To acclaimed pianist Christopher O'Riley, experimentation and eclecticism are second nature. Known for his sensitive piano arrangements of alternative music, he returns with LOTUSLAND: a riveting collection of popular hits, imbued with classical profundity and romantic pianism. The selection is highly diverse. To name but a few, O'Riley rubs shoulders with John Coltrane, Erik Satie, Joni Mitchell, Duke Ellington, and even Radiohead - the latter being a particular favorite of the pianist, who made a name for himself with classical arrangements of the band's hits some 20 years ago. It's important to note that O'Riley's music transcends mere homage; rather, he effortlessly infuses the material with late Romantic grandeur and brilliance. O'Riley has taste, and the listener benefits: this is enrichment of the material, in the truest sense.

PEDACITO DE TIERRA is a deeply personal work led by GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist Jose Antonio Zayas Caban, rooted in his vision to honor the stories of the Puerto Rican diaspora in the Twin Cities. While grounded in local voices, the piece resonates far beyond Minnesota - speaking to the experiences of Puerto Ricans across the United States and echoing themes shared by immigrant communities everywhere: displacement and belonging, memory and identity, longing and resilience. Composed by Angelica Negron and performed by Zayas Caban alongside saxophonist Ryan Smith and pianist Casey Rafn, the work layers oral histories, electronics, and chamber instrumentation to explore the complexity of cultural identity. Shaped by the voices of Puerto Rican storytellers, PEDACITO DE TIERRA reflects Jose's commitment to lifting up community narratives through music that is as nuanced and resilient as the people it represents.

The Amazon rainforest is almost mythical in it's richness and diversity, and music inspired by it is often the same. On AMAZ�NIA, composer Miguel Kertsman captures the awe-inspiring beauty and fragility of one of the world's natural wonders and pays homage to his homeland of Brazil. Featuring four of his earlier symphonic works, the album peers into the budding composer's early career, already rich with genre experimentation and musical storytelling. Kertsman's juxtaposition of Brazilian folk tradition with orchestral composition bends the rules of classical, creating a worldly sound with universal resonance.

The ethereal quality of the Celtic harp fosters a sense of contemplation and healing, with a timbre that almost bridges the gap between earthly and heavenly worlds. On SONG OF THE STARS, harpist Rita Constanzi performs a program of Celtic folks pieces and melodies, showcasing the enduring, timeless quality of the instrument. This poignant music holds a special place in Contanzi's heart, as each night she performed for a dear friend in palliative care, lulling her to sleep with the calming, dreamlike sound she masterfully evokes.

Christopher O'Riley's THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER BOOK II continues the pianist's exploration of Bach's masterpiece. A true expedition into the second set's finest of details, O'Riley delves beyond the notes themselves and into the spaces between them, sifting through the silence for every last possibility of rhythmic flexibility and potential for expression. With preludes and fugues more intricate and complex than those of the first, the second book provides an even richer opportunity for the discovery of texture, articulation, and hidden meaning within the music.

CORO ALLEGRO: WE ARE HERE is a stirring choral album that amplifies voices of resistance, resilience, and remembrance. Featuring Kareem Roustom's Rage Against the tyrant(s) and Eric Banks' Aluta Continua: The Passion of David Kato Kisule, this collection weaves together protest chants, poetry, and sacred texts to confront oppression and honor those who fight for justice. With performances by Coro Allegro under the direction of David Hodgkins and a constellation of guest artists, CORO ALLEGRO: WE ARE HERE is a call to action, an evocative tribute to the power of music to bear witness and inspire change.

SO SMOOTH, SO SWEET is a collection of vocal works from Harvard University composer Allen Sapp spanning from his early compositions in 1952 to later pieces written in the 1980s. The album features song cycles including The Lady and the Lute, Nursery Rhymes, Affliction, and Two Songs, each showcasing Sapp's thoughtful approach to text setting and harmonic color. Influenced by English Renaissance and Romantic-era poetry as well as Sapp's personal experiences, these works range from delicate and lyrical to harmonically rich and expressive. SO SMOOTH, SO SWEET exhibits the finely structured lyricism of Sapp's early works along with the stylistic contrasts of his later compositions.

Few can predict the impact a composer may have, but those who experience the vision and tutelage of a true musical inspiration surely know it. American composer Allen Sapp left such a mark on artistic culture, and LIVE PIANO WORKS pays tribute to his legacy with recordings from the Ohio State University Music & Dance Library's Allen Sapp Collection. Each piece on the two-volume collection highlights a studied and academic approach to composition, with deep, expert exploration of idioms and techniques. This album features performances by Sapp's wife, Norma Bertolami Sapp, recorded live over a period spanning three decades at the Patricia Corbett Theatre at University of Cincinnati College - Conservatory of Music, and a historic recording of Sapp himself from 1961.

BALTIC SKETCHES by composer Scott Brickman is a collection of symphonic works inspired by Brickman's Baltic and Slavic ancestry. The album features his Symphony No. 5, which draws on Latvian folk traditions, including folk dances, songs, and Lutheran liturgical music. It also includes Symphony No. 1, an exploration of neoclassical form influenced by contemporary socio-political events, including military conflict in the Middle East and the climate crisis. Symphony No. 6 for wind ensemble explores textural and timbral color and nods to the Lutheran chorale, In Dulci Jubilo. Blending classical forms with asymmetrical dance meters and folk melodies, Brickman's BALTIC SKETCHES finds unexpected connections between time-honored traditions.

MOZART SONATAS is the moving final collaboration between Pianist Christina Petrowska Quilico and violinist Jacques Israelievitch. Battling late stage cancer, Israelievitch rallied his strength to finish this complete recording of Mozart's piano and violin sonatas just months before passing away. The album shows how Mozart's compositional style developed; his early sonatas favor the piano, but the violin gradually grows in importance as we reach the later sonatas. This ambitious five-volume collection includes noted violin-piano sonatas like the Palatine Sonatas and the Auernhammer Set. These masterful performances are a proud final entry in Israelievitch's recorded catalog and stand as a powerful testament to the human spirit.

SYMPHONY NO. 3 from composer Michael Kurek is a tribute to the history and natural beauty of England. The work is fundamentally Romantic, but is also influenced by Edwardian music and English folk melodies. The composer draws inspiration from personal memories, nature, poetry, and art; "Upon a Walk in the English Countryside," recalls the lush, pastoral beauty of the English countryside, while "The Lady of Shalott" nods to Waterhouse's colorful, pre-Raphaelite depiction of Tennyson's famous poem. The symphony's conclusion, "The Major Oak of Sherwood Forest," celebrates the roughly 1000-year-old tree in Nottinghamshire and is perhaps the most climactic of Kurek's works.

Lotichius combines the sounds of traditional classics with those that took the 20th-century audiences by storm-in the composer's words, his work presents "Bach, the Blues and the Beatles." MOOD INDIGO is a collection of his orchestral works and includes a bonus DVD documentary about his music and career, his compositional process, the recording sessions and more.

One might be tempted to think that there is no crossover in music that hasn't been done yet; and thankfully, one would be mistaken. DEEP RIVER presents a vibrant selection of 21 African American spirituals, interpreted by countertenor Michael Walker II and Old Music consort Alchymy Viols. A curious collaboration? Not at all, according to director Philip Spray. The viol consort's historical purpose was to arrange popular tunes of it's day; so it appeared only logical to try this setup on America's first folk songs. It worked. Additional harmonies are provided by a distinctly anachronistic grand harp, and counterpoint by a small field pump organ. The effect is stunning: a music so utterly, distinctly American, one wonders why this hasn't been done before.

Reflections

Composer Gerald Cohen calls the clarinet, a distinguished voice in many musical genres, one of his favorite instruments. + Through his affinity, the composer’s debut Navona release, Sea Of Reeds, presents works featuring the clarinet in varied trio settings. + His compositions explore the clarinet’s colorful personality with his use of classical, Jewish and folk motifs as well as choral harmonies. + A faculty member of the cantorial schools of the Jewish Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College, Gramophone Magazine has hailed Mr. Cohen for his “linguistic fluidity and melodic gift.”

The third release by composer Marty Regan in the Selected Works for Japanese Instruments series. Mr. Regan (b. 1972) has composed over 60 works for traditional Japanese instruments and is affiliated with AURA-J, one of Japan's premiere contemporary-traditional Japanese music ensembles. His English translation of Minoru Miki's orchestration manual, 'Composing for Japanese Instruments' the only resource of it's kind in English, is recognized as the authoritative source on the subject.

Divergence

Premonitions American Chamber Works

Anibal Dos Santos performs with Orquesta Filarmonica de Bogota in this 2009 performance. Dos Santos also dances the tango during the concert alongside award-winning Colombian dancer Gina Medina.

Christopher Shultis: Devisadero (Music from the New Mexico W

Sacks, J.: 5Th (S)Eason / Litanies / Sagittarius Rising / Si

Destinations

Evans, M.J.: Flute Trio / Piano Sonatas / Variations / Flyin

Richards, H.: Frenchman in New York (A) / Baishu and O'Ume S

Cunningham, M.: Colonnade