Saxophonist Harry White and pianist Edward Rushton present this album of 23 etudes by composers such as Ravel, Dukas, Poulenc, Villa-Lobos, and more. The history behind these works dates back to 1906, when a voice professor at the Paris Conservatoire, Amedee-Landely Hettich, made it his mission to change vocalises and etudes from monotonous scalar exercises to works of art in themselves. In the three decades that followed, Hettich persuaded some of France’s most respected composers to write etudes that would not only challenge the performer’s skills, but also exude musicality.

In his second album for Willowhayne Records, virtuoso pianist Dominic John presents 24+1, a truly ground-breaking recording based on the ‘circle of fifths.’ From the power of Eduard Abramyan’s Prelude in F sharp minor to the poetry of John Ireland’s The Holy Boy, 25 composers extending across 2 centuries of music are represented in this unique musical journey that is sure to delight the listener. Dominic’s pianism has won him several prizes, including First Prize in the 22nd Brant International Piano Competition, British Music Society Awards, RCM Chappell Gold Medal, a Director’s Golden Jubilee Award at the RCM, and a laureate of the Corpus Christi, USA International Competition for Piano and Strings. He has performed in the Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and abroad in France, Holland, Poland, Ameica, Korea, and Japan. He studied at Chethams School of Music, the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music where he held the RCM Society Junior Fellowship from 2004-2006. A versatile musician, Dominic is in demand as a soloist, member of various chamber ensembles and accompanist to a wide variety of singers and instrumentalists.

The UNLV Wind Orchestra has received international acclaim for its fresh and creative approach to music making. Performing contemporary repertoire in addition to classical masterworks, the Wind Orchestra at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas has been responsible for commissioning and premiering numerous significant new works by America’s finest young contemporary composers. The ensemble is comprised of music majors, non-majors, and includes select graduate students enrolled in the masters and doctoral performance degree programs at UNLV. Under the baton of Professor Thomas G. Leslie, the Wind Orchestra has received acclaim for outstanding performances at conventions across the globe. They have also received outstanding reviews for twenty professional recordings of international repute. The cornerstone of this album- and the piece from where the album’s title comes- is Morton Gould’s Festive Music, penned in 1964 by the Tri-City Symphony Orchestra of Illinois. In 1991 Mark Jirousek transcribed the work for wind band- the arrangement heard on this release. This work is paired with other remarkable wind band pieces by composers Malcolm Arnold, Howard Hanson, Julian Tanaka, and Jean Francaix.

"26 centers around the concept of violists performing and sharing their own compositions. As a violist/composer, I am inspired by the legacy of others who have picked up both bow and pen to create music. 26 was my way of gathering some of my favorite musicians who share a love of the viola, and a love for the new. This album features performances and works by violists Atar Arad, Garth Knox, and myself. Our trio of violists/composers is joined by composer Richard Karpen and violinist Michael Jinsoo Lim. The title of the recording comes from the number of strings on the instruments used: four strings each for the violas of Arad and myself and Lim’s violin; and 14 strings (seven playing and seven sympathetic) for Knox’s viola d’amore. As a student of Atar Arad’s, I had the opportunity to experience his artistry through his teaching, viola playing and his compositions. It was, indeed, Atar’s example that helped lead me to composing myself, along with the experiences culled from my performing career filled with new music and improvisation. I first got to know Garth Knox as an admirer of his work as violist of the Arditti Quartet. I have since had the good fortune to perform with him on a number of occasions, and to get to know him as a composer. Richard Karpen’s sense of experimentation was one of the initial draws for me to join the faculty at the University of Washington, where I am very happy to be his colleague. Michael Jinsoo Lim has been my partner in crime since we met in college. As co-founders of the Corigliano Quartet and members of Frequency, Mike is the musician I most often perform with." - Melia Watras

The variety of styles, forms, and colours has fascinated and inspired Polish composers for many years. From Baroque to contemporary music, in the time of the First Polish Republic, during the partitions, and during the most tragic 20th century. It was Chopin that made Polish music famous in the world. However, there are still many other composers who are very interesting and deserve to be remembered and sometimes even discovered. Polish composers created music regardless of unfavourable circumstances, and in their music we find, above all, the Polish spirit that tied them to their country forever, even when it was impossible to find it on maps, but nevertheless it existed in the inalienable identity. It was that output and those biographies that inspired the creation of the International Competition of Polish Music, whose first edition was held in 2019; therefore, it is one of the youngest performance competitions in Poland.

Its programme differs from the one of typical performance competitions, as it consists solely of music by Polish composers. Moreover, the emphasis is on the quest for new repertoire, constantly rediscovered by researchers, but also by the performers themselves. One could ask whether such a competition makes sense. Similar questions arose when the Chopin Competition was founded less than 100 years ago. Very few people believed in the success of Jerzy Żurawlew’s initiative. 26 pianists came to the first Chopin Competition in 1927. Later, the list of participants grew steadily to reach over 500 in 2021. We are convinced that the International Competition of Polish Music will follow the same path. It was Poles that dominated the second edition of the event that ended in 2021, but – despite 6 the pandemic turmoil – there were also guests from far away. Among the pianists, the first two places were taken by foreigners, i.e. American Canadian pianist Carter Johnson and Ivan Shemchuk from Ukraine. A Pole – Michał Karol Szymanowski – won the third place.

The above proves the importance of the Competition, which attracts interesting and ambitious artists from different countries. The presented album is a selection of particularly interesting artistic creations. The first CD features excerpts from the performances of the winners of the first three prizes in both categories (piano and chamber music), while the second includes the interpretations awarded with special prizes and honourable mentions. Thus, an extraordinary panorama of Polish music emerges, from Karol Mikuli to Witold Lutosławski, which allows us to show the paths of Polish 19thand 20th-century music in an unconventional way. Our album features recording premieres of works by Henryk Pachulski and Miłosz Magin, but also charming piano Waltzes by Stanisław Moniuszko, a fragment of an exotic suite by Leopold Godowsky, impressive compositions for two pianos by Roman Maciejewski, or Grażyna Bacewicz’s Piano Sonata No. 2, full of virtuoso splendour.

We present you with an album that is a great exploratory adventure; it will satisfy every experienced seeker of new artistic discoveries. It includes works by as many as 20 composers active over the course of over 100 years. Thus, we close the second chapter of the International Competition of Polish Music and launch the next one, which will be completed in 2023. It is already now that we invite you to this extraordinary meeting with outstanding performers and wonderful output of Polish composers.