• String Quartets

    Catalog #: NV5855

    Release Date: July 1, 2011

    21st Century
    Chamber
    String Quartet
    Viola
    Violin

    Richmond-based composer Elliott Miles McKinley's STRING QUARTETS features three of the composer's string quartets, commissioned by the Martinu String Quartet from Prague. These works span the first decade of the 21st century and show a progression of McKinley's compositional skill, marking him as an innovative composer early in the new millennium.

  • Sea of Reeds

    Catalog #: NV5979

    Release Date: November 11, 2014

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Clarinet
    Piano
    Viola

    The clarinet is an essential voice in many genres, from classical and jazz to klezmer and world music, and composer Gerald Cohen calls it one of his favorite instruments: "I love the clarinet for its wide variety of character and dynamics, and its ability to either blend beautifully with other instruments or to stand out in a crowd." Through this affinity, the composer offers new compositions featuring the clarinet in various trio settings on his debut Navona Records release, SEA OF REEDS.

  • Feral Icons

    Catalog #: NV6008

    Release Date: September 11, 2015

    21st Century
    Solo Instrumental
    Viola

    Capturing the viola's rich and haunting quality, composer Peter Vukmirovic Stevens' second release on Navona Records, FERAL ICONS, is a suite of six works for solo viola performed by the extraordinary violist Mara Gearman of Seattle Symphony. The album embodies the raw and expressive energy of Stevens' impassioned compositional style, inviting the listener on an emotional narrative.

  • Circle of Friends

    Catalog #: NV6014

    Release Date: November 13, 2015

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Piano Trio
    Viola

    Trailblazer.  Advocate.  Innovator.  All of these descriptors apply to Grammy Award-winner Libby Larsen, but at the core is the most important title of all:  Artist.  As the first woman to serve as a resident composer with a major orchestra and one of the most performed and prolific composers of our time (she has over 500 works in her catalog, including 15 operas), Larsen has established a permanent place in the annals of American concert music.

  • Pièces De Concours

    Catalog #: NV6065

    Release Date: November 18, 2016

    Romantic
    Chamber
    Piano
    Viola

    Violist Jutta Puchhammer’s album PIÈCES DE CONCOURS POUR is a treasure trove of late romantic French viola music. Originating as exam compositions for students enrolled at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris from 1896-1938, this album demonstrates Puchhammer’s peerless virtuosity as a performer, as well as the expressive range of her instrument, which was largely dismissed by the mainstream of eighteenth and nineteenth century composers.

  • 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…”

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Currents in Time

    Catalog #: NV6443

    Release Date: July 8, 2022

    21st Century
    Solo Instrumental
    Vocal Music
    Piano
    Viola
    Voice

    There are great singers, and then there are great singers who break the mold, pushing both the musical and organizational boundaries of their craft. American mezzo-soprano Megan Ihnen impressively demonstrates her affiliation with the latter group on CURRENTS IN TIME, once more employing her formidable talents as both a 21st-century vocalist and impresaria to shine a light on a varied array of contemporary composers.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.