Classical Music

Stefan Blonk performs here on natural horn, alongside Franc Polman on violin and Riko Fukuda on the forte piano. Stefan has always been a very active musician both as a soloist and chamber musician. He often played with the Valerius Ensemble and occasionally for the local orchestra. He now focuses on the natural horn. These three musicians together perform outstanding versions of Beethoven's ''Sonata Op. 17 for horn and piano'', Brahms's ''Trio Op. 40 for horn, violin and piano'' and Rossini's ''Prelude, theme and variations for horn and piano.''

Classical Music

This is a truly first-rate recording of the three Brahms Sonatas for Violin and Piano. This album has the added bonus of the Scherzo in C minor from the Brahms F-A-E Sonata for Violin & Piano, WoO2. Federico Agostini is a violinist renowned as a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. He has appeared in various international music festivals in Europe, the United States, and Japan and has performed chamber music with many distinguished artists, including Bruno Giuranna, Jaime Laredo, Joseph Silverstein, and Janos Starker as well as with members of the American, Emerson, Fine Arts, Tokyo, and Guarneri quartets. Derek Han is without a doubt among the leading American pianists of his generation. Though he was originally identified with the concertos of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven he possesses a vast repertory that includes the concertos of Mendelssohn, Chopin, and MacDowell, as well as individual concertos by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich, in addition to a large body of solo and chamber works. Han's style is original though fairly straightforward in it's lucid tones, spirited character, and technical fluidity and accuracy.

Without a doubt, French composer Marin Marais wrote some of the greatest music of the Baroque. His works for viola da gamba are central to his output. Gambist John Dornenburg and harpsichordist Malcolm Proud are two of the finest period instrument performers of our day, and present Marais’s works on this album. After many years as a San Francisco Bay Area performer, teacher, and recording artist, John Dornenburg now resides in the Cotswold region of the United Kingdom. He has made over thirty CDs of both solo and chamber music on all sizes of viola da gamba and violone, two of which feature virtuoso music for the unaccompanied bass viol. As a viola da gamba soloist he has performed in Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, and across the U.S.A., including appearances at the Istanbul International Festival, Krakow Festival, Melbourne International Festival, Monadnock Festival, and Berkeley Early Music Festival. Malcolm Proud won first prize at the Edinburgh International Harpsichord Competition in 1982. He has performed at all the major Irish festivals and has toured Finland, Denmark, Holland, U.K., Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, U.S.A., Japan, Canada, Estonia, Latvia, Belgium, Austria and Portugal. In 2016 he gave harpsichord recitals at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, at Fenton House in London playing the Queen’s 1612 Ruckers, at the Cobbe Collection of Historical Keyboard Instruments in Hatchlands, Surrey, and at Handel House in London.

Tomas Cotik, violin and Tao Lin, piano, continue their series of recordings for Centaur with this new release. Their Schubert recordings have been released to great acclaim. Here they brilliantly perform the complete Mozart Sonatas for Violin and Piano. Hailed by Michael Tilson Thomas as “an excellent violinist,” Tomas Cotik is internationally recognized as a soloist, chamber musician, and professor. A much sought-after recording artist, Dr. Cotik is currently involved in more than fourteen album recordings for Naxos and Centaur records, which have received over a hundred reviews and the highest praises from some of the best-known publications. Committed to passing on his passion for music, Dr. Cotik taught at the University of Miami, Florida International University, and West Texas A&M University. He was appointed assistant professor of Violin at Portland State University in 2016. Described by critics as possessing “Keen musical intelligence and excellent facility” (Miami Herald) as well as “opulent and romantic tone” (Fanfare), Chinese-American concert pianist and Steinway artist Tao Lin has performed in Asia, North America, and Europe. A versatile musician, he is equally at home as soloist, recitalist and chamber musician.

Classical Music

Long based in the United States, Greek composer Dinos Constantinides has written a large volume of works for a wide variety of ensembles and solo instruments. His piano works are wonderful, probing works that are immediately accessible. The music of Greek born composer Dinos Constantinides (Boyd Professor of Composition) has been performed throughout the world. He is the recipient of many grants, commissions and awards, including first prizes in the 1981 Brooklyn College International Chamber Competition, the 1985 First Midwest Chamber Opera Conference, and the 1997 Delius composition Contest Grand Prize. He also received the 1985 American New Music consortium Distinguished Service Award, the 1989 Glen Award of l'Ensemble of New York, several Meet the Composer grants and numerous ASCAP Standard Awards. In 1994 he was honored with a Distinguished Teacher White House commission on Presidential Scholars

This is Volume 4 in Centaur's traversal of the complete organ works of Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937), performed by Joby Bell. This is clearly going to be the seminal recording of these works. Since 2004, professor Joby Bell has served on the faculty of the Hayes School of Music, where he teaches organ and church music studies. His church music teaching emphasizes the practical knowledge needed for a solid undergraduate foundation toward successful work and further studies in sacred music. His organ teaching specializes in practice techniques, memorization, service playing, choral accompanying, and maintaining grace under pressure – lessons always best taught by example. Dr. Bell is known for "the breadth of his repertoire, technical virtuosity, and for the personal warmth which shines through in his performances." His acclaimed blog at deals with a comprehensive range of organ-related topics including teaching philosophies, recital preparation, church music, and professional concerns.

This new release from composer Karen Griebling features works for voice and piano. The texts of the songs are poems by Matthew K. Tatus, as well as a few from Karen Griebling, herself. Dr. Karen Griebling is Professor of Music at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas where she has taught since the fall of 1987. She is professor of composition, theory, counterpoint, orchestration, and viola and conductor of the Hendrix Chamber Orchestra. She is also a violist with the Arkansas Symphony and the Pinnacle Players, a conductorless chamber orchestra based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Vocalists on this album include tenor Matthew K. Tatu and soprano Stephanie Smittle. They are joined by pianist Stefanie Dickinson.

This is Volume 5 in Centaur's traversal of the complete organ works of Widor, performed by Joby Bell. The works in this series are performed on five magnificent Aeolian-Skinner and E.M. Skinner instruments; hence, the "American Classic" label. Since 2004, professor Joby Bell has served on the faculty of the Hayes School of Music, where he teaches organ and church music studies. His church music teaching emphasizes the practical knowledge needed for a solid undergraduate foundation toward successful work and further studies in sacred music. His organ teaching specializes in practice techniques, memorization, service playing, choral accompanying, and maintaining grace under pressure – lessons always best taught by example.

Musicians have long known about the existence of Telemann's Fantasias for viola da gamba, but until very recently no surviving copies had ever been located. Fortunately a single print edition was identified by two musicologists in the Lower Saxony State Archive in Germany. In 2016 these important pieces were at last presented to the world in a modern edition which includes a complete facsimile of the original print. John Dornenburg has made numerous recordings for Centaur Records. After many years based in San Francisco, he is now based in the U.K.

This album has selected scenes from this modern opera about Richard III, King of England in the 1400s. The opera is based upon primary historical sources, rather than upon the well-known play by Shakespeare. The music and libretto is written by Dr. Karen Griebling, who currently serves as Professor of Music at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas where she has taught since 1987. She is professor of composition, theory, counterpoint, orchestration, and viola and conductor of the Hendrix Chamber Orchestra. She is also violist with the Arkansas Symphony and the Pinnacle Players, a conductorless chamber orchestra based in Little Rock, Arkansas. “…her compositional expertise and artistic finesse are born from an astute critical discernment which engages the intellect as it touches the human spirit.” (Journal of the International Alliance of Women Composers)

The new album from Singapore-based pianist Albert Tiu features two of the greatest Russian piano sonatas- Tchaikovsky's Grand Sonata in G major, Op. 37, and Rachmaninov's Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 28. Born in Cebu, Philippines, Albert Tiu has been called "an artist of uncommon abilities" by American Record Guide. His 2010 Centaur recording, "Nocturnal Fantasies", featuring Chopin and Skryabin, was dubbed "one of the all-time great piano recordings" by Fanfare. "One of the most inventive recital programs ever seen or heard" (ARG), this "compelling and poetically imaginative recording" (Clavier Companion) was also hailed for "performances where heart and mind unite in a deeply affecting union" (Gramophone). He studied with Jerome Lowenthal at the Juilliard School, with Michael Lewin at Boston Conservatory, and with Nita Abrogar-Quinto and Nelly Castro in the Philippines. A recipient of Juilliard's William Petschek Award and a prizewinner of competitions in Calgary (Honens), Helsinki (Maj Lind) and Santander (Paloma O'Shea), he won the First Prize and two concerto prizes in the 1996 UNISA International Piano Competition in Pretoria, South Africa.

Bass-baritone Jacob Will made his New York Philharmonic debut as a soloist in the American premiere of the “Messa per Rossini,” a performance televised live nationwide. An experienced concert artist, Mr. Will has appeared with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Vladamir Ashkenazy and with the Cabrillo Festival under the baton of Dennis Russell Davies. He has sung with the San Francisco Symphony in the “St. Matthew Passion,” with the international Bach Festival of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, in the “St. John Passion,” and with the Vienna Symphonic Orchestra in Frank Martin’s “Le mystere de la Nativite.” A native of Harstville, South Carolina, Mr. Will attended Furman University and graduated from the University of South Carolina and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He participated in the Merola and Adler Fellowship Programs of the San Francisco Opera and has been a prizewinner in various international singing competitions including the Munich Competition and the Queen Elizabeth Competition of Brussels. On this release, Mr. Will sings the poems of Edgar Allan Poe, as set to music by composers Judith Cloud, N. Lincoln Hanks, John Valerio, and Tayloe Harding.