October 2023 Releases on AVIE Records
|
|
Apollo’s Fire adds to their distinguished discography with Handel’s Israel in Egypt adapted by the Baroque orchestra’s founder and director Jeannette Sorrell, out October 6.
Soul of Brazil by the Oregon-based Delgani String Quartet features GRAMMY®-nominated Clarice Assad’s vocals, piano and electronics, new music and arrangements of songs by Antônio Carlos Jobim, and the Sixth String Quartet of Heitor Villa-Lobos, out October 13.
Harpist Emily Granger’s Something Like This is a collaboration with flutist Sally Walker that showcases music by Bach and Mozart alongside works by living composers and 20th century classics, out October 20. |
|
 Handel: Israel in Egypt
A Dramatic Oratorio
Adaptation by Jeannette Sorrell
Margaret Carpenter Haigh, soprano, Molly Netter, soprano, Daniel Moody, countertenor, Jacob Perry, tenor, Edward Vogel, baritone with Apollo’s Fire; Apollo’s Singers; Jeannette Sorrell, conductor
October 6, 2023
AV2629
|
|
|
“Sorrell is a masterful musical storyteller. Her adaptation of Israel in Egypt gives the work a compelling dramatic arc, brought off brilliantly by her singers and players.” – Seen & Heard International (UK)
|
|
|
Apollo’s Fire’s founder and director Jeannette Sorrell’s new adaptation of Handel’s Israel in Egypt “gives the work a compelling dramatic arc” (Seen and Heard International), that is “presented with a sense of theatre as Handel intended…scintillating and superb” (Cleveland Classical). On October 6, The Maestra and her acclaimed Baroque orchestra add to their distinguished AVIE discography – which includes Handel’s Dixit Dominus and Messiah – with her own adaptation of the composer’s oratorio Israel in Egypt. This colorful orchestral showcase takes the listener on a biblical journey from the Israelites' lamentations on the death of Joseph, to the frogs, locusts, disease and darkness that plague the Egyptians, to Moses’ miraculous parting of the Red Sea.
Apollo’s Fire launch the album with a performance of Israel in Egypt in their home base of Cleveland, on October 21, before traveling east for a collaboration of the work with the New York Philharmonic on October 25 and 26. Joining Sorrell and Apollo’s Fire are sopranos Margaret Carpenter Haigh and Molly Netter, countertenor Daniel Moody, tenor Jacob Perry, baritone Edward Vogel, and the Apollo’s Singers chorus.
|
|
|
Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland Baroque Orchestra
 Named for the classical god of music and the sun, Apollo’s Fire is a GRAMMY®- winning ensemble. Founded by award-winning harpsichordist and conductor Jeannette Sorrell, the period band is dedicated to the baroque ideal that music should evoke the various Affekts or passions in the listeners. The Apollo’s Fire musicians are creative artists who share Sorrell’s passion for drama and rhetoric.
Apollo’s Fire has performed six European tours, with sold-out concerts at the BBC Proms in London, Madrid’s Royal Theatre, Bordeaux’s Grand Théàtre de l’Opéra, the National Concert Hall of Ireland, and venues in France, Italy, Austria, and Portugal.
Chosen by the DAILY TELEGRAPH as one of London’s “Best 5 Classical Concerts of the Year,” Apollo’s Fire’s 2014 London performance was praised for “superlative music-making... combining European stylishness with American entrepreneurialism.”
North American tour engagements include Carnegie Hall (twice), the Tanglewood and Ravinia festivals (3 times), the Boston Early Music Festival series, the Aspen Music Festival, Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and major venues in Toronto, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Most of these concerts have been sold out. In 2021, Apollo’s Singers made their debut with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Jeannette Sorrell, winning rave reviews.
At home in Cleveland and Chicago, Apollo’s Fire enjoys sold-out performances at its series, which has drawn national attention for creative programming.
With over 14 million views of its YouTube videos, Apollo’s Fire has released 30 commercial CDs and won a GRAMMY® award in 2019 for the album Songs of Orpheus with tenor Karim Sulayman. Eleven of the ensemble’s CD releases have become best-sellers on the classical Billboard chart, including Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Monteverdi Vespers, Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, and Sorrell’s crossover programs including Sacrum Mysterium – A Celtic Christmas Vespers; Sugarloaf Mountain – An Appalachian Gathering; Sephardic Journey – Wanderings of the Spanish Jews; and Christmas on Sugarloaf Mountain.
|
|
|
Jeannette Sorrell, Conductor
 GRAMMY®-winning conductor Jeannette Sorrell is recognized internationally as one of today’s most compelling interpreters of Baroque and Classical repertoire, and a leader in creative programming exploring cultural roots. She is the subject of the documentary by Oscar-winning director Allan Miller, titled PLAYING WITH FIRE: Jeannette Sorrell and the Mysteries of Conducting (commercially released in 2023).
Sorrell studied conducting at the Aspen and the Tanglewood music festivals under Leonard Bernstein and Roger Norrington and harpsichord with Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam. She won First Prize in the Spivey International Harpsichord Competition, competing against over 70 harpsichordists from four continents.
Sorrell made her New York Philharmonic debut in 2021 and Philadelphia Orchestra debut in 2022, both to rave reviews. She has repeatedly conducted the Pittsburgh Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Utah Symphony, Florida Orchestra, New World Symphony, and Philharmonia Baroque in San Francisco; and has also led the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (Bach’s St. John Passion), the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Opera St. Louis with the St. Louis Symphony, and Grand Rapids Symphony, among others. In 2023-24 she returns to the New York Philharmonic and debuts with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, Houston Symphony, and Indianapolis Symphony.
As founder and conductor of APOLLO’S FIRE, she has led the renowned ensemble at London’s BBC Proms, Carnegie Hall, and many international venues. Sorrell and Apollo’s Fire have released 30 commercial CDs, including 11 bestsellers on the Billboard classical chart and a 2019 GRAMMY® winner. Her CD recordings of the Bach St. John Passion and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons have been chosen as best in the field by the Sunday Times of London (2020 and 2021). Her Monteverdi Vespers recording was chosen by BBC Music Magazine as one of “30 Must-Have Recordings for Our Lifetime” (September 2022). With over 14 million views of her YouTube videos, Sorrell has attracted national attention and awards for creative programming.
|
|
 Soul of Brazil
Antônio Carlos Jobim, Clarice Assad, Heitor Villa-Lobos
Delgani String Quartet
Clarice Assad, voice and piano
October 13, 2023
AV2620
|
|
|
“Long-cultivated cohesion — along with their considerable chops — makes the Delgani one of the state’s preeminent regularly performing classical-music institutions” - San Francisco Classical Voice
|
|
|
Hailed as Oregon’s “finest chamber ensemble” (ArtsWatch) the Delgani String Quartet’s first AVIE appearance was on Icarus, an album of chamber works by award-winning composer Elena Ruehr. A leading musical light of the Pacific Northwest, the Delganis devote their new release to music from south of the border. Soul of Brazil epitomises the adventurous, vibrant and passionate qualities of the South American country, blending classical and popular styles – the suave sounds of GRAMMY-nominated Clarice Assad’s vocals, piano and electronics, new music and arrangements of songs by Antônio Carlos Jobim, alongside the Sixth String Quartet of Heitor Villa-Lobos.
|
|
|
ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM (1927–1994) arr. Clarice Assad:
Estrada do sol (Text: Dolores Duran)
Chovendo na roseira (Text: A.C. Jobim)
Quebra-pedra (Text: A.C. Jobim)
Retrato em branco e preto (Text: Chico Buarque)
CLARICE ASSAD (b.1978): Glitch for string quartet
HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS (1887–1959): String Quartet No.6 W.399
HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS arr. Clarice Assad: Cair da tarde W.544 (Text: Dora Alencar Vasconcellos)
Delgani String Quartet with Clarice Assad, vocals, piano
|
|
|
 Hailed as Oregon’s ‘finest chamber ensemble’ by Oregon ArtsWatch, the Delgani String Quartet has established itself as a prominent voice in chamber music in the Pacific Northwest. Since their formation in 2014, Delgani has curated a concert season known for its wide-ranging and adventurous programming. Dedicated to promoting contemporary music, the quartet has forged close collaborations with composers Clarice Assad, Reza Vali, and Elena Ruehr. Their 2022 recording of Ruehr’s String Quartet No.7 was praised by Gramophone as ‘captivating.’ The Delgani String Quartet has been an artist-in-residence at the Oregon Bach Festival and University of Oregon’s Composers Forum.
Educational programming holds a central place in Delgani’s mission. Their program ‘Classical Spark’ brings the quartet into elementary school classrooms to foster an early interest in music. They hold an annual string quartet camp for teenagers and ongoing chamber music workshops for adults. Delgani operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and has received foundation support from the Oregon Cultural Trust, Oregon Community Foundation, Oregon Arts Commission, Lane Arts Council, Springfield Arts Commission, and Springfield Education Foundation. Delgani is the recipient of consecutive Cultural Development Grants from OCT and consecutive Creative Heights Grant from OCF.
The musicians of the Delgani String Quartet are violinists Anthea Kreston and Jannie Wei, violist Kimberlee Uwate, and cellist Eric Alterman.
|
|
|
Clarice Assad, vocals, piano, composer/arranger
 A powerful communicator renowned for her musical scope and versatility, Brazilian-American Clarice Assad is a significant artistic voice in the classical, world music, pop, and jazz genres and is acclaimed for her evocative colors, rich textures, and diverse stylistic range. A prolific Grammy Award–nominated composer with more than 70 works to her credit, she has been commissioned by internationally renowned organizations, festivals, and artists and is published in France (E´ditions Lemoine), Germany (Trekel), Brazil (Criadores do Brasil), and the US (Virtual Artists Collective Publishing). An in-demand performer, she is a celebrated pianist and inventive vocalist who inspires and encourages audiences’ imaginations to break free of often self-imposed constraints. Assad has released seven solo albums and appeared on or had her works performed on another 34. Her music is represented on Cedille Records, SONY Masterworks, Nonesuch, Adventure Music, Edge, Telarc, NSS Music, GHA, and CHANDOS. Her innovative, accessible, and award-winning VOXploration series on music education, creation, songwriting, and improvisation has been presented around the world. Sought-after by artists and organizations worldwide, the multi talented musician continues to attract new audiences both onstage and off.
|
|
 Something Like This
Sally Walker, flute
Emily Granger, harp
20 October 2023
AV2626
|
|
|
“An impressive debut from Granger, and one that shows off the harp’s capabilities to excellent effect.” – Limelight
“You’d expect a solo harp album to be somewhat transportive, but harpist Emily Granger goes further in this collection of works by American and Australian composers. Yes, it’s beautiful, but it also showcases the instrument’s versatility and depths of colour and timbre attainable.” ???? – BBC Music Magazine
|
|
|
American-Australian harpist Emily Granger made an indelible impression with her solo debut recording, In Transit. She follows up with Something Like This, a beautiful collaboration with flutist Sally Walker, featuring original music for flute and harp alongside adaptations and arrangements for the instrumental combination. Woven among classics by J. S. Bach and Mozart are works by living composers including Australians Elena Kats-Chernin, Sally Greenaway, Lachlan Skipworth and Jessica Wells, and indigenous composer Christopher Sainsbury. 20th century works by Jacques Ibert and Witold Lutoslawski are juxtaposed with Erik Satie’s timeless Gymnopédies.
|
|
|
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873–1943): Songs transcribed for the piano by Earl Wild
LACHLAN SKIPWORTH (b. 1982): Ode
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791) arr. Emily Granger · cadenza: John Thomas
Flute and Harp Concerto in C K.299, II. Andantino
ELENA KATS-CHERNIN (b. 1957): Something like this
CHRISTOPHER SAINSBURY (b. 1963): Djagamara
JACQUES IBERT (1890–1962): Entr’acte
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750) – attr. Sonata in G minor BWV 1020
WITOLD LUTOSLAWSKI (1913–1994): 3 Fragments for flute & harp
JESSICA WELLS (b. 1974): SATI
ERIK SATIE (1866–1925) transcriptions: Emily Granger: Gymnope´dies Nos. 1 & 3 (transcr. flute & harp)
SALLY GREENAWAY (b. 1984): Poems I, II, III for Flute and Harp |
|
Sally Walker, flute
 With a repertoire ranging from Early Music to works composed especially for her, performer, academic and music educator Dr Sally Walker has toured internationally with some of the world’s finest orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestras. She has performed as Guest Principal Flute with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Kammerakademie Potsdam, Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra (on period instruments) and has a long- standing association as Guest Principal Flutist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
A devoted chamber musician, Sally regularly plays in diverse chamber music formations, and she has performed at all major Australian festivals, as well as at the Salzburg, Lucerne, Prague Spring, Tanglewood and Edinburgh festivals and the London Proms. Her win at the Friedrich Kuhlau International Flute Competition (Germany) led to concerto appearances throughout Europe.
Sally is Senior Lecturer in Performance at the Australian National University, Guest Teacher at the Australian National Academy of Music and the Ambassador for the Symphony for Life Foundation. She is a graduate of the Universities of Sydney, Hanover and Munich and her main teachers were Prof. Andrea Lieberknecht and Prof. András Adorján. |
|
Emily Granger, harp Australian-American harpist Emily Granger has firmly established herself in the Australian concert scene, with a busy schedule as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician. Emily has performed around the world as Guest Principal Harp with the Chicago, Sydney, Tasmanian and Queensland Symphony Orchestras, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Orchestra Victoria, and Opera Australia Orchestra and given chamber recitals at Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall, The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage and Sydney Opera House Utzon Room. Emily has collaborated with top ensembles and instrumentalists in Australia and the US, including the Sydney Dance Company, Flinders Quartet, Ensemble Offspring, Omega Ensemble, and Nexas Saxophone Quartet. She was a finalist in the 2021 APRA Art Music Awards for Performance of the Year and a 2022 Finalist in the Freedman Fellowship Awards. In 2023, Emily was appointed as Principal Harp with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, Emily studied harp performance at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and the Chicago College of the Performing Arts with Susann McDonald and Sarah Bullen. Emily plays a Lyon & Healy Style 23 harp.
###
|
|
|
FEATURED JOBS
RENT A PHOTO
