New Classical Tracks with Julie Amacher

Conductor JoAnn Falletta shares her feelings about the pandemic

February 02, 2022 08:02 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MB

JoAnn Falletta and the BPO — Light in a Time of Darkness (Beau Fleuve) New Classical Tracks - JoAnn Falletta by “I found that the smaller concerts we did all the time during the 2021 season were fantastic for us in developing new skills,” said JoAnn Falletta, music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. “We learned how to listen and lead each other in repertoire that we never played. “We made a recording of some of our favorite pieces from that time, be...

Director Matthew Culloton shares the Singers' nature-inspired collection

January 26, 2022 08:02 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MB

The Singers — Come to the Woods (Arsis Audio) New Classical Tracks - Matthew Culloton by “We are all loud or pensive about things,” said Matthew Culloton, artistic director of the Singers, talking about the ensemble’s 10th recording. “At times, we may be lonely, but also reflective and hopeful. Naming the album Come to the Woods, after Jake Runestad's piece and John Muir’s words, was a great launching point.” Can you tell us why it took so long to release this re...

Violinist Daniel Hope embarks on his most creative project to date

January 19, 2022 08:02 - 36 minutes - 33.2 MB

Daniel Hope — Hope (DG) New Classical Tracks - Daniel Hope by “Music doesn't let me go. I always knew that it was the focus of my life, but it became a lifeline,” violinist Daniel Hope said about the pandemic. “It became a lifeline to the outside world. It was the luxury of time and connections to so many musicians that were willing to experiment and improvise that helped me find hope.” That resulted in his most creative project to date, his new recording with the...

Clarinetist Anthony McGill and pianist Gloria Chien are 'Here With You'

January 12, 2022 08:02 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MB

Anthony McGill and Gloria Chien — Here With You (Cedille) New Classical Tracks - Anthony McGill and Gloria Chien by “It’s not just the two of us as musicians together or as musical partners, but Here With You also means that performers are with the audience,” said clarinetist Anthony McGill about his first album as a duo with pianist Gloria Chien. “We're with the listener. We're also with the composer. It’s about us all here with each other, together.” Fifteen ye...

Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson wants to change how we think about Mozart

January 05, 2022 08:02 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MB

Víkingur Ólafsson — Mozart and Contemporaries (DG) New Classical Tracks - Víkingur Ólafsson by “I think the good thing about Iceland is that you have a certain sense of freedom and you have to find your own path,” said pianist Víkingur Ólafsson about how he experienced growing up in Iceland in the 1990s. “My mother was a piano teacher and a very good one. But she never pushed me. She would rather have me go out and play football with my friends and be a normal kid...

Most coveted releases of 2021

December 27, 2021 08:00 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MB

On New Classical Tracks, we love sharing with you the most exciting new recordings every year. And, when you enter our weekly CD giveaways, you show us how excited you are about these recordings, too. Find out which albums made the list of 10 most coveted new releases of 2020.

Lute and Viola Da Gamba Duo Ronn McFarlane and Carolyn Surrick Celebrate the Holidays

December 15, 2021 08:02 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MB

Ronn McFarlane and Carolyn Surrick, with Jackie Moran — A Star in the East (Flower Pot Productions) Jump to giveaway form New Classical Tracks - Ronn McFarlane and Carolyn Surrick by Last year around this time, Ronn McFarlane and Carolyn Surrick, who are usually quite busy with their early music ensembles, had the time and space to finally make music together. That special musical connection has just produced their second recording, A Star in the East. It features mo...

The Knights celebrate the holiday season with a Christmas album

December 08, 2021 08:02 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MB

The Knights — Before Christmas (Bright Shiny Things) New Classical Tracks - The Knights by “This album took as much time as building the perfect dessert or pastry over the course of years,” said Eric Jacobsen, conductor of the Knights. “Yet at the same time, it's meant to make people happy and be that taste you love so much.” Over the past 20 years, Jacobsen has created a sense of trust with the orchestral collective he co-founded, allowing different members to tak...

Pianist Emanuel Ax makes music with lifelong friend Yo-Yo Ma

December 01, 2021 08:02 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MB

Emanuel Ax & Yo-Yo Ma — Hope Amid Tears: Beethoven’s Cello Sonatas (Sony) New Classical Tracks - Emanuel Ax by “Yo-Yo and I, back in the fall, we're able to do some concerts on the back of a truck. We did 20-minute concerts in various places in parking lots for nurses, teachers and UPS delivery people,“ said pianist Emanuel Ax about performing during the pandemic. “I hope that brought them a little pleasure. “I've also been practicing a lot, mainly because I would...

Conductor John Jeter continues to celebrate the works of Florence Price

November 24, 2021 02:02 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MB

John Jeter and the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra — Price: Symphony No. 3, The Mississippi River & Ethiopia's Shadow in America (Naxos) New Classical Tracks - John Jeter by John Jeter spends most of his time as music director and conductor of Arkansas’s Fort Smith Symphony. He’s a big believer in promoting the culture of his state, even if it means going to Europe. For the second recording in his series celebrating the music of Florence Price, Jeter travelled t...

Musical siblings Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason debut their first duo album

November 17, 2021 08:02 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MB

Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason — MUSE (Decca) New Classical Tracks - Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason by British pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason and her younger brother, Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, have very different personalities. Perhaps, that is why they get along so well. They both have flourishing solo careers and have performed together for years, carefully developing an incredible sense of timing and trust essential for any musical duo. Their first album as a duo, Muse,...

Pianist Seong-Jin Cho revisits Frédéric Chopin

November 03, 2021 07:02 - 16 minutes - 15 MB

Seong-Jin Cho — Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 • Scherzi (DG) New Classical Tracks - Seong-Jin Cho by Pianist Seong-Jin Cho became the first South Korean to win First Prize at the Warsaw International Chopin Competition in 2015. Following that award, he immediately recorded Chopin’s First Piano Concerto and the four Ballades with Gianandrea Noseda and the London Symphony Orchestra. Playing with the same orchestra and conductor, Cho has released his new album, Chopin Pia...

Pianist Jeremy Denk revisits his favorite childhood composer, Mozart

October 27, 2021 07:02 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MB

Jeremy Denk & the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra — Mozart Piano Concertos (Nonesuch) Pianist Jeremy Denk has finally had the space and time to finish his forthcoming memoir Every Good Boy Does Fine, which will resonate with you if you took piano lessons as a kid. It releases this February, and its timing coincides beautifully with his new album featuring the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Mozart Piano Concertos. How has Mozart shaped you? “Actually, both the first and the last chapter...

ARC Ensemble honors composer Dmitri Klebanov

October 20, 2021 07:02 - 19 minutes - 18 MB

ARC Ensemble – Chamber Works by Dmitri Klebanov (Chandos) “It is very interesting that every composer tells a different story of overcoming difficulties,” said Simon Wynberg, who is the artistic director for the Arc Ensemble. “It’s about planting a flag in the ground and producing marvelous work. It's a really exciting kind of project.” Chamber works by Dmitri Klebanov is the fifth recording from the group's Music and Exile series, and it features the Jewish Ukrainian composer Dim...

Pianist Daniil Trifonov loves spending time with Bach

October 13, 2021 07:02 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MB

Daniil Trifonov – Bach: The Art of Life (DG) “I think with Bach it's much easier to practice for many hours than with some other composers,“ said Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov, who has always wanted to spend more time with Bach. “It’s so harmonious and everything makes sense, even the most complex polyphony still makes sense.” On his new recording, Bach: The Art of Life, Trifonov explores the scientific, emotional and spiritual dimensions of the composer. The album is centered ...

Pianist Jean Yves-Thibaudet enjoys complete freedom on 'Carte Blanche'

October 06, 2021 07:02 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MB

Jean-Yves Thibaudet – Carte Blanche (Decca) French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet celebrated his 60th birthday with a trip to Hawaii in September. He also marked the occasion with the release of his new recording, Carte Blanche. “This was an album where I was given literally carte blanche,” Thibaudet said. “I could choose whatever. It might not have happened without the pandemic, and I did it with the greatest love and joy. I had such a good time doing it. The variety and choice of ...

Violinist Randall Goosby finds inspiration in his heritage

September 29, 2021 07:02 - 39 minutes - 35.9 MB

Randall Goosby — Roots (Decca) “I see it as a stroke of luck. I certainly didn't believe that I was capable of whatever level of playing I thought was necessary to be accepted into his program,” reflects violinist Randall Goosby about Itzhak Perlman’s intensive summer music program in 2011. “I was very fortunate to be accepted. It was a turning point in my mind as to whether or not I was going to take music seriously or even continue playing. “One of the great lessons I got from...

Pianist Beyza Yazgan tells a story about her homeland

September 22, 2021 07:01 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MB

Jazz guitarist and composer Pat Metheny learned guitar the informal way, by ear, but he worked with classically trained musicians on his new album, 'Road to the Sun.'

Surrick and McFarlane make music together for the first time

September 15, 2021 07:01 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MB

Jazz guitarist and composer Pat Metheny learned guitar the informal way, by ear, but he worked with classically trained musicians on his new album, 'Road to the Sun.'

Voces8 takes an introspective look at music

September 08, 2021 07:01 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MB

Jazz guitarist and composer Pat Metheny learned guitar the informal way, by ear, but he worked with classically trained musicians on his new album, 'Road to the Sun.'

Pat Metheny enters the world of classical guitar

September 01, 2021 07:01 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MB

Jazz guitarist and composer Pat Metheny learned guitar the informal way, by ear, but he worked with classically trained musicians on his new album, 'Road to the Sun.'

The Verona Quartet turns folk traditions into music

August 25, 2021 07:02 - 30 minutes - 28.2 MB

The Verona Quartet — Diffusion (Azica) “I found a special bond. I felt as though I was meant to be the voice that glued everybody together, highly influential, but behind the scenes. I loved that. I even wrote my college entrance essay about wanting to play in a string quartet. Of course, at the time, I had no idea what that really meant,” said violist Abigail Rojansky of the Verona Quartet. That college entrance essay was for Oberlin College, where the Verona Quartet is now servin...

Pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason explores American music

August 18, 2021 07:02 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MB

Isata Kanneh-Mason — Summertime (Decca) Isata Kanneh-Mason is the oldest of seven incredibly talented musical siblings. They’ve all studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and Kanneh-Mason received an Elton John Scholarship. “I've never really been to a pop concert and to be on stage in that setting is so different from what I'm used to. It really brought me into a different world,” said Kanneh-Mason when she not only met Elton John, she got to perform with him. While she...

Conductor JoAnn Falletta embraces the seasons

August 11, 2021 07:02 - 24 minutes - 22.9 MB

JoAnn Falletta & the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra — The Four Seasons / The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires (Beau Fleuve) When the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra took the stage for their season opening concert last September, there was no audience in the hall due to the pandemic. Their loyal fans were watching the concert online. Conductor JoAnn Falletta had to switch gears quickly. “Initially, we had a very big concert, and we pull out all the stops when we give our opening,” s...

Inbal Segev showcases 20 new works for cello

July 21, 2021 07:02 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MB

Inbal Segev – 20 Pieces for 2020 (Avie) When the global pandemic shut down concert halls and live performances last year, cellist Inbal Segev knew she couldn’t just sit at home and do nothing. That’s when she and her husband drafted a plan to commission 20 composers to write 20 new works for cello in 2020. The first recording in this four-volume project was recently released. “It was ambitious, but I realized quickly that it's a project that's going to take a couple of years,” sh...

Pianist Andrew Von Oeyen revisits timeless classics

July 14, 2021 07:02 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MB

Andrew Von Oeyen — Bach — Beethoven (Warner Classics) “The first question was not, ‘What should I play?’ It was, ‘Should I even practice?’” said pianist Andrew von Oeyen when the global pandemic shut everything down in 2020. “Do I even want to practice? Because, the whole thing was such a shock to all of us.” Then he, who lives both in Paris and in Los Angeles, discovered a silver lining, which became the basis for his latest recording, Bach — Beethoven. How did you switch gears...

Conductor JoAnn Falletta rediscovers composer Florent Schmitt

July 07, 2021 07:02 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MB

JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra — Florent Schmitt: La Tragedie de Salome/Musique sur l’eau/Oriane et le Prince d’Amour/Légende (Naxos) “It was like a treasure box of music that I didn’t know at all,” said conductor JoAnn Falletta after scholar Phillip Nones introduced her to the musical scores of Florent Schmitt. “A true colorist, but with more vivid colors, perhaps, than Debussy and Ravel. He's red blooded and he's French, but he's borrowing every way of mak...

Pianist Jeni Slotchiver reflects on our musical heritage

June 30, 2021 07:02 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MB

Jeni Slotchiver — American Heritage (ZOHO) “Many people thought that this was the right time to do this,” said pianist Jeni Slotchiver on her new album, American Heritage. “I did it before, but the music was relevant then as it is now. My African American students had long wanted me to record this music. I was concerned with how they are going to take me recording this music. My students said, ‘Just do it. You play it and just record it.’” Slotchiver is a teacher who was born in ...

Flutist Immanuel Davis rediscovers his instrument's roots

June 23, 2021 07:02 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MB

Barthold Kuijken & Immanuel Davis — La Magnifique: Flute Music for the Court of Louis XIV (Naxos) When asked what flutist Immanuel Davis discovered about himself during the pandemic he said, “That my love of the flute and my love of music has to be from within and I also learned how much my students propel me. I really came face to face with how much they are giving back to me.” Davis is a flute professor at the University of Minnesota. He got the job 20 years ago as a recent gra...

Violist Mark Holloway of Pacifica Quartet explores new works

June 16, 2021 07:02 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MB

Pacifica Quartet — Contemporary Voices (Cedille) “I can relate so much to these three pieces after going through this pandemic,” said violist Mark Holloway reflecting on, Contemporary Voices, the most recent release from Pacifica Quartet. “Each one has something quite unique to say.” The recording features three contemporary pieces commissioned by the quartet, which won a Grammy for best Chamber Music Performance. The ensemble is also opening the MN Beethoven Festival on June 27. ...

Nordic Fiddlers Bloc blends northern fiddle traditions into one

June 09, 2021 07:02 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MB

The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc — Bonfrost (NFB Records) “There's just always been a lot of fiddle players in Shetland,” said Scottish fiddler Kevin Henderson and member of the Nordic Fiddlers Bloc. “My grandfather was a huge fan of fiddle music. That's how I got the bug.” Shetland is a small community with a rich fiddling tradition that goes back hundreds of years. The rest of the band, Norwegian fiddler Olav Luksengård Mjelva and Swedish fiddler Anders Hall represent a blending of the ...

Catalyst Quartet honors Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

June 02, 2021 07:01 - 26 minutes - 24 MB

This week on New Classical Tracks, in celebration of Black Music Appreciation Month we revisit violist Paul Laraia of Catalyst Quartet discussing the joys and privileges of honoring composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor in the ensemble's first recording in a series commemorating Black composers.

Conspirare conductor Craig Hella Johnson lets his imagination run wild

May 26, 2021 07:02 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MB

Conductor Craig Hella Johnson lets his imagination run wild with the Austin-based vocal ensemble Conspirare. He leads them and three different guitar quartets in their new album, The Singing Guitar.

Minnesota Orchestra violist Rebecca Albers enjoys being an inner voice

May 19, 2021 07:02 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MB

Principal violist Rebecca Albers of the Minnesota Orchestra shares her love of being in the middle voice of the ensemble. She leads the viola section in the opening of the Minnesota Orchestra’s new album, Mahler 10. E

Guitarist Miloš Karadaglić feels like a fairy tale has come true

May 12, 2021 07:02 - 39 minutes - 36 MB

Guitarist Miloš Karadaglić feels as if a fairy tale has come true in his new album, The Moon & the Forest.

Contralto and conductor Nathalie Stutzmann lives her dream

May 05, 2021 07:02 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MB

Nathalie Stutzmann/Orfeo 55 — Contralto (Warner Classics/Erato) “Oh là là! I’m actually living my dream,” said conductor and contralto Nathalie Stutzmann. “My two biggest goals in life were to be a singer and a conductor, and I am just living my dream.” Nathalie Stutzmann believes that every dream can come true and she’s living proof. It was a challenge for a young woman growing up in Paris to accomplish her goals, but she didn’t give up. She went on to become the first woman to...

Violinist Gregory Harrington plays with our perception of time

April 28, 2021 07:02 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MB

Gregory Harrington: Glass Hour; with Mark Shapiro and the Janáček Philharmonic (Estile Records) One thing we can all agree on is that the pandemic has impacted how we perceive the passage of time. The days seem to go slow, while the year goes by quickly. Maybe you feel as if you’ve been stuck in a Ground Hog Day scenario. Violinist Gregory Harrington decided to explore the concept of time through two works by Philip Glass on his new recording, Glass Hour. Harrington, with conduct...

Gil Shaham finds friendship in two violin concertos

April 21, 2021 07:02 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MB

Violinist Gil Shaham teams up with the cellist and conductor of the Knights, Eric Jacobsen, to forge a friendship through their new album, Beethoven, Brahms: Violin Concertos.

New Classical Tracks: Pat Metheny

April 13, 2021 20:29 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MB

New Classical Tracks: Pat Metheny

Daniil Trifonov reconnects with his Russian past

April 07, 2021 07:01 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MB

Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov is used to traveling and performing as an international soloist. During the global pandemic, he's been staying close to home, but among live and streamed concerts, he has released a new recording that highlights Russian composers from about 1880 to 1925, 'The Silver Age.'

New Classical Tracks with Julie Amacher

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