Classical Music

At the age of 15, Swiss pianist Romain Nosbaum debuted for the first time with Beethoven's third piano concerto. Since then he has been one of the most sought-after pianists in the French-speaking area of Switzerland and has recorded albums of various repertoires. His new release Encores includes works by Poulenc, Glass, Debussy, Takemitsu and others. Romain Nosbaum is an individualist among the pianists of his generation. Without airs and graces, but with modesty and passionate devotion, he is solely focused on music. Both the grand gesture and sheer brilliancy have no meaning to him – instead, his playing stands out through intelligence, subtle individuality and technical perfection. The subtlety and immediacy of his pianistics encourage Romain’s repertoire, which focuses on the romantic piano literature as well as music of contemporary composers. A universal interest in ‘tradition and innovation’ expresses itself not only soloistically, but also through his activities as a passionate chamber musician. Thus, he regularly performs as a vocal accompanist with artists such as his sister Véronique. He is also a member of the Random Trio, which comes with the colorful instrumentation of flute, violoncello, and piano.

An award-winning ensemble, the Veits Quintet was awarded the first prize at the Braunschweig International Music Competition in 2013, and most recently the second prize at the International Carl Nielsen Chamber Music Competition in Copenhagen. For their first release with Ars Produktion, the group has put together a program which they believe will perfectly display their finest qualities, including works from Ravel, Francaix, Taffanel, and Ibert. Founded in 2012, The Veits Quintet has quickly become one of the most promising woodwind quintets of this generation. The performers are graduates of Universities in Munchen, Trossingen, Berlin, and London, and have individually performed alongside the finest orchestras in the world.

Classical Music

The Lithuanian pianist Ieva�Dudaite�combines in her recording two composers who have each cultivated an unmistakable personal style that has made them protagonists of their respective times and musical spheres. By confronting Chopin's works with the suggestive minimalist pieces of Yann�Tiersen, she makes the connections between the two composers tangible. Ieva�Dudaite�is one of the most promising Lithuanian pianists of her generation, with a lengthy record of concerts across the globe, including some of the world's most prestigious venues, such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam,�Muziekgebouw�Eindhoven,�TivoliVredenburg�Utrecht,�DeSingel�Antwerp, and performances in Italy, Germany, Ukraine, Mexico,�the UK, and Spain. She played at some of the most renowned music festivals, including Grenoble Music Festival 2008, Trieste Music Festival 2010, Aurora Chamber Music Festival Sweden 2015, and Oxford Piano Festival 2016.�Dudaite's�concerts have been broadcast by Lithuanian, Russian, and Dutch Radio and Television.

A few weeks before Schubert's death in November 1828, the last two piano sonatas, A major D 959 and B flat major D 960, were written, which together with the C minor Sonata D 958 belong to the "Sonata Triad" - which can probably be called the crowning achievement of his piano work. Schubert's first draft shows how the thirty-one-year-old worked on these works simultaneously; also, the counting of B flat major as Sonata No. 3 is by Schubert's hand. The sonatas are thus cyclically arranged by the composer and have many compositional similarities. Schubert dedicated this triad to his famous contemporary, the virtuoso pianist and Mozart student Johann Nepomuk Hummel. However, it was not published until 1839 - 11 years after Schubert's death, by which time Hummel had already passed away, and so the dedication was transferred to Robert Schumann by the publisher Diabelli & Co. While the Impromptus or Moments musicaux were always very popular, the sonatas led a shadowy existence for a long time. In both sonatas we experience a wealth of different characters and contrasting emotions. The arc of tension leads from the greatest brightness to the deepest darkness, from powerful verve and chromatic turmoil in the Allegro of the A major Sonata to cantabile immersion and tenderness in the Molto moderato of B flat major. In the slow movements - the F minor Andantino in A major as well as the Andante sostenuto in C sharp minor in B flat major - a shattering sadness seizes us - indeed we experience deepest resignation and mental abyss. The wanderer Schubert is drawn to the abysmal.

Violinist Aleksey Semenenko writes of this new release: “I decided to make it the central focus of this album by placing Schubert’s Fantasy in C after Paganini’s ‘I Palpiti’ Variations. After hearing him play in concert, Schubert was so impressed by Paganini’s technique and style that he wanted to write something similarly virtuosic, which eventually resulted in the Fantasy in C major. Some passages are indeed on a par with anything Paganini has written. However, Schubert adapted the music into his own symphonic style. In Schubert’s Fantasy in C, technical brilliance is always at the service of the musical idea. Furthermore, Schubert is not as interested in the individual instrumental parts as Paganini was.” In addition to the Paganini and Schubert, Semenenko has included works by Grieg, Tchaikovsky, and Castelnuovo-Tedesco. “Stunning technique and intonation, verve, wit, (and) beautiful phrasing.” (The Boston Musical Intelligencer) “an unparalleled level of refined musicianship and stage presence.” (The Strad)

For his recording for ARS PRODUKTION, the exceptional Portuguese pianist Vasco Dantas has put together a program with the German Romantic Robert Schumann at it's center, whose influence is evident in all the other works on this album. All the composers are connected not only in terms of form, but also through personal relationships. Vasco Dantas obtained his Bachelor's in Music with 1st Class Distinction at the London Royal College of Music, studying piano with Dmitri Alexeev and Niel Immelman, and conducting with Peter Stark and Natalia Luis-Bassa. He completed a Master's in Performance with highest marks under the guidance of Heribert Koch, at the University of Munster, where he was accepted to the Doctoral study "Konzertexamen." "A rare pianist for his great generosity and emotive force, Mr. Dantas is characterized by the intensity and sweetness simultaneously consigned in his interpretations" (D�ren Newspaper, Germany)

The "Hochschule f�r Musik und Tanz" Cologne, the WDR, ARS Produktion and the sponsors of the "Hochschule f�r Musik und Tanz" Cologne would like to make it possible for students to produce a professional album and thus especially promote it. The musicians must meet strict artistic quality criteria, and an in-house jury of professors decides who wins the award "Taste the Best". First prize winner Arash Rokni chose a copy of a Walter grand piano by Paul McNulty for the works of W.F. & C.P.E. Bach and Beethoven. On a Bl�thner instrument from 1905 he then plays the suites of J.S. Bach and Sch�nberg.

On their musical journey to the four corners of the world, Ensemble Esperanza are turning their sights to the West in the third album of the series. Following previous explorations of the northern and southern parts of Europe, the youthful and ambitious string ensemble is venturing across the ocean. “Western Moods” evokes feelings of happiness and sadness, nostalgic memories of home, but also of anger, rage, and desperation amidst a boundless zest for life. And time and again, the music is suffused with deep spirituality. On their voyage across the ocean, the Pilgrim Fathers had carried with them a deep longing for peace, while the limitless horizons, forests and prairies of the New World provided an ideal environment for the practice of transcendental philosophy. Music also served as an expression of the cultural roots of the United States. With “Western Moods,” Ensemble Esperanza traces the development of the music of North America.

Classical Music

A virtuous classic violinist with a predilection for Eastern European gipsy music; a jazz violinist experienced when it comes to punk rock; an accordionist, master of improvisation, with the rhythms of the Balkans running in his blood, and a bassist who likewise feels at home be it in symphony orchestras, jazz combos, or funk bands.. Founded in 2007, Uwaga! pleasurably steps across any borderline seperating genres. By doing so, their acoustic crossover repertoire reflects the individual focus of each of the four musicians. Yet, these focuses conflated, and over the years, a very unique sound emerged somewhere in between classical music, jazz, gipsy music and modern pop. On this record, the ensemble presents some of Mozart’s works in a groovy, folky and jazzy interpretation, including the Piano Sonata K. 311, the Alla Turca or the Lacrimosa from the Requiem KV 626.

Classical Music

Classical Music

In 2013 Vincent Larderet was awarded as “Steinway Artist” and he prevailed himself in the international piano scene as one of the most remarkable French pianists of his generation. Both the Ravel album “Orchestral & Virtuoso Piano” and the album with the two piano concertos gained many awards. On this new record Larderet presents “his” Brahms, which he boldly combines with Bergs earlier piano sonata. Larderet is well known for his personal and inspired interpretations, which have led him to be compared to such legends as Michelangeli, Zimerman, and Argerich. Toronto Star described “his playing is remarkable for its ease as well as style. Larderet overcomes with panache.” He was recently appointed as the Artistic Director of the “Piano au Musee Wurth” festival in France.