anna Emelyanova's voice is incredible. Wilfred Sassen on violin adds heartfelt, vibrant depth as does Joep Willems' cello performance.  Helen Hendriks on flute and Ies Muller on Irish flute bring even more sweetness into the mix by Arno Op den Camp with Sharon Fendrich.  Sharon composed all the pieces and self-produced this album, which was mastered by the renowned Stephen Marsh at Marsh Mastering in Los Angeles. The album includes a stunningly beautiful booklet. The artwork and design is by award-winning graphic designer, Sam Hayles.  The love and care that was put into "Red Sky Prairie" is evident in EVERY note. It literally pours out of this album like silken salve for the aching spirit. It's hard to believe this is a debut album because it is flawless. Effortless. Impressive. Remarkable.  This may be her first album, however, composer and pianist, Fendrich, is not new to music. She was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, and began her music studies at age three.  Later, at Tufts University, she completed advanced studies in piano, choral music, conducting, orchestration and composition. After college, she continued to explore composition while working in marketing, development and production roles for the La Jolla Music Society and the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, in California. In her compositional process, Sharon relies on her fingers and ears to guide her into crafting a complete solo piano work. Then, she begins to add layers of sound through improvisation. Countermelodies emerge and contribute to a full harmonic palette and tempos full of breathing room. The result is a sonically magical world in which the listener is comfortably immersed in tranquility.  Grounded in the Classical genre and inspired by ambient New Age, the 11 tracks, and almost 1 hour of listening enjoyment are full of lush, passionate melodies that immediately captivate the listener's heart.  Within the music one can hear the influences of Enya, Secret Garden, Ludovico Einaudi, Chopin and Debussy.  Sharon says, "The inspiration for the album came from a daydream I had about a tranquil place filled with red-orange skies after the passing of a storm. A hushed early evening breeze had fallen upon a prairie-scape. I saw myself at various ages residing in a weather-worn white farmhouse, able to feel the emotions of the phases of life. A profound sensation of safety and peace permeated the air in this scene and the feeling has stayed with me ever since." "Red Sky Prairie" was born.  If I understand correctly, it is her hope that listeners of this album will be able to embrace all the events and emotions that they've experienced, and will experience, on their life's journey, and their soul's journey – the good and the "bad" – and come to a place of acceptance and deep, heartfelt peace with all. No matter what, keep an open heart, because out of the shadow side of life emerges the light. In my opinion, she succeeds tremendously.  The album opens with the gorgeous, "L'dor Vador" (Generation to Generation). I've never heard this more beautifully done. Here Anna Emelyanova's heavenly vocal washes over you along with Sharon's outstandingly beautiful piano, like a dual wave of soft, angelic light and you know you're in for something truly exceptional here.  ". . . round and round, on and on, I see my life in yours, hopes and memories wrap me with love." The mellow strings enter in, adding even more depth, and the magnificence continues throughout the entire album. It's astounding.  The lyrics, on the five vocal songs on "Red Sky Prairie," are in different languages, including Esperanto, which is an international language created by Dr. L. L. Zamenhof in the 1800s. The purpose of Esperanto was/is to facilitate easy communication among people from different cultures; a language that would allow people who speak different native languages to effectively communicate. The other languages included for the vocal pieces on "Red Sky Prairie" are: English, Spanish, Yiddish, and Latin. "A Secret's Song" is a passionate tribute to "Somewhere Out There" by Jame's Horner, from the animated feature film, "An American Tail." Stunningly beautiful piano here, reminiscent of the work of Italian composer, Ludovico Einaudi.  "Within Whispers" is intimate and delicate. We are reminded of how important it is to try to maintain intimacy, even in the face of obstacles.  The title track, "Red Sky Prairie," is an outstanding soundscape, painting a perfect picture of "Americana." Violin and cello are perfect here along with the piano.  "Song of the Dove" ( Kanto de la Kolombo) is sung entirely in Esperanto. Again, the vocal by Anna Emelyanova is amazing. Very calming with exquisite harmonies. Violin, piano, and cello all blend together in something beyond perfection.  Here we can see and feel the "dove of peace" soaring high, entrusted with its important mission.  The hauntingly beautiful "Never Alone" is sung by Anna in Spanish, English and Yiddish. Sharon wrote this piece in the summer of 2018, at the height of media attention in the United States regarding Latin American refugees entering the country. The lyrics link the story with that of Jewish refugees in World War II. Perhaps we have all been refugees of some sort at some time in our lives. This song reminds us that while we may feel "shut out" at times, we are truly never alone.  A delicate, magical sounding song, "Moonswept" is sweeping, flowing piano, flute, violin and harp. Together these create a romantic soundscape where we feel like we are basking in a peaceful moonlit glow.  Calling up remembrances of long-lost love, the nostalgic, "Bittersweet Memory," is a sweet flute and piano duet.  Sparkling, so lovely, and emotionally stirring.  Grief and sorrow are brought up for closure in, "Last Tears." This is wistful yet uplifting at the same time. Piano, cello, and violin in perfect harmony jostle our heartstrings and bring peace and balance. Dedicated to the 88 souls who perished on Alaska Airlines flight 261, "In Memoriam" is sung in Latin and will give you chills. So very angelic.  "Dona eis pacem. Volant cum angelis. Amen." This translates into, "Grant them peace. They fly with the angels."  As well, do you remember that September 11, 2001, morning? You might recall that it was such a beautiful day all over the United states that day. Picture perfect. Then everything changes and became something else. Life as we knew it completely morphed into completely uncharted territory. Out of that stunned, stupefying darkness, however, we came together, united as humanity in light, hope, and strength.  "That September Day" is sung by Anna Emelyanova so perfectly. Flute, strings, piano, and an astoundingly magnificent vocal, all do the very same on this last track, "That September Day;" a day that is indelibly etched onto our souls forever. This song will remain with you as well, long, long after it is over:    "Hearts broken, tears fall.  In darkness we can't find hope. Out of grief, hope and strength are forged. Through shadow shines a light so bright. Voices cry out you must go on.  Hope will hold our hearts. Together we found a way that September day."   I think that says it all.  A MUST have, give yourself or someone else a great gift of peace, hope, tranquility. This album is completely extraordinary in every single way. Every. Get "Red Sky Prairie" here: https://sharonfendrich.com/store/ or wherever music is sold/streamed. Sharon Fendrich, piano Wilfred Sassen, violin Anna Emelyanova, voice Joep Willems, cello Helen Hendriks, flute Ies Muller, Irish flute

The young Canadian-born pianist Jan Lisiecki filled in for Murray Perahia at a series of concerts in December, 2018. But, rather than playing the same concertos that Perahia had programmed for those concerts, Lisiecki instead requested that the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields join him for a complete reading of the five Beethoven concertos. As the arrangements were made and the contracts signed, Lisiecki's label, Deutsche Grammophon, agreed to record the Beethoven concertos. And now -- in October, 2019 -- we have a handsome, 3 CD set of all five Beethoven concertos ready for airing! Join us every morning at 10:00am this week on Classical 104.9 FM & WWNO HD-2 as Classical New Orleans surveys ALL FIVE of the Beethoven concertos with Jan Lisiecki and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. We'll start on Monday, October 7th at 10am with the Concerto No. 1, and conclude on Friday, October 11th at 10am with the "Emperor" Concerto! p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} SEE THE New Orleans Public Radio PAGE

We'll call this one "jazz," though singer-songwriter Ola Onabulé has long bestrode multiple genre categories. His background includes extensive gigging with small combos and big bands around Europe, and although it's clear that jazz remains foundational to his art, on Point Less he is putting jazz tropes to use in promoting a vision that is at least as much social and political as musical. With his warm, grainy voice, he tells stories about the aftermath of violence, the effects of prejudice, and the spiritual gravity exerted by one's homeland. The messages, however well-intentioned, would be ineffective if the music were less compelling, but these songs are powerful both musically and lyrically, and his voice is a consistent joy to hear. He's performing a few select dates on the US east coast this fall, so keep an eye out for him–I'm willing to bet that he's a powerhouse in concert. SEE THE CD Hot List PAGE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

Pianist Wei Luo has just released her self-titled debut CD on Decca Gold.  Wei Luo reflects her passion for Russian music and devotion to the classical era; it is set to release on August 30 and the first single Prokofiev: Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83 III. Precipitato is out now.  Wei began piano lessons when she was four years old. A year later, she gave her debut recital in Hong Kong and international acclaim soon followed. At ten years old, Wei made her orchestral debut with the Shanghai Philharmonic and later opened its 2011 season with a performance of the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3, a work she still champions today. Another early milestone was being accepted to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where she continues to study while preparing for her major label debut at the age of 20. Wei recently received the 2018 Gilmore Young Artist Award and was named one of WQXR's "19 for ‘19" artists to watch for her "pyrotechnical virtuosity."  Wei Luo will be performing at the Wellspring Theater in Kalamazoo in January 2020. Her concert will be will be a Gilmore Rising Star Recital.   Wei Luo talks with WCMU: Mt. Pleasant MI - Mosaic host David Nicholas about her debut CD. LISTEN p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

Interview with WCMU's David Nicholas

The legendary guitarist Sharon Isbin and Pacifica Quartet join forces for "Souvenirs of Spain & Italy," which includes works for guitar and strings by Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Vivaldi, and Boccherini. Souvenirs of Spain & Italy, an uncommon album of music for strings and guitar from the Baroque to the mid-20th century. Available August 23, 2019 on Cedille Records (CDR 90000 190), the program spotlights Italian-born composers influenced by Spanish idioms. Hear an interview between Sharon Isbin and Classiclectic host Kurt Hauswirth, all about the new release: Souvenirs of Spain & Italy is the first joint recording by these renowned artists who first performed together several years ago at the Aspen Music Festival, and marks Isbin's Cedille Records debut. Works include Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Quintet for Guitar and String Quartet, Op. 143, a seldom-heard gem demanding virtuosity from every player. Written for guitarist Andrés Segovia, it's "an urbane work, rich in vibrant themes and dialogues among individual lines," veteran critic Allan Kozinn writes in the liner notes. Emilio Pujol's guitar arrangement of Antonio Vivaldi's Lute Concerto in D Major, RV 93, edited by Isbin, features Isbin's own Baroque ornamentation in the dreamlike, meditative Largo movement, and Luigi Boccherini's Quintet for Guitar and String Quartet in D Major, G. 448 melds the emerging classical style of late 18th-century Vienna with hints of Spanish flamenco in the lively Fandango. The album "brings together three notably successful combinations of plucked and bowed strings," Kozinn writes. In addition, the Pacifica performs Spanish composer Joaquín Turina's string quartet, La oración del torero, Op. 34. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} LISTEN TO PublicRadio90: Classiclectic SEGMENT

POINT LESS, is the new album by Ola Onabule. it's work that boldly expresses views on social injustice. An activist's call - at once a celebration of life and a cautionary take on the social forces that threaten it. Violence, immigration, xenophobia, betrayal, and dignity are themes considered and rendered with a powerful and knowing generosity of spirit.So embodies the artistic - and entrepreneurial - philosophy of Onabulé, whose latest album release, Point Less, is a giant leap forward and deeply soulful Rueful yet optimistic, Onabulé's reach is global. His three-and-a-half octave baritone and the powerful emotions he conveys with it connects with audiences around the world. "Hands-on, self-sufficiency has always been my mantra for survival in the music game," says the songwriter. Look at the cover image to see what Medeocino Public Radio's Liz Helenchild is saying about POINT LESS

Legendary film composer John Williams conducts a brand-new album of many of his beloved movie themes in stunning new adaptations written especially for his superstar violinist friend and collaborator Anne-Sophie Mutter. Recorded in Hollywood, Across the Stars has be released via Deutsche Grammophon and includes familiar themes from blockbuster films including Star Wars and Harry Potter, as never heard before. In conjunction with the release, ASM has made some time available to speak with 5 powerhouse classical radio stations TODAY; WFMT Chicago, WCRB Boston, WQXR New York, KDFC San Francisco and KUSC Los Angeles. Watch for our tweets throughout the day p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica} span.Apple-tab-span {white-space:pre}

Every month on Station Breaks, NPR Music stations handpick a diverse list of new songs by not-so-big bands. In this edition for October 3, 2019, check out British-Nigerian vocalist Ola Onabulé, Gothic country-rock by Roselit Bone and more. Songs from this month will be available to stream on the NPR Slingshot Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page. In "The Old Story," British-Nigerian vocalist Ola Onabulé́ presents a captivating and poignant portrayal of a man who questions his authority to end human life, and it's the pick from J. Michael Harrison, WRTI Philadelphia, Pennsylvania p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL NPR PICKS

The Carr-Petrova Duo brings violist Molly Carr together with pianist Anna Petrova. They began playing together as students at both the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music. In August of 2018 they became involved in the non-profit organization Project: Music Heals Us and launched an interdisciplinary project called the Novel Voices Refugee Aid. Their debut album Novel Voices is named after this project and is scheduled for release this Friday. As of this writing, the best place to arrange for pre-ordering is through the Web page for the album created on the duo's Web site. The album is also named after its final selection, which is being given its world premiere recording. Written by Mexican composer Fernando Arroyo Lascurain, "Novel Voices" is a three-movement "tune without words" that reflects on encounters with children in refugee camps. The titles of the movements are "Stories and Dreams," "Dance of Uncertainty," and "Call and Prayer;" and they reflect the stories at the different camps visited by both the performers and the composer. All the selections on this album are given perfectly acceptable accounts. Whether or not they are interpretations that will engage the curious listener is another matter. This is not to suggest a lack of expressiveness on the part of either Carr or Petrova. Rather, I tend to react cautiously to music that is presented in a context of social issues when it is perfectly capable of standing on its own in a recital setting. On the other hand the duo is certainly worthy of attention; and, if politicization serves to draw that attention, then perhaps they are working with a valid strategy. READ THE FULL Rehearsal Studio REVIEW

Three world-premiere recordings from Grammy nominated composer and clarinetist, Derek Bermel entitled MIGRATIONS was just released on Naxos [Naxos 8.559871].  showcasing The album includes his Migration Series for Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra (2006); the song cycle Mar de Setembro (2011), with texts by Eugénio de Andrade; and the three-movement orchestral A Shout, a Whisper, and a Trace (2009), in performances by the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, saxophonist Ted Nash, clarinetist Bermel, Brazilian jazz vocalist Luciana Souza, and the Albany Symphony under its music director, David Alan Miller.   BBC: Music Magazine said of the recording; "What a melting pot of musical styles! Bermel's endless invention initially ruffles your feathers but leaves you breathless in the end. Captivating and colourful."

In their first collaboration on disc, the Pacifica Quartet and Guitarist Sharon Isbin Offer ‘Souvenirs of Spain and Italy' on Cedille Records. The artists play works for guitar and strings by Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Vivaldi, and Boccherini. The Grammy Award-winning Pacifica Quartet and multiple Grammy-winning guitarist Sharon Isbin join forces for Souvenirs an uncommon album of music for strings and guitar from the Baroque to the mid-20th century. "It's really beautiful music with a tremendous amount of variety," Isbin says. Just for you from KUSC: Los Angeles, a track from the new album. Download the movement that puts the "Fandango" in the "Fandango" Quintet of Luigi Boccherini, complete with castanets!   p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

In their first collaboration on disc, the Pacifica Quartet and Guitarist Sharon Isbin Offer ‘Souvenirs of Spain and Italy' on Cedille Records. The artists play works for guitar and strings by Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Vivaldi, and Boccherini. The Grammy Award-winning Pacifica Quartet and multiple Grammy-winning guitarist Sharon Isbin join forces for Souvenirs an uncommon album of music for strings and guitar from the Baroque to the mid-20th century. "It's really beautiful music with a tremendous amount of variety," Isbin says. Just for you from KDFC: San Francisco, a track from the new album. Download the movement that puts the "Fandango" in the "Fandango" Quintet of Luigi Boccherini, complete with castanets! p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}