As they begin their 30th Season, the GRAMMY® Award-winning choral ensemble from Austin, Texas, Conspirare, present an emotionally rich and wide-ranging program in their Delos recording: ‘House of Belonging.’

Known worldwide for expanding the boundaries of choral performance, Conspirare has teamed up with the superb Miró Quartet to present a tapestry of intriguing new works by dynamic American composers…. Kevin Puts, Derrick Skye, Alex Berko, Moira Smiley, Ross Lee Finney, Shara Nova, Michael Schachter and Margaret Bonds.

The album’s thoughtful texts explore themes about spirituality, philosophy, the natural world, and the human need for deep connection with verses by Ewen Tait, John Muir, William Stafford, Wendell Berry, Rabindranath Tagore, David Whyte, Langston Hughes, Ludwig van Beethoven, Hildegard of Bingen, Kobayashi Issa, Rūta Kuzmickas, Andrew Marvell, and Kiara Skye.

Conspirare founder and leader, Craig Hella Johnson who curated and conducted the music on House of Belonging, also commissioned many of the pieces, as well as composing the album’s opening track. We’re delighted to have Craig with us to discuss the project.

Listen to the segment

Conspirare - House of Belonging is a dynamic and timely collection of American music for voices and with instruments. Curated and conducted by Craig Hella Johnson, the album showcases the unique combination of choral virtuosity and extraordinarily beautiful human expression in works by composers and poets diverse in age, geography, and ethnicity who speak to our internal and external sense of home and belonging. Each composer, in their unique voice, offers a reflection point for listeners.

Conspirare’s nationwide roster of vocal artists Simon Barrad, Meg Dudley, Haitham Haidar, Chelsea Helm, Michael Jones, Lauren McAllister, Savannah Porter, Kathlene Ritch, and David Kurtenbach Rivera are featured as soloists on the album.

Produced by Max Horowitz - Crossover Media, This content, as well as the related podcast, are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) for redistribution and adaptation.

As they begin their 30th Season, the GRAMMY® Award-winning choral ensemble from Austin, Texas, Conspirare, presents an emotionally rich and wide-ranging program in their new Delos recording: ‘House of Belonging.’ Known worldwide for expanding the boundaries of choral performance, Conspirare has teamed up with the superb Miró Quartet to present a tapestry of intriguing new works by dynamic American composers including: Kevin Puts, Derrick Skye, Alex Berko, Moira Smiley, Ross Lee Finney, Share-a Nova, Michael Schachter and Margaret Bonds.

Conspirare founder and leader, Craig Hella Johnson, commissioned many of the pieces on House of Belonging and composed the opening track himself. The album’s thoughtful texts explore themes about spirituality, philosophy, the natural world, and the human need for deep connection with others with verses by Ewen Tait, John Muir, William Stafford, Wendell Berry, Rabindranath Tagore, David Whyte, Langston Hughes, Ludwig van Beethoven and Hildegard of Bingen.

Shara Nova, aka ‘My Brightest Diamond,’ has brought her unique perspective to this project with contributions on a setting of David Whyte’s poem which shares the album’s title, as well as a new arrangement for choir…..her emotionally charged lullaby: “I Have Never Loved Someone.” Shara Nova is here with us to discuss the album as well as give us her unique musical perspective. Listen to the segment

Conspirare - House of Belonging is a dynamic and timely collection of American music for voices and with instruments. Curated and conducted by Craig Hella Johnson, the album showcases the unique combination of choral virtuosity and extraordinarily beautiful human expression in works by composers and poets diverse in age, geography, and ethnicity who speak to our internal and external sense of home and belonging. Each composer, in their unique voice, offers a reflection point for listeners.

Conspirare’s nationwide roster of vocal artists Simon Barrad, Meg Dudley, Haitham Haidar, Chelsea Helm, Michael Jones, Lauren McAllister, Savannah Porter, Kathlene Ritch, and David Kurtenbach Rivera are featured as soloists on the album.

Produced by Max Horowitz - Crossover Media, This content, as well as the related podcast, are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) for redistribution and adaptation.

Whether it’s prison reform, the plight of refugees, music education for all, or the industry-defining ‘In War and Peace,’ opera superstar Joyce DiDonato transcends the physical confines of the concert hall. DiDonato has long been an artist who has dedicated herself to creating and initiating projects that challenge and galvanise the public.

Produced by Max Horowitz — Crossover Media, This content, as well as the related podcast, are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) for redistribution and adaptation.

Her latest initiative; EDEN, is one that she will dedicate much of her time over the next four years to. Uniting music, drama, education and organizational partnerships to confront questions about our individual connection to Nature, the EDEN project includes an astonishing new recording released on Er-ato – Warner Classics, and a 2 year, 45 venue stage production tour across five continents. EDEN’s long-term impact and legacy will be far reaching to say the least and Joyce DiDonato is here with us to discuss all of it with us. Listen to this audio piece.

As they begin their 30th Season, the GRAMMY® Award-winning choral ensemble from Austin, Texas, Conspirare, presents an emotionally rich and wide-ranging program in their new Delos recording: ‘House of Belonging.’ Known worldwide for expanding the boundaries of choral performance, Conspirare has teamed up with the superb Miró Quartet to present a tapestry of intriguing new works by dynamic American composers: Kevin Puts, Derrick Skye, Alex Berko, Moira Smiley, Ross Lee Finney, Share-a Nova, Michael Schachter and Margaret Bonds.

Conspirare founder and leader, Craig Hella Johnson, commissioned many of the pieces on House of Belonging and composed the opening track himself. The album’s thoughtful texts explore themes about spirituality, philosophy, the natural world, and the human need for deep connection with verses by Ewen Tait, John Muir, William Stafford, Wendell Berry, Ru-bin-druh-nath Tu-gore, David Whyte, Langston Hughes, Ludwig van Beethoven and Hildegard of Bingen.

The Miró Quartet is one of America’s most celebrated and dedicated string quartets. Described by ‘The New Yorker’ magazine as “furiously committed” and the ‘Cleveland Plain Dealer’ as having an “exceptional tonal focus and interpretive intensity,”, Miro is the Quartet-in-residence at the University of Texas’ Butler School of Music, and for over twenty-five years, has performed on the world’s most prestigious concert stages.

Miró violist: John Largess is a Curtis Institute and Yale University graduate. In 1995 he toured the United States and Canada with the Colorado String Quartet. Appointed principal violist of the Charleston Symphony the following year, in 1997 Mr. Largess joined the Miró Quartet and has been a vital fixture ever since. An active speaker and writer about all things chamber‐music, the violist also holds a degree in Classical Archeology which has led to his participation in excavations in Greece, Israel, and Jordan. John Largess is here with us to discuss Conspirare, new Delos recording: ‘House of Belonging,’ as well as give us his unique musical perspective. Listen to the attached segment.

Conspirare's new recording: ‘House of Belonging’ is a dynamic and timely collection of American music for voices and with instruments. Curated and conducted by Craig Hella Johnson, the album showcases the unique combination of choral virtuosity and extraordinarily beautiful human expression in works by composers and poets diverse in age, geography, and ethnicity who speak to our internal and external sense of home and belonging. Each composer, in their unique voice, offers a reflection point for listeners.

Conspirare’s ongoing commitment to commissioning and performing music of today’s most vibrant living composers is reflected in these world premiere recordings. Conspirare’s nationwide roster of vocal artists Simon Barrad, Meg Dudley, Haitham Haidar, Chelsea Helm, Michael Jones, Lauren McAllister, Savannah Porter, Kathlene Ritch, and David Kurtenbach Rivera are featured as soloists on the album.

Produced by Max Horowitz - Crossover Media, This content, as well as the related podcast, are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) for redistribution and adaptation.

Hailed as ‘the new Maurice André’ by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Paul Merkelo is a spectacular soloist who the Montreal Gazette calls ‘a most impressive master of his instrument.’ As principal trumpet of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Mr. Merkelo was the first member of the orchestra invited to record a solo album with the ensemble: ‘French Trumpet Concertos’ under the direction of maestro Kent Nagano.

Making his Lincoln Center debut in 1999 with the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas, Paul Merkelo has worked with the world’s greatest orchestras including: the New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, Sapporo Symphony, Venice Baroque Orchestra and the Eastman Wind Ensemble among others. He has performed with a veritable who’s who of legendary conductors. Leonard Bernstein, Charles Dutoit, Lorin Maazel, Sir Georg Solti, Zubin Mehta and Valery Gergiev among them

Paul Merkelo has now released a new recording for the Naxos label showcasing the Trumpet Concertos of Alexander Arutiunian, Dmitry Shostakovich, and Mieczyslaw Weinberg. Featuring The Russian National Orchestra under the direction of maestro Hans Graf, along with the acclaimed pianist Jae-Hyuck Cho, the three works on this recording each have a connection to the legendary Ukrainian trumpeter: Timofei Dokshizer who not only served as principal trumpeter with Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre but who also enjoyed a spectacular live performance and recording career.

Paul Merkelo is here with us to discuss these 3 great concertos. Listen to the podcast.

Here's the track listing for the recording:

Alexander Arutiunian (1920–2012)

1 Trumpet Concerto

(1950, cadenza by Timofei Dokshizer, 1921–2005) xx:xx

Andante maestoso – Allegro energico – Meno mosso – Tempo I – Meno mosso – Tempo I – Cadenza – Coda

Mieczyslaw Weinberg (1919–1996)

Trumpet Concerto in B flat major, Op. 94 (1966–67) xx:xx

2 I. Etudes x:xx

3 II. Episodes – x:xx

4 III. Fanfares x:xx

Dmitry Shostakovich (1906–1975)

Concerto No. 1, Op. 35, for Piano, Trumpet and Strings (1933) (expanded trumpet part by Timofei Dokschizer* and Paul Merkelo**) xx:xx

5 I. Allegro moderato x:xx

6 II. Lento x:xx

7 III. Moderato – x:xx

8 IV. Allegro con brio x:xx

*From the 2009 transcription for trumpet and piano (DSCH Publishers, 2009)

**Assisted by Jae-Hyuck Cho and Hans Graf

Album Produced by Michael Fine. Engineer Erdo Groot

Produced by Max Horowitz — Crossover Media, This content, as well as the related podcast, are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) for redistribution and adaptation.

Houston Texas based ‘Apollo Chamber Players’ sixth studio recording; ‘Moonstrike’ on Azica Records includes Jennifer Higdon’s groundbreaking work for string quartet; ‘In the Shadow of the Mountain.’ The piece is the 20th and final work in Apollo’s 20 by 2020 multicultural commissioning initiative and multiple GRAMMY and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon joined us for this podcast along with Apollo Chamber Players violinist and founder Matthew Detrick to discuss the piece. Listen to the Segment

‘In the Shadow of the Mountain’ has great intensity and emotionalism, while at the same time is very technically challenging. Jennifer Higdon grew up in the shadow of the Smoky Mountains and the subject matter for this commission was heavily influenced by her childhood memories of sound, light, and music of the mountain and its people. Topics include:

How this commission came about.

The genesis for this piece and it’s relationship to Jennifer Higdon’s first opera which honors the resonance of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Jennifer Higdon’s approach rethinking the structure converted an opera, a work that has words, to a string quartet arrangement, which is wordless.

The Apollo Chamber Players return to Carnegie Hall for a program celebrating the ensemble's 15th season of multicultural programming and the conclusion of its Moonshot-inspired 20x2020 commissioning project. New works by Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon, Emmy-winning Chickasaw composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, and Rome Prize-winning composer Pierre Jalbert are showcased, along with a homage to Turkish-born composer Erek Eryilmaz's heritage and a peace-infused work by Prairie View A&M composer John Cornelius. Special guests include Houston Poet Laureate Outspoken Bean, vocalist Kenneth Gayle , and astronaut narrator John Herrington, the first Native American to fly in space.

The Program Is As Follows:

JENNIFER HIGDON In the Shadow of the Mountain (NY Premiere)

JEROD IMPICHCHAACHAAHA' TATE MoonStrike (NY Premiere)

PIERRE JALBERT L'esprit du Nord (NY Premiere)

JOHN CORNELIUS PAX (NY Premiere)

ERBERK ERYILMAZ Thracian Airs of Besime Sultan (NY Premiere)

Apollo Chamber Players Performers are:

··Matthew J. Detrick, Violin

··Anabel Ramirez Detrick, Violin

··Matthew Dudzik, Cello

Produced by Max Horowitz — Crossover Media, This content, as well as the related podcast, are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) for redistribution and adaptation.

Mark Abel’s music writing is beholden to no school or discernible influence. Even if his music sits comfortably within an ongoing continuum in the classical tradition, Abel is his own man, a composer who brings his sensibility and highly developed command of craft to a particular idea and then illuminates it in a strikingly imaginative way.

Abel’s versatility of works is fully apparent on his sixth recording for Delos Music. ‘Spectrum,’ a generous two-disc set of song-cycles, chamber pieces, and excerpts from an opera still roaming around his brain and features: 2 time GRAMMY® Award winning soprano: Hila Plitmann, 4 time Juno Award winner: Isabel Bayrakdarian, celebrated mezzo-soprano: Kindra Scharich, pianists Carol Rosenberger, Dominic Cheli, Sean Kennard and Jeffrey LaDeur; as well as Alexander String Quartet violist David Samuel; Pacific Symphony concertmaster Dennis Kim; and the superb cellist: Jonah Kim.

Mark Abel is here with us along with Hila Plitmann to discuss ‘Spectrum.’ Listen to the podcast

The recording features 3 instrumental gems: ‘Reconciliation Day,’ ‘Out the Other Side’ and ‘The Long March’ along with 3 captivating song cycles: ‘Trois Femmes du Cinema,’ ‘1966’ and ‘Two Scenes from The Book of Esther.’

Trois Femmes du Cinema’ features the powerful vocal artistry of soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian who is joined by the superb pianist: Carol Rosenberger. The piece is rooted in Abel’s love for art films, particularly from the ‘1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, and the texts that he’s written are centered around 3 important women: French actress; Anne Wiazemsky, Mexican actress: Pina Pellicer, and the Ukrainian Soviet film director: Larisa Shepitko. These songs replicate their emotional trajectory, as well as their courage in standing up against the power of patriarchal misogyny in the film industry. These heroines are still largely unknown to the general public and each song in the cycle has a unique compositional approach.

‘Reconciliation Day’ is the first chamber piece on ‘Spectrum’ and is a moody, enigmatic duet beautifully played by violist: David Samuel and pianist Dominic Cheli. The rhythmic feel on this piece has a dance-like quality with bursts of sound and forward motion interspersed with calmer sections almost evoking an impressionistic quality.

‘Out the Other Side’ is played with immense integrity and authority by Trio Barclay, the ensemble-in-residence at the University of California, Irvine. This trio consisting of Pacific Symphony violinist and concertmaster: Dennis Kim along with one of today’s most highly regarded young cellists: Jonah Kim, and the superb pianist: Sean Kennard play together with a unique and rare chemistry.

Abel’s thirteen-minute trio excursion titled: The Long March’ which features pianist: Dominic Cheli, hornist: Jeff Garza and flutist: Christy Kim is an unusual piece and somewhat of a rarity in chamber music. As the title suggests, this musical journey explores the unique timbres of the horn and flute against an exhilarating piano and includes stops to regroup, reflect, celebrate, and endure.

Two Scenes from “The Book of Esther," features: soprano Hila Plitmann as ‘Esther,’ and Mezzo-Soprano: Kindra Scharich as ‘Vashti.' They are joined by Violinist: Adam Millstein, clarinetist Max Opferkuch, and pianist: Dominic Cheli.

1966 is the final piece and the 3rd song cycle on the album. Mark Abel wrote the text which features Mezzo-Soprano: Kindra Scharich and her close colleague: pianist Jeffrey LaDeur. This wistful, nostalgic, lyrical piece reflects on the time when Abel turned eighteen years of age and was affected by 3 life-changing events, a romance, a hike, and San Francisco visit.

Produced by Max Horowitz - Crossover Media, This content, as well as the related podcast, are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) for redistribution and adaptation.

Composer Eric Schorr is a musical chameleon who has written music for a variety of genres and venues. With a body of work that includes the musical: “Tokio Confidential,” vocal arrangements for “Uncommon Women and Others” and processional music for the opening ceremony of the ‘Gay Games’ at Yankee Stadium, most recently Eric Schorr has created a captivating new album that transforms contemporary poetry into a series of unique art songs. Released by Albany Records, “New York Pretending to be Paris,” features Metropolitan Opera Mezzo-Soprano: Eve Gigliotti, Boston Lyric Opera tenor: Jesse Darden, and Théâtre du Châtelet baritone: Michael Kelly who give voice to Schorr’s thirteen musical settings of poems by Morri Creech, Richie Hofmann, Susan Kinsolving, Thomas March, Aaron Smith & Cynthia Zarin. Produced by Paul McKibbins, orchestrated by Nik Rodewald, the album features the 19 Mercer Ensemble who are joined by pianists Cris Frisco, Erika Switzer and Schorr himself. The result is a poignant recording, full of longing and desire, and joining us for this podcast are composer Eric Schorr, baritone Michael Kelly, and poets: Susan Kinsolving and Aaron Smith. LISTEN

Filled with beautiful and humorous images, the 13 songs on “New York Pretending to be Paris” flow from one to another like a set of short stories that portray deeply moving characters in situations pertaining to the subject of love. Love in many forms. The settings are happy, angry, melancholy and vengeful among other emotions, each acknowledging the power of memory and desire. .

The diverse subject matter of these poems is reflected in Eric Schorr’s varied musical vocabulary and tone painting and his musical choices reinforce the poems. Schorr also has a keen awareness of the organic rhythm in the words and every syllable seems to be given its proper weight. The pieces on this album are like dramatic stories or mini-musicals.

Stylistically, the music encompasses several genres. Neo-Romantic, jazz, chanson and bossa nova among other styles. Eric Schorr originally scored these pieces for voice and piano but then decided to expand the texture and utilized Nik Rodewald to compose chamber arrangements for the album, exquisitely played by members of the 19 Mercer Ensemble.

Houston Texas based ‘Apollo Chamber Players’ sixth studio recording; ‘Moonstrike’ on Azica Records includes Jennifer Higdon’s groundbreaking work for string quartet; ‘In the Shadow of the Mountain.’ The piece is the 20th and final work in Apollo’s 20 by 2020 multicultural commissioning initiative and multiple GRAMMY and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon joined us for this podcast along with Apollo Chamber Players violinist and founder Matthew Detrick to discuss the piece.

Listen to the Segment

‘In the Shadow of the Mountain’ has great intensity and emotionalism, while at the same time is very technically challenging. Jennifer Higdon grew up in the shadow of the Smoky Mountains and the subject matter for this commission was heavily influenced by her childhood memories of sound, light, and music of the mountain and its people. Topics include:

How this commission came about.

The genesis for this piece and it’s relationship to Jennifer Higdon’s first opera which honors the resonance of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Jennifer Higdon’s approach rethinking the structure converted an opera, a work that has words, to a string quartet arrangement, which is wordless.

The Apollo Chamber Players return to Carnegie Hall for a program celebrating the ensemble's 15th season of multicultural programming and the conclusion of its Moonshot-inspired 20x2020 commissioning project. New works by Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon, Emmy-winning Chickasaw composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, and Rome Prize-winning composer Pierre Jalbert are showcased, along with a homage to Turkish-born composer Erek Eryilmaz's heritage and a peace-infused work by Prairie View A&M composer John Cornelius. Special guests include Houston Poet Laureate Outspoken Bean, vocalist Kenneth Gayle , and astronaut narrator John Herrington, the first Native American to fly in space.

The Program Is As Follows:

JENNIFER HIGDON In the Shadow of the Mountain (NY Premiere)

JEROD IMPICHCHAACHAAHA' TATE MoonStrike (NY Premiere)

PIERRE JALBERT L'esprit du Nord (NY Premiere)

JOHN CORNELIUS PAX (NY Premiere)

ERBERK ERYILMAZ Thracian Airs of Besime Sultan (NY Premiere)

Apollo Chamber Players Performers are:

··Matthew J. Detrick, Violin

··Anabel Ramirez Detrick, Violin

··Matthew Dudzik, Cello

Produced by Max Horowitz — Crossover Media, This content, as well as the related podcast, are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) for redistribution and adaptation.

A pulsation marks time. Listen to the 'Pulsations' podcast with Angele Dubeau. Hosted and Produced by Crossover Media's Max Horowitz

With a career spanning over four decades and an impressive discography of more than forty albums, Angèle Dubeau continues to leave her mark in today's music world. Her virtuosity brings her on the most prestigious stages and she continues to be awarded international prizes for her recordings and to receive honors for her career.

Pulsations, the violinist's new album, brings together works that evoke strong images and possess a profound emotional intensity. In addition to the excellence of her playing, she has a flair for finding and recording the works of remarkable composers, thus placing her at the center of the post-minimalist movement, one of the most relevant musical genres of our time. The public's increasing interest for some of these composers whose works are featured on Pulsations tells us that we are witnessing the emergence of a golden age for this contemporary music.

"A pulsation marks time, it infuses its rhythm in it and also evokes the heart. Just like those composers whose music calls out to me and who, with their unique signatures, mark time, our time; Olafur Arnalds, Jean-Michel Blais, Ludovico Einaudi, Alex Baranowski, Craig Armstrong, Peter Gregson, Yann Tiersen, Abel Korzeniowski, Johan Johannsson, Max Richter and Dalal." - Angèle Dubeau, O.C., C.Q., O.M.

Once again, Angèle Dubeau is accompanied by the excellent musicians of her all-female string ensemble La Pietà, with whom she has been playing for over 20 years.

Produced by Max Horowitz — Crossover Media, This content, as well as the related podcast, are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) for redistribution and adaptation.