AVIE Records June 2023 New Releases
Frank Almond’s Third Volume of A Violin’s Life: Music for the ‘Lipin´ski’ Stradivarius with works by Edvard Grieg, Amanda Maier, and Giuseppe Tartini is out June 2
San Francisco-Based Cantata Collective and Nicholas McGegan release Bach’s St. John Passion on June 9, the ensemble’s debut album on AVIE Records
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 Frank AlmondA Violin’s Life – Volume 3Music for the Lipin´ski StradivariJune 2, 2023 AV2612 Frank Almond, violin (‘Lipin´ski’ Stradivari)Adam Neiman, piano | Alexander Hersh, celloVictor Santiago Asuncion, piano Frank Almond’s chart-topping and critically acclaimed A Violin’s Life is now a trilogy. The musician and his legendary instrument encounter brilliant new collaborators in the ongoing exploration of the storied “Lipin´ski” Strad’s historical connections to legendary composers and owners past. |
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Critical Acclaim for Frank Almond
“In his hands, the “Lipinski” flourishes and shines in notes spun out with casual virtuosity and graceful poetry...” – Strings Magazine
“The glorious “Lipinski” Stradivarius violin … which passed through the hands and lives of a number of composers beginning with Giuseppe Tartini, and whose fascinating journey is chronicled on a gorgeous recent CD, “A Violin’s Life”
- New York Times
“Intoxicating brilliance and immense panache.” – The Strad |
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Frank Almond’s life is intertwined with that of his violin, the “Lipin´ski” Strad, an exceptional instrument named for the famed 19th-century Polish violinist Karol Lipin´ski and first owned by legendary 18th-century Italian composer-violinist Giuseppe Tartini, represented on A Violin’s Life, Volume 3 by his Sonata Prima in D, Op. 2, a trio sonata in all but name. The masterful Piano Trio in E flat by 19th-century Swedish virtuosa Amanda Meier connects with the instrument that had passed on to her future father-in-law Engelbert Ro¨ntgen. Another great Nordic composer, Edvard Grieg, opens the album with his great Sonata No. 3 in C minor.
The legend of the Lipin´ski Strad went viral in 2014 when, following a concert, walking towards his car, Frank Almond was tasered by an assailant and the prized instrument was stolen. An FBI pursuit resulted in the recovery of the instrument within weeks. International media ensued on the BBC, NPR, and a feature in Vanity Fair. An award-winning documentary film “Plucked” premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.
Frank Almond’s critically acclaimed and chart-topping recordings of A Violin’s Life are now a trilogy. The “Lipin´ski” Strad lives on.
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EDVARD GRIEG (1843–1907)
Sonata No. 3 in C minor Op. 45
Adam Neiman, piano
AMANDA MAIER (1853–1894)
Piano Trio in E flat
GIUSEPPE TARTINI (1692–1770)
Sonata Prima in D Op.2/1 B.D13
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 Frank Almond, violin
Frank Almond enjoys an active career as a soloist, recitalist, educator and mentor. For 25 years, he served as Concertmaster with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (until 2020). Previously, he held concertmaster positions with the Rotterdam Philharmonic with Valery Gergiev and was Guest Concertmaster of the London Philharmonic Orchestra with Kurt Masur.
Frank has regularly performed as a soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and as soloist and chamber musician throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. He is the founder of his own chamber music series based in Milwaukee, Frankly Music, consistently recognized for innovative programming and its ability to attract leading performers from around the world. His most recent appearances were with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, the Music Academy of the West (CA), the Sarasota Music Festival (FL) and the Manchester Music Festival (VT).
At 17, Frank Almond was one of the youngest prizewinners in the history of the Niccolò Paganini Competition in Genoa, Italy, and five years later was one of two American prizewinners at the Eighth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, which was documented in an award-winning PBS film.
His extensive recording discography includes a wide range of repertoire on various labels that have garnered multiple Grammy nominations.
His most recent series of recordings, A Violin’s Life, chronicles the extraordinary history and lineage of his current violin, the 1715 ‘Lipinski’ Stradivari. This instrument has direct ties to Giuseppe Tartini, Edvard Grieg, Johannes Brahms, and Robert and Clara Schumann. The present album – Volume 3 of A Violin’s Life – features works by Grieg, Tartini, and the newly discovered Piano Trio of Amanda Maier.
On January 27, 2014, the ‘ex-Lipinski’ Stradivari was stolen from Almond in an armed robbery after a concert. The violin was recovered nine days later, and the dramatic, and sometimes entertaining, story continues to make headlines around the world. The robbery and subsequent recovery are the subject of a documentary film that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2019. At Alice Tully Hall, Frank told the story of the stolen Stradivari on the critically acclaimed story-telling program, The Moth Radio Hour, heard on 500 Radio stations around the world.
Community outreach, and giving back specifically to the Milwaukee community, are also at the heart of Frank Almond’s artistic priorities. He mentors young musicians of all performing levels and backgrounds, and regularly performs in nontraditional venues where classical music is rarely seen or heard. Currently he is the Johnston Artist-in-Residence at the Milwaukee Youth Symphony, the largest youth arts program in the United States.
Frank holds two degrees from the Juilliard School, where he studied with the highly esteemed teachers Dorothy Delay, Felix Galimir, and Harvey Shapiro. Other major influences were his studies with Joseph Silverstein, Rafael Druian, and Eugene Drucker. He currently serves on the Faculty at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Previous teaching positions include positions at Northwestern University and Texas Christian University.
Frank currently lives in Milwaukee with his two daughters and a remarkably large cat named Toby.
More information about Frankly Music, A Violin’s Life and the ‘Lipinski’ Stradivari is available at frankalmond.com
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 Cantata Collective
BACH: St. John Passion
June 9, 2023 AV2605
Nicholas McGegan, harpsichord, conductor
Thomas Cooley, tenor
Paul Max Tipton, bass-baritone
Nola Richardson, soprano
Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, countertenor
Derek Chester, tenor
Harrison Hintzsche, baritone
San Francisco-based early music ensemble Cantata Collective inaugurate a series of J. S. Bach’s choral works with the St. John Passion, with celebrated conductor Nicholas McGegan, a stellar line-up of vocal soloists and a three-to-a-part chamber choir.
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Critical Acclaim for Cantata Collective
“[Nicholas McGegan] an expert in 18th-century style” - The New Yorker
“‘highly polished performances” – American Record Guide
“send more Bach, please!” – Musical America |
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AVIE Records announces a collaboration with Cantata Collective, an ensemble “of San Francisco early music luminaries” (San Francisco Chronicle) under the direction of celebrated conductor Nicholas McGegan. This live recording of Bach’s St. John’s Passion is the first of J.S. Bach’s seminal choral works to be recorded and released on the label over the next several years.
Melanne Mueller, CEO of AVIE Records says of the new signing, “The Cantata Collective comprises the cream of the crop of San Francisco's early music practitioners, with Nicholas McGegan on the podium. AVIE Records is excited to inaugurate this series of J. S. Bach's choral works with the composer's St. John Passion. With the toast of today’s new generation of vocal soloists and a three-to-a-part chamber choir, this is an auspicious start to a major series.”
The Cantata Collective conveys the emotional intimacy and dramatic power of the monumental St. John Passion in a highly polished performance that led Early Music America to implore: “To the excellent musicians of Cantata Collective: More Bach Please!”
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 Cantata Collective
Lauded Cantata Collective has been presenting free, world-class Bach Cantata performances in Berkeley since 2017. An enthusiastic community of dedicated listeners and supporters which put down roots during the inaugural season has grown steadily every year. The ensemble’s six founding instrumentalists, ‘A group of local early-music luminaries devoted to the composer’s 200-plus compositions in the genre’ (San Francisco Chronicle), all served as principals and soloists with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra during the golden era of Nicholas McGegan’s 35-year tenure at the podium. Maestro McGegan has recently recorded several cantatas with the group as a guest organ soloist. On the occasion of its first-ever Bach Weekend celebration, Cantata Collective is honored and delighted to welcome back Maestro McGegan as the first person to collaborate with the group as conductor and leader. The ensemble plans to make the Bach Weekend a festive annual event featuring choral works, instrumental performances and scholarly presentations. This release is the first in a series for AVIE which will include all the major Bach choral works. Reviewing the initial release of an ongoing series of Bach cantatas on Centaur Records, Early Music America wrote ‘So, to the excellent musicians of the Cantata Collective: send more Bach, please!’.
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 Nicholas McGegan, conductor, harpsichord
‘An expert in 18th-century style’ (The New Yorker), Nicholas McGegan is in his sixth decade on the podium. Following a 34-year tenure as Music Director of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale, he is now Music Director Laureate. He is also Principal Guest Conductor of Hungary’s Capella Savaria. McGegan’s approach – intelligent, infused with joy and never dogmatic – has led to appearances with many of the world’s major orchestras, including Cleveland, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Sydney, and the Royal Concertgebouw, and regular collaboration with choreographer Mark Morris on numerous projects. His discography includes more than 100 releases spanning five decades, including more than 40 with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale and close to 20 with Capella Savaria. He was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) ‘for services to music overseas’. McGegan is committed to the next generation of musicians, frequently conducting and coaching students in regular engagements at Yale, Juilliard, Harvard, the Colburn Schoool, Aspen Music Festival, and more.
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 Nola Richardson, soprano
Soprano Nola Richardson is rapidly making her mark as an ‘especially impressive’ (The New York Times) soloist and has been praised by the Washington Post for her ‘astonishing balance and accuracy’, ‘crystaline diction’ and ‘natural-sounding ease’. Her wide repertoire spans from music of the medieval period to several world premieres, and she performs frequently throughout the United States. Highlights of her current and past seasons include her symphony debut as the featured soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony and an appearance with the Boston Pops under Keith Lockhart in Simply Sondheim.
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 Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, countertenor
Acclaimed as a ‘young star’ and ‘complete artist’ by the New York Times and ‘extravagantly gifted... poised to redefine what’s possible for singers of this distinctive voice type’ by the San Francisco Chronicle, countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen is one of the classical vocal world’s most promising rising stars. In 2022 he made a Metropolitan Opera debut in Brett Dean’s Hamlet and joined the Opernhaus Zürich in a world-premiere ballet creation set upon the music of Monteverdi’s Madrigals. On the concert stage, the artist made his Russian and role debuts in Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and joined The Dallas Opera in a series of gala concerts among many other appearances. Highlights of past seasons include opera performances at Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, Theater an der Wien, and Adelaide Festival and concert appearances with San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
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 Derek Chester, tenor
Praised by the New York Times for his ‘beautifully shaped and carefully nuanced singing’, tenor Derek Chester maintains an active and versatile performing career while also serving as Assistant Professor of Voice and Director of the Early Music ensemble at the University of Northern Colorado. As a sought-after interpreter of oratorio and opera, he has appeared with period and modern orchestras and opera companies across America and abroad. He is a favorite of Bay Area audiences through his frequent appearances with Cantata Collective, West Edge Opera, and American Bach Soloists.
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 Harrison Hintzsche, baritone
Baritone Harrison Hintzsche is a recitalist, concert singer, and ensemble musician who has been praised for his warm lyric tone, musical subtlety, and dedication to text. His love for Baroque music and art song has taken him to world-class stages such as London’s Wigmore Hall, as well as New York’s Alice Tully Hall and Weill Recital Hall. He has performed with notable ensembles such as the Charlotte Bach Akademie, Handel Haydn Society, True Concord Voices & Orchestra, and the Vocal Essence Ensemble Singers, among others. He holds degrees in music from the Yale School of Music and St. Olaf College, and is a native of DeKalb, Illinois.
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To request links to stream and download new releases, or for CD copies, contact: Rebecca Davis Rebecca Davis Public Relations rebecca@rebeccadavispr.com347.432.8832 |
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