• Columbian Harmony

    Catalog #: NV6565

    Release Date: October 13, 2023

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Cello
    Piano
    Viola

    Multi-genre composer Gary Smart explores a wide range of styles and transforms them into his own musical language on COLUMBIAN HARMONY. His soundscapes are sweeping, billowing meadows, often vast in their ambition and scope. At times richly textured, at times sparse, almost threadbare, Smart’s carefully designed works meander between grand rhapsody and heart rending simplicity. There is enough familiarity in this music to keep the listener anchored, but the element of surprise reigns supreme.

  • Chorinho

    Catalog #: NV6537

    Release Date: August 11, 2023

    20th Century
    Chamber
    Piano
    Viola

    Navona Records is proud to present CHORINHO, the new album by violist Georgina Rossi and pianist Silvie Cheng. Saturated with Brazil’s rich musical heritage, CHORINHO presents a slew of under-recognized works for viola, including world-premiere recordings of works by João de Souza Lima, Lindembergue Cardoso, and Ernani Aguiar. A solo piano interlude honors Heitor Villa-Lobos, the titan of Brazil’s 20th century musical scene. The concluding track, an arrangement of Chiquinha Gonzaga’s song Lua Branca by the two soloists themselves, hangs over the collection like a light. Vibrant, soulful, and expressive, CHORINHO offers a spectacular glimpse into a little-known area of Brazilian contemporary music.

  • David Jaeger: Chamber Works for Viola

    Catalog #: NV6528

    Release Date: June 9, 2023

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Piano
    Viola
    Voice

    CHAMBER WORKS FOR VIOLA from composer David Jaeger gathers together some of Jaeger’s most defiantly creative compositions and demonstrates the vast possibilities of the viola and the chamber music genre as a whole. The album includes pieces like Diptych for viola and piano, lamenting at one moment and brazen the next. Six Miniatures on poems by David Cameron, for solo viola brings to life the poetic works of David Cameron, winner of the 2014 Hennessy Literary Award for Poetry. The album features the tasteful virtuosity of violist Carol Gimbel and pianist Cullan Bryant. Jaeger’s music will surely remind listeners—and perhaps even some other composers—of the rich tonal palate the viola offers.

  • Bowed Colors 2

    Catalog #: NV6517

    Release Date: April 14, 2023

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Solo Instrumental
    Piano
    Viola

    On BOWED COLORS 2, violist Brett Deubner tackles a vibrant collection of Bach-inspired compositions for the viola. A bonafide virtuoso of international acclaim, Deubner set his sights on the works of seven American composers, and the result is a dynamic album of showstoppers for the alto voice of the string family. Baroque structure unites with contemporary fervor in this program, and Deubner's solo viola (occasionally accompanied by piano) entwines both, brimming with vigor and precision.

  • Trios & Sonatinas

    Catalog #: NV6511

    Release Date: March 24, 2023

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Piano
    Piano Trio
    Viola

    If there is one thing that is important to Richard E Brown, it’s clarity; it would be impossible to listen to any of his compositions without finding one’s emotions immediately and intuitively seized, no explanations necessary. Brown’s music is at once neoclassical and aesthetic, and his selection of TRIOS & SONATINAS makes for a perfect introduction. Aforementioned clarity is also the secret ingredient which allows Brown to breezily and naturally unite polar opposites: the Western classical piano trio with Korean folk themes, the simple sonatina form with musical complexity, and the frail violin and resounding horn as equals in another trio. Simplicity is supposedly the ultimate form of sophistication, and TRIOS & SONATINAS makes a strong point indeed.

  • Luz

    Catalog #: NV6491

    Release Date: January 27, 2023

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Piano
    Viola

    Luz means light, and light is what violist Amaro Dubois claims we are missing the most in this world of today. Dubois aims to change this with his debut Navona Records release, LUZ, a collection of works highlighting the beauty of Latin American music for viola and piano. Joined by pianist Tingting Yao, the violist brings to life several newly-commissioned works, a beautiful collaboration between eight composers from five different countries. Above all, Dubois aims to share passion, love, and peace, three qualities that undoubtedly shine throughout LUZ.

  • Sonic Apricity

    Catalog #: NV6485

    Release Date: December 9, 2022

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Piano
    Viola
    Violin

    What happens when you combine a love for uncovering new gems in classical music with two highly skilled performers? Violist Jacob Tews and Violinist Erik Rohde answer this very question with SONIC APRICITY: an album consisting of works they have either commissioned or championed, and the namesake of their musical coalescence. The duo presents a dynamic selection of new pieces from contemporary composers Augusta Read Thomas, Erzsébet Szőnyi, Elliott Miles McKinley, Christopher Walczak, and Michael-Thomas Foumai, an engaging program of works influenced by poetry, notable tales from pop culture, the passage of time, and more.

  • Bowed Colors

    Catalog #: NV6478

    Release Date: December 2, 2022

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Solo Instrumental
    Piano
    Viola

    British-American violist Peter Sulski superbly demonstrates his instrument’s true expressive potential on BOWED COLORS from Navona Records. Sulski, who was a member of the London Symphony Orchestra for seven years, has published seminal solo viola recordings of works by Telemann, J. S. Bach, and Hindemith. Combining Sulski’s signature sound with the works of five composers, BOWED COLORS delivers an exquisite selection of contemporary solo viola pieces that range from the neoclassical to the just barely tonal, all tightly knit together by Sulski’s sublime bow control and finesse as a performer.

  • Andrew Anderson: Chamber Works

    Catalog #: NV6476

    Release Date: December 2, 2022

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Piano
    Viola
    Violin

    In a modern age crowded with distractions, one quickly learns to appreciate the little oases of peace. Andrew Anderson's 2022 Navona Records release, CHAMBER WORKS, might just be such an oasis – written with replenishing qualities, great clarity, and a sense of purpose. Throughout the album, Anderson skillfully demonstrates his ability to draw on the styles of the great compositional masters while creating a musical language that is truly unique and spoken through a variety of thoughtful orchestrations. Comprehensive in its content and imbued with tranquility, ANDREW ANDERSON: CHAMBER WORKS offers a variegated glimpse into Anderson’s distinct compositional style.

  • The Ties That Bind

    Catalog #: NV6453

    Release Date: August 26, 2022

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Viola
    Violin

    Navona Records and Australian composer Lee Bradshaw present THE TIES THAT BIND, a collection of chamber music for strings that reveal an explicit and emotionally-charged truth. Brought to life by Baiba Skide (violin), Ivan Vukčević (viola), and Harriet Krijgh (violoncello), the album features works that redefine the expressive possibilities of contemporary string playing; and in which the performers are compelled to delve deeply into their own artistry. Bradshaw’s sensuous and yet muscular compositional style displays a profound intimacy for his craft, which ultimately renders music of a rare and arresting beauty.

  • Charm, Passion, And Acrobatics

    Catalog #: NV6434

    Release Date: June 10, 2022

    Romantic
    Chamber
    Piano
    Viola

    The story of Misha Galaganov’s CHARM, PASSION, AND ACROBATICS began when the artist uncovered a trove of forgotten, 19th century viola music in a private library. The music on this album from composers Pierre Kunc, Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht, and Ernest Chausson has long gone unplayed; Kunc’s musical manuscripts, for example, were kept under lock and key by the Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music until 2021. Featuring challenging virtuosic pieces alongside expressive, impressionistic masterworks, this album celebrates the boundless potential of the viola. The music transports the listener to a French salon of the Belle Époque, guided by Galaganov and Owings’ sensitive and technically-masterful performances.

  • Anthelion

    Catalog #: NV6402

    Release Date: January 28, 2022

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Solo Instrumental
    Cello
    Orchestra
    Viola

    Navona Records presents ANTHELION, showcasing favorite works from composer Adrienne Elisha (1958-2017). The works that comprise the album are technically demanding and rich in philosophical significance. Anthelion, for one, is a sonic contemplation of a natural phenomenon in which the sun’s light is projected across the sky, reflecting itself on the opposite horizon. The two-movement work, scored for flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello, percussion, and piano, expresses moments of “sonic abstraction” and continuous reverberation by way of unique instrumental timbres. In TranscenDance, on the other hand, Elisha makes a humanistic statement about the Syrian civil war, borrowing joyful melodies from Arab music and reimagining them in an orchestral setting. In this way, the music of ANTHELION is at once abstract and deeply contextual, challenging yet ultimately transcendent.

  • Transfiguration

    Catalog #: NV6355

    Release Date: July 23, 2021

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Viola

    From online performances to benefit albums, musicians kept their art alive throughout the most dire days of the coronavirus pandemic. Among them are composer Stanley Grill and violist Brett Deubner, who collaborated via remote recording sessions to transform Grill’s multi-instrumental chamber pieces into an intimate collection of multilayered works for viola. The resulting album, TRANSFIGURATION, showcases a singular connection between composer and performer.

  • Mother Earth

    Catalog #: NV6351

    Release Date: June 25, 2021

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Piano
    Viola

    MOTHER EARTH, the new album from celebrated violist Brett Deubner with PARMA Recordings, reflects humanity’s search for meaning in the midst of loss and mortal frailty. Born out of the strife of 2020, MOTHER EARTH expresses the angst and hope of this deeply challenging period through the language of music. Chant-like meditations, cathartic outpourings, and even a call to arms for environmental justice are only a few of the themes explored in MOTHER EARTH.

  • Remember

    Catalog #: NV6338

    Release Date: March 12, 2021

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Piano
    Viola

    Stanley Grill’s REMEMBER is presented by Navona Records. Featuring viola and piano, these inventive works aptly demonstrate Grill’s unique style; rooted in his passion for medieval and Renaissance music, his compositions are as pioneering and contemporary as they are fundamentally traditional. Grill’s work focuses particularly on melody, modal harmonies, and contrapuntal, interweaving lines. The result is a musical experience greater than the sum of the instruments involved.

  • Piano Quartets 1 & 2

    Catalog #: NV6235

    Release Date: June 14, 2019

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Cello
    Piano
    Viola

    It’s almost hard to believe that Andrew Anderson hails from Australia, given how deeply rooted he seems to be in the European High-Romantic tradition. The first quartet in particular is profoundly reminiscent of the virtuoso chamber works of Dussek and Hummel, with a dash of Dvořák for good measure. And yet, its sound is decidedly modern. Not only is the work stunningly well-proportioned, it effortlessly adheres to the classical sonata form – not in a rigid, miniaturized way of imitation, but completely naturally, as if it could only exist in this way and no other.

  • Spectra II

    Catalog #: NV6188

    Release Date: October 12, 2018

    20th Century
    21st Century
    Chamber
    Solo Instrumental
    Piano
    Viola

    SPECTRA 2 unveils the works of six composers, each of whom tells a unique, memorable story. First up is Elizabeth R. Austin's B-A-C-HOMAGE, an intricately constructed tribute to the German Baroque composer. Based on Bach's name and his "Air on G" respectively, the first and second movement reflect upon the clarity of his work through the lens of Austin's decidedly modern tonal language.

  • Notes to Loved Ones

    Catalog #: NV6143

    Release Date: March 9, 2018

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Piano
    String Quartet
    Viola

    Up-and-coming composer Peter Dayton makes his Navona Records debut with the release of Notes to Loved Ones, an album of works for piano and strings. Dayton’s style of composition is heavily influenced by people with whom he is fascinated and their works of art.

  • The Sea Knows

    Catalog #: NV6111

    Release Date: July 14, 2017

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Solo Instrumental
    Cello
    Viola
    Violin

    Michael Kurek’s PARMA Recordings debut, THE SEA KNOWS, is a charming collection of works written with an emphasis on that which is beautiful and emotive. Composing in a tonal idiom reminiscent of the great melodists of the early 20th century, Kurek creates music that tugs at the heartstrings without ever pandering, that is rich in emotive content without feeling sugary. The works on THE SEA KNOWS plumb the depths of musical sensitivity and will appeal to anyone who listens to music seeking intimacy and an emotionally-grounded experience.

  • Shadowing

    Catalog #: NV6080

    Release Date: March 10, 2017

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Solo Instrumental
    Piano
    Viola
    Violin

    Navona Records proudly presents renowned composer Ruth Lomon’s SHADOWING, her debut album on the label. The release showcases her remarkable skill in writing for the piano, pushing the instrument’s timbre and color to its limits to create animated sound worlds such as those of the title work, Shadowing. Lomon writes of the colors in the piece: “’Shadowing’ means to have such a light touch, such a light tread, that one can move freely through the forest, observing without being observed… It is the equivalent of manifesting and then becoming like smoke, and then manifesting again…”