German pianist Burkard Schliessmann is a performer with a passion and vision, to seek out and interpret the forms, colors and textures, indeed the soul and expression: the poetic impact, of works we believe have already been fully explored. His previous recordings have received worldwide acclaim "Schliessmann is too good a pianist for anyone to pass on this" - American Record Guide; "without equal" - Fanfare. This triple SACD set with state of the art sound and luxury packaging chronicles the works of Chopin in order, showing the composer's development and is thus informative for scholars as well as being a superb recital. Chopin is the composer above all who has inspired Schliessmann and his interpretative style.

The music of Austrian composer Hans Gal is being rediscovered and appreciated more and more for it's infectious tunefulness and verve, and bears close comparison with the music of Dvorak and the other mid European late Romantics. Here is the first and only recording of his works for piano duo : The album was previously released on Olympia but only weeks before that label's demise, so it will be new to almost everyone.

Carson Cooman is many things musical – organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song. Recent counts show over 3000 tracks of his music available online with over 300 compositions written for him by more than 100 composers. His organ compositions come in many styles, from liturgical models, to substantial secular pieces such as his organ symphonies, preludes and fugues. On this album a range of works, most composed between 2013 and 2020, wonderfully realized on a fabulous instrument. Erik Simmons is a superb organist, making his 14th Cooman organ album for Divine Art. We hear the gorgeous voices of the organ of Propsteikirche St. Ludgerus in Billerbeck, Germany, recorded through the Hauptwerk system.

The British composer Robin Stevens is a great talent waiting to be discovered by the global music community. His varied, stimulating and expressive work arises from many influences - from the music of the Romantic era, to mathematics, his faith, and the influence of his main teacher in undergraduate days, John Joubert, and he is now producing substantial works for varied instrumental groupings, which are modernist and original, but yet immediately accessible. This album contains the premiere recording of the String Quintet, an early work from his student days, rich in allusions to early 20th century works, but already containing many of the elements of his later work: tangy harmonies, intricate counterpoint, modal lyricism and often almost neo-Romantic expression. Above all the works are a reflection of the composer and his perceptions of the world and the people around him, yet at the same time universal in their appeal. The two quartets are very different. The first was written in 2008 after the composer had recovered from a 17-year debilitating illness and while his style was developing considerably as he undertook his Doctorate. Its single movement is rich in variety, using a small few thematic ideas in constantly evolving forms. The second, from 2011, is a study of three character types (not necessarily real individuals) which are each distinctive but clearly related. The Behn Quartet is formed of players from England, the Netherlands, Portugal and New Zealand. The group was formed in 2015 and has given recitals at major venues and festivals across Europe. Previously holders of a fellowship at the Royal Academy of Music they are now Associate Ensemble at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

“I can recommend this release. For myself, I found much to enjoy. Outstanding performances. Excellent notes from the composer comprise the accompanying booklet, and the recorded sound is very well balanced and clean.”
- Henry Fogel (Fanfare)

When it was originally released in 1995, this album was the very first to be devoted to works for cello ensemble, a genre which has since become much more popular. The release includes mainly works of the Romantic school, with gorgeous melodies and rich harmonies from the four cellos, for example in the Mainardi Notturno and the works by Marie Dare. Many of the pieces here were first recordings and these still remain the only recordings for some. Variety is provided by neo-classical pieces by Rodrigo and Aeschbacher, and the classical-period Trio by Cervetto. Cello Spice was an ensemble of four leading cellists from Scottish orchestras, including Gillian Copp, Alison Lawrance, John Davidson and Mark Bailey, now best known for his work with the Edinburgh Quartet.

With over forty albums to their credit and a busy concert schedule stretching back more than thirty years, the British piano duo of Anthony Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow was firmly established as a leading force. Their recordings are not only brilliant performances but usually innovatively programmed, leading to rave reviews for every album. Sadly Goldstone died in January 2017 but their legacy lives on. This album was originally released in 2007 but withdrawn due to complex issues regarding one track. Now available again (without that track!) this is a superb rendition of music inspired by jazz and popular idioms, including the original piano duo versions (not transcriptions) of several of the pieces. The combination of these two great composers and one of the world's best-ever duos makes for a stunning recital album.

A special triple album of great Romantic works by one of the world’s most accomplished pianist specializing in works of that era. These stunning performances of Busoni’s Chaconne (after J S Bach) and Berg’s Sonata are receiving their first release; the other tracks were previously issued by Bayer and have been newly remastered. Schliessmann is a unique interpreter, never afraid to find a new expression and always searching for the heart of the music and the composer’s inspiration. On their initial release these recordings attracted great accolades: American Record Guide said: “The best pianist I know at entering the world and expressing the awareness of the German romantics. There is something personal and unique about Schliessmann's Schumann. It does not sound like anyone else's. He is better than any other pianist I have heard.” High Performance Review said of his Scriabin: “This is the most imaginative playing one has heard yet - on the level of Richter, Michelangeli, Wild, Gould - the highest order of artistry.”

Helen Habershon’s writing is instinctive and inspired. She is passionate about ‘our incredible natural world’ and it is the main source for her music. ‘Found in Winter’ expresses the many different faces of winter with its varied moods, and the ever-present threat of climatic change both cyclic and man-made. The music has been wonderfully arranged for small orchestra (most tracks) by John Lenehan and is unashamedly light, tuneful, impressionistic and almost visual in its impact. This album follows two previous albums which were Album of the Month and Album of the Week respectively. Helen is principally a clarinetist with a distinguished international concert, radio and TV career; after a serious injury to both wrists, she turned to composition and has never looked back, though now once again able to perform – as she does on this album. The performers on the album have all established themselves as leading lights; John Anderson is one of the most recorded oboists in the world and professor of oboe at the Royal College of Music; Andrew Fuller left the RPO to follow a career in solo and chamber performances, very successfully and John Lenehan has appeared on over 70 albums including solo recordings for Sony receiving many plaudits. The London Primavera was formed in 1986 and consists of the foremost chamber musicians in Britain. It has appeared at many international festivals, has made two TV series, and several recordings. Anthony Halstead has made over 50 albums all around the world with leading ensembles and is one of Britain’s most sought-after and versatile conductors.

The five compositions on this album are inspired by the lives and works of five women from history. Carlotta Ferrari (b.1975) has composed numerous pieces inspired by historical figures as well as pieces inspired by literature and works of art. Several of these directions are brought together in the five compositions on this album, which celebrate three religious figures, an artist, and a writer. In Ferrari's distinctive modal style, she creates expressive musical portraits of these women. The first four works on this album all employ the "Restarting Pitch Space" (RPS) system of modal harmony. First developed by Carson Cooman in 2005, Carlotta Ferrari has worked extensively with this system in many compositions written since 2016. Carson Cooman (b.1982) is an American composer with a catalog of hundreds of works in many forms-ranging from solo instrumental pieces to operas, and from orchestral works to hymn tunes. His music has been performed on all six inhabited continents. As an active concert organist, Cooman specializes in the performance of contemporary music. Over 300 new works have been composed for him by composers from around the world, and his organ performances can be heard on a number of recordings of which this is his fourth for Divine Art. This recording of the wonderful main organ of Laurenskerk, Rotterdam, Netherlands (Marcussen & Son) was made using the Hauptwerk remote digital access system.

The expressive and picturesque music of François Couperin ("The Great"), one of the central figures in French baroque-era music, has had a deep impact on many later composers. One of these is British composer Graham Lynch (b. 1957) whose music covers a wide range of styles. His harpsichord music is not derived from Couperin - he does not copy it's style and ornaments - but is the nearest we have to an equivalent: highly expressive, well articulated and full of imagery. Finnish harpsichordist Assi Karttunen specializes in both baroque and contemporary music. This is her fourth published recording.

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Burkard Schliessmann is a unique interpreter, never afraid to find a new expression and always searching for the heart of the music and the composer’s inspiration, whether in the Romantic world or that of J.S.Bach. Among other awards, Schliessmann won three silver medals at the Global Music Awards 2017 for his Divine Art Chopin album, and has been awarded the Goethe-Plakette by the city of Frankfurt. This recording of the Goldberg Variations was originally released in 2007 and was highly acclaimed: “ambitious and really spectacular” (AllMusic); “thoughtfully simple, always finely worked out” (FonoForum); Critics Choice 2008 (American Record Guide); Recording of the Month (MusicWeb International).

Stevens manages to blend the often dominating clarinet with subtle warmth and colour with the strings, giving the Clarinet Quintet a distinctive character of its own. An important strand in Stevens’ compositional output since 2007 has been writing music for relatively neglected instruments such as the tuba, the piccolo and the bassoon, and this strand was strengthened in the autumn of 2015 when he wrote a collection of six pieces for double bass and piano, to which Chasing Shadows and Obsession belong.

The Fantasy Trio (2009) is a relatively rare instance of a substantial chamber work combining the classical guitar with mainstream orchestral instruments. The Romantic Fantasy for flute (doubling piccolo), B flat clarinet, string quartet and harp (2010), is written for the same forces as Ravel’s ground-breaking Introduction and Allegro. The Romantic Fantasy is an ambitious work in one movement, an unbroken span of twenty three minutes’ music. British composer Robin Stevens (b. 1958) is a great talent who is being discovered by the global music community, due in part to the critical acclaim given to the 3 previous Divine Art albums of his music. His varied, stimulating and expressive work arises from many influences – from the music of the Romantic era, to mathematics, his faith and inspiration of his teachers, and he is now producing substantial works for varied instrumental groupings, which are modernist and original, but yet immediately accessible.

Step back to a time when the night was an antithesis to the clarity of illumined day. In the especially fertile imaginations of the 19th-century Romantic composers, this was a time when the world gave itself over to mystery and magic. These works explore the “otherness” of night and its potential for strangeness. The album also focusses on the theme of passion, mostly from the Romantic period. In the especially fertile imaginations of the 19th-century Romantic composers, this was a time when, shielded from the gaze of the Almighty, the world gave itself over to mystery and magic: lovers met for forbidden trysts, revelers drank and cavorted through the small hours, and spirits walked the earth. In this album, Brownell hopes to transport you out of our sterile, modern understanding of night and into the stranger, more interesting reality it must have been for most of human history.

Described by Musical Opinion as “potentially one of the most significant pianists of his generation, since winning 1st Prize at the 2005 J.N. Hummel Competition (Bratislava), he has achieved widespread recognition as “one of the foremost Hummel interpreters of our time” (Hudobný Život). Brownell’s performances have been seen and heard on BBC radio and television, Classic FM, NPR, CBC, ORF, and RBB KulturRadio. He has been soloist with orchestras such as the Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and Calgary Philharmonic.

Jenny Q Chai is a phenomenon... a pianist of incredible talent, at home in core repertoire and a champion and noted interpreter of 20th century and contemporary works, as well as working to develop new interactive music score software and teaching in China and the USA. She founded and manages the Face Art Institute, a Shanghai-based body devoted to international exchange of music and musicians and served on the board of Ear to Mind, the contemporary music organization in New York. Her other work as well as her concert schedule is too extensive to be listed here; she is currently based both in Shanghai and in California where she is a faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley. The New Yorker described Jenny as "A pianist whose dazzling facility is matched by her deep musicality". On top of all that she also projects a modern and liberated self image. Jenny has a special connection with Robert Schumann, whose work she learned from her esteemed first teacher at the Curtis Institute, the late Seymour Lipkin, with whom she studied from the ages of 12 to 19. She has a special love for Kreisleriana which she says never grows old but ' lives inside of you'. Hence the title, "Songs of Love". This album which presents Kreisleriana together with two movements by Bach and Ives is Jenny's tribute to Seymour Lipkin who she calls 'my music grandpa'. It is also a very fine recital by a superbly talented musician who is gathering fans like a rock star.

Hailed as an artist of ‘magnificent pianism’, Guernsey-born pianist Tom Hicks has been praised for his ‘gorgeously creative playing’ that ‘transports the listener to another place and time’. Hicks is a gold medallist in numerous national and international competitions and holds degrees and awards from The University of Manchester, The Royal Northern College of Music, Yale University and Northwestern University, where he now lectures. His first disc featuring John Ireland’s Sarnia, ‘Tom Hicks: Ireland and Tchaikovsky’ has been described as ‘brilliantly evocative’ by Colin Clarke in International Piano, and ‘gorgeously creative’ by Scott Noriega in Fanfare. In his first recording for Divine Art, Tom presents stellar performances of two major Sonatas – those of Franz Liszt and John Ireland. A generation apart, both are highpoints of the Romantic and post-Romantic era. This playing puts Hicks at the top of the tree for his bold expressiveness and vision. On this album Hicks prefaces the Sonatas with shorter, but equally imaginative and expressive pieces: two Preludes by Stanford, Cortège by Rebecca Clarke, and one of the charming waltzes from the ‘Three-Fours’ Suite by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

Helen Habershon is both an accomplished performer and also an inspired composer of music which often evokes nature, or human emotions and sensibilities. Her first two albums have been highly praised and were Album of the Month and Album of the Week on Classic FM (UK) respectively. Her album ‘Found in Winter’, released in 2019, has been aired by Classic FM ever since. Helen had an established performing career until a serious injury led her to turn to composing, but she is now once again able to perform. Here she teams up with the successful pianist and arranger John Lenehan, who has appeared on over 70 recordings including several solo albums for Sony. It follows their March 2022 release ‘Found in Dreams’ – a collection of romantic lighter pieces, where Helen and John offer a wonderfully diverse collection of repertoire. This includes beautiful arrangements of some of their favorite pieces; a couple of short movements from the Brahms and Finzi works played in full on the new album, and some delightful new compositions of their own. As grand master of the high Romantic era, Brahms and his first Clarinet Sonata need no introduction. Here, that work is partnered by two songs and two of his Intermezzi, all arranged by John Lenehan for clarinet and piano. As counterpoint we have the Five Bagatelles by Gerald Finzi, a composer in the English post-Romantic pastoral tradition (with Vaughan Williams, Delius etc). Written in 1940 they are simply enchanting, delightful pieces – perhaps not in the modernist fashion of the day but which will prove enduring despite the composer calling them ‘only trifles’.

Since the rediscovery of Scott Joplin’s ragtime genius in the 1970s his music has been an important part of the classical repertoire. Yet though he called himself with some justification “The King of Ragtime Writers” he was not a brilliant pianist; he was actually a trained violinist and cornet player and was lead singer of the Texas Medley Quartette. This wide experience helped to make his piano rags full of interest. All the same, most recordings concentrate on the most familiar works and ignore the many other superb pieces in Joplin’s substantial output. This new album from New York pianist Marilyn Nonken (Professor of Music at New York University’s Steinhardt School) includes some well-known works and some rarities. Rags, concert waltzes and other novelty pieces show brilliance and a well-honed craft. Joplin is the best known of the ragtime piano circle, but he was part of a community of composers, many of whom had short and tragic lives of poverty and ill health. While composing few works that have survived, the four represented here all collaborated with Joplin as joint composers: Louis Chauvin (1882-1908); Scott Hayden (1882-1915), Arthur Marshall (1881-1968) and the white composer Joseph Lamb (1887-1960).

The British composer Robin Stevens (b. 1958) is a great talent who is being discovered by the global music community, due in part to the critical acclaim given to the two previous Divine Art albums of his music. His varied, stimulating and expressive work arises from many influences - from the music of the Romantic era, to mathematics, his faith and inspiration of his teachers, and he is now producing substantial works for varied instrumental groupings, which are modernist and original, but yet immediately accessible. An accomplished cellist himself, Stevens has produced a body of work for the instrument which should become part of the regular repertoire. On this album, works for cello and piano stand alongside pieces for solo cello, from the substantial 27–minute Sonata Romantica to several compositions in a lighter, tonal style full of Stevens’ wit and humor. Written between 1994 and 2020, they present a diverse range of expressionist and gently modernist sound worlds. American cellist Nicholas Trygstad moved to England in 1998 to study at the Royal Northern College of Music. He became principal cello of Scottish Opera and from 2005 the Hallé Orchestra, and is very active in both solo recitals, chamber concerts and his teaching duties both at the RNCM in Manchester and also now with NYO Inspire. David Jones is Head of Accompaniment at the Royal Northern College and pianist for the Hallé Choir, and has given premiere performances of works by a number of prominent British composers. His previous recordings include three albums of music by Jeffrey Lewis, attracting the comment “not to be missed”: by Gramophone. Both Nicholas and David have appeared on previous Divine Art / Métier recordings.

This new recording from the Diversions label presents a focused showcase of the vocal music of Chicago-based composer Doug Lofstrom. Featuring baritone Ryan de Ryke, soprano Kim Jones, tenor Ryan Townsend Strand, pianist Daniel Schlosberg, and a fantastic session chamber orchestra, the album includes the world premiere recordings of three song cycles-Three Sandburg Songs, All Must End, and Myths and Accidents-as well as the first recorded excerpts from Lofstrom's opera Two Soldiers. The collaboration began in 2014 when Lofstrom met de Ryke and Schlosberg during a guest lecture. Their artistic rapport led to these deeply expressive song cycles, culminating in the revival of Two Soldiers-originally premiered in 1990 and reimagined in 2020 during the COVID pandemic with updated vocal and orchestral scoring. The opera, a sweeping tale of destiny and survival set in WWII, follows two soldiers-one Russian, one German-through a world in upheaval. Doug Lofstrom has been a creative force in American music since the 1970s. A former composer-in-residence for the Metropolis Symphony Orchestra and musical director of Free Street Theater, his works span symphonic, jazz, theater, and dance genres. He has written for the St. Louis, Atlanta, and Oregon Symphonies, Pittsburgh Ballet, and more. Vocal music has increasingly taken center stage in his work, often written for ensembles he helped form or inspire. Ryan de Ryke, praised for his versatility and rich musicality, has appeared at Aldeburgh, Aix-en-Provence, and Edinburgh festivals, with acclaimed roles in oratorio, opera, and art song. He's an alumnus of prestigious institutions including the Peabody Conservatory and Royal Academy of Music. Daniel Schlosberg, GRAMMY®-nominated pianist and composer, is a prominent voice in both classical and contemporary music. Known for championing new music and art song, he's collaborated with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and led acclaimed projects across the U.S. and Europe. His release 40@40 with soprano Laura Strickling reached #1 on the Billboard classical chart. This compelling release is a bold presentation of new American vocal music, captured by some of today's most insightful interpreters.

Divine Art proudly presents the first vinyl edition of Fantasies, Burkard Schliessmann's wonderful interpretation of the solo piano works of Robert Schumann. Now issued as a triple gold audiophile LP, this deluxe pressing follows the album's acclaimed release on SACD and Dolby Atmos digital, which drew widespread praise for both it's sonic fidelity and interpretative depth. Recorded at Berlin's renowned Teldex Studios with producer Julian Schwenkner and engineer Jupp Wegner, the album uses a 14-microphone setup to capture the full breadth of Schliessmann's artistry - revealing the intricate emotional architecture and expression of Schumann's writing. Schliessmann draws out the music's structural sophistication, making bold connections to Wagner's Tristan, while with spacious, poetic lyricism. The result is a revelatory journey through Schumann's psyche - one that Schumann Journal described as "completely new, surprising and unexpected. a MUST!" (Irmgard Knechtges-Obrecht), while the American Record Guide hailed the album's "perfect" sound as "one of the most beautiful-sounding recordings I've heard recently" (Rob Haskins). Pressed on triple heavyweight gold vinyl, this edition delivers analogue warmth and detail that will reward the most discerning listener. A vital collector's release, Fantasies continues Burkard Schliessmann's legacy of uncompromising interpretations and outstanding recorded sound.

Divine Art is delighted to announce a superb collection of sensuous classical Spanish language songs for voice and piano, from the sublime musical partnership of lyric soprano Esther Rayo and renowned pianist and conductor Peter Grunberg. This program of works was first heard in a series of concerts given by the San Francisco based teaching and performance organization LIEDER ALIVE! The album features songs by early 20th century Spanish language composers: Fernando Obradors, Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Alberto Ginastera, Xavier Montsalvatge, Consuelo Velazquez and Manuel Ponce. Drawing from Spanish classical poetry and regional folk melodies, these vibrant song cycles offer appeal to art song aficionados and first-time listeners alike. Born in California, and surrounded by Spanish music and language, this music is close to Esther Rayo's heart. Her connection with these songs started when she was introduced to the music of Manuel Obradors while in college. Obradors offered the perfect starting point for her continued study and discovery of Spanish art song, and she was guided by the great 20th century sopranos Montserrat Caballe and Victoria de los Angeles, who kept this music alive. While she was at graduate school in 2017, Esther was introduced to Peter Grunberg by Maxine Bernstein, Founder and Director of LIEDER ALIVE! And they made an immediate musical connection around the works of Spanish language composers. LIEDER ALIVE! #helped provide opportunities for Peter and Esther to perform this music together, alongside it's standard mission of promoting German Lieder. Over the years they continued to study and learn more classical Spanish repertoire, resulting in this, their debut album together. And, even after all these years, they still feel they've only just scraped the surface of this wonderful repertoire!

On 24 April 2026, Divine Art is proud to present the complete Annees de pelerinage Suites for solo piano by Franz Liszt, performed by the exciting Taiwanese-American pianist Brian Hsu. Released as a 3-CD set, this monumental cycle traces a physical and emotional journey by the composer through the magnificent alpine landscapes of Switzerland, the art and literature of Italy, and the journeys within. The album was recorded and engineered in Dolby Atmos® spatial audio by GRAMMY®-nominated producer Sergei Kvitko. Brian Hsu explains how the inception of the album came during COVID: "These pieces became a way for me to travel through music-to wander the mountains of Switzerland, drift along the canals of Venice, and encounter the art and architecture of Italy through Liszt's imagination. In a moment defined by isolation, this repertoire offered connection, motion, and emotional release." Hsu's performances trace these connections, bringing forth the vivid imagery, energy, youthful exploration, and outward discovery in Books I (Suisse) and II (Italie). His performances then underline how Book III unfolds as a spiritual pilgrimage-an inward journey shaped by reflection and acceptance. Brian Hsu was drawn from an early age to the imagination, virtuosity, emotional range, and expressive power of Liszt's music, and he took on the recording of this work as a "personal challenge". Recordings of the complete Suites have been achieved in full by fewer than two dozen pianists. Hsu presents Liszt not only as the virtuoso whose technical brilliance reshaped the piano literature, but as a poet, philosopher, and artist whose musical language evolved alongside his professional and personal life. Liszt is deeply associated with dazzling virtuosity and showmanship, but this represents only one facet of a composer whose artistic voice grew increasingly reflective, restrained, and forward-looking over time. Hsu's interpretation of Annees de pelerinage presents the comprehensive view that each Book offers a distinct emotional world, and that together, they form a narrative that mirrors the stages of a life well-lived. Since his concerto debut at the age of 16 with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Brian Hsu has gone on to establish himself as a pianist of electrifying energy and highly communicative performances. Critics have praised his playing in superlatives, noting his "breadth of expression and technical ability." Mr. Hsu has performed throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and South Africa, appearing as concerto soloist with such ensembles as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Taiwan National Symphony, Juilliard Orchestra, Haddonfield Symphony, Sendai Philharmonic, University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, and music festivals. His performances have been broadcast nationally on WQXR radio in New York and All Classical Radio in Portland. In addition to competition successes, Mr. Hsu has been the recipient of numerous awards during his studies at The Juilliard School, Yale University, and the University of Michigan. An avid chamber musician, collaborator, and educator, Mr. Hsu continuously performs with distinguished artists worldwide and has given masterclasses at various colleges and universities throughout the United States and Asia. He is currently an associate professor of piano at the University of Oregon.

For the first time, all fourteen piano sonatas by the enigmatic Soviet composer Anatoly Alexandrov (1888-1982) are brought together in a single recording. Known for his richly lyrical style, Alexandrov's music resonates with the spirit of his contemporaries Nikolai Medtner and Sergei Rachmaninov while charting a distinctive artistic path. A prolific composer of solo piano and vocal works, Alexandrov's œuvre has remained on the periphery of the repertoire, cherished by pianophiles but largely overlooked by broader audiences. His sonatas, written over the course of six decades, reflect a fascinating stylistic evolution shaped by the sweeping socio-political transformations of the 20th century. This landmark recording sheds new light on Alexandrov's place within Soviet music, offering a nuanced perspective that reaches beyond the familiar giants of Prokofiev and Shostakovich. It is both a celebration of Alexandrov's artistry and an invitation to explore the depth and complexity of a musical legacy ripe for rediscovery. Through this ambitious project, pianist Clarisse Teo offers an eloquent and compelling case for Alexandrov's sonatas as essential listening for lovers of 20th-century music, revealing a forgotten corner of the piano repertoire that brims with emotional depth and historical resonance. Singaporean pianist Clarisse Teo is renowned for her bold exploration of lesser-known and contemporary repertoire, earning praise for her "confidently eclectic tastes" (The Straits Times, 2022). Her international career spans solo and chamber performances, including a featured appearance on the acclaimed album Rarities of Piano Music at 'Schloss vor Husum' from the 2019 Festival (Danacord Records). Trained in piano, violin, and viola, she holds multiple distinctions, including the FRSM in piano, and completed her Master of Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on a partial scholarship. Clarisse's groundbreaking Doctor of Performing Arts degree from the University of St Andrews, supported by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Trust and Trailblazer Foundation Ltd (Singapore), focused on the fourteen piano sonatas of Soviet composer Anatoly Alexandrov. Passionate about reshaping the classical canon, she brings fresh insight and vibrant artistry to the stage, redefining what it means to champion overlooked music.

Chopin's 21 Nocturnes, often described as 'songs of the night', are among the most well-known and beautiful of Chopin's short solo piano works. Divine Art is thrilled to present pianist Tom Hicks' insightful new recording of these works which synthesizes his research into Chopin's performance and composition practices with modern listeners' expectations via a 'stunning technical agility' (American Record Guide). Dr Kim Sauberlich's excellent liner notes delve deeper into this often-forgotten performance, teaching, and historical recording practice and, together with the 21 pieces on this album, pose fascinating questions about authenticity and interpretation. Chopin's practice of sending manuscripts to publishers in multiple countries, while continuing to edit, led to multiple, authentic first editions which are not often heard in performance today, and even less in recordings.  In this recording, Tom has tastefully incorporated some of these variants, alongside historically informed choices about tempo rubato and pedaling, to create a version of the Nocturnes that feels fresh, individual, and truly authentic. He has even included minor and occasional improvisations, paying homage to the composer's multifaceted creative process, in which improvisation was central. Tom Hicks has said "All of this led me to see Chopin as a highly creative and spontaneous musician for whom the score is one representation of the work and for whom the score is only the starting point of an interpretation, not the end." The album was recorded at night and the engineers have captured an intimacy of sound. The recording process relied upon minimal editing and longer 'live' takes to recreate the intimate feel of the salon where these pieces were most often heard. Guernsey-born pianist Tom Hicks has an expansive repertoire and has been praised for his "brilliantly evocative"(International Piano) and "gorgeously creative playing" (Fanfare). He has won many awards and competitions and has appeared at the Wigmore Hall in London, Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and many other venues throughout Europe and the United States. This new album follows his March 2022 albums centered around the Liszt and Ireland Piano Sonatas and Camden Reeves' 'Blue Sounds'.