Love Bade Me Welcome
Catalog #: NV6695
Release Date: January 10, 2025
21st CenturyVocal MusicChoirLOVE BADE ME WELCOME is a collection of choral music from composer J.A.C. Redford exploring spirituality, love, and the human experience. Blending traditional forms with contemporary harmonies and time-honored texts, Redford sets the poetry of Shakespeare, Gerard Manley Hopkins, George Herbert, and more. By employing distinctive gestures and a range of vocal timbres, the composer offers sensitive musical interpretations of each poem, from the serene resonance of The Singing Bowl to the Old Testament drama of Who Hears the Ocean Roaring in a Tree. In giving voice to these humanistic texts, LOVE BADE ME WELCOME is a compelling invitation to self-reflection.
Haewon Yang plays the Piano Works of Harry Bulow
Catalog #: NV6694
Release Date: January 10, 2025
20th Century21st CenturySolo InstrumentalPianoThe melting pot of American music has a rich history of bending and transforming genres, and Harry Bulow’s PIANO WORKS continues this tradition with expressively modern flair. Five pieces for piano explore the effects of time and play on compositions, showcasing how tweaks and changes to work over the years expose new elements, like a river carving through stone, revealing new layers of textures and vibrant colors. Bulow’s style draws from Copland, Beethoven, pop, jazz, and minimalism to create much more than an eclectic menagerie. PIANO WORKS thoughtfully captures a portrait of the composer’s catalog, spotlighting a fresh and vibrant sound honed by decades of experience and a serious knack for incorporating genre into new work.
First Symphonies – Premiere Recordings
Catalog #: NV6691
Release Date: December 13, 2024
21st CenturyOrchestralOrchestraThe Portland Youth Philharmonic debuts two new symphonies by acclaimed contemporary composers Lera Auerbach and Polina Nazaykinskaya on FIRST SYMPHONIES - PREMIERE RECORDINGS. Nazaykinskaya’s first symphony, April Song, exposes the tenacity of the human spirit, rich winter melodies blooming into the rumblings of a welcome spring storm as the overarching narrative depicts a triumphant rise from the ashes, defining the human experience. Defining and redefining is likewise no stranger to Auerbach, who encompasses both of these in Chimera, a symphony echoing themes and particularly adored motifs from her ballet The Little Mermaid. Chimera is a complex grafting of one idea onto the next, inspirations from Greek mythologies imposed onto a distinctly transformative sound. “Redefines” falls short of proper description. Auerbach reinvents, readjusts, rebuilds, and renews an entirely new musical existence.
Incantations
Catalog #: NV6690
Release Date: January 10, 2025
21st CenturyChamberString QuartetThe Sirius Quartet speaks past the veil in INCANTATIONS, a collection of nine works honoring memory, grief, and the aspect of loss as it appears in our interpersonal and social relationships. The music of INCANTATIONS is a speaking vessel to concentrate the profound loss experienced at the individual and communal level in recent decades into a great beyond, a release of grief for its composers, performers, and listeners alike. Exploring grief as it exists in political, cultural, and familial spaces, the Sirius Quartet commentates on the loss of loved ones as eloquently as it commentates on the loss of shared humanity in the great American political divide, or the devastating loss afflicted by unnecessary war. Pulling from various cultural diasporas, INCANTATIONS teaches a lesson in the universal language of loss, and the unique and beautiful ways we respond and adapt to it.
Symphonic Stradivarius
Catalog #: NV6688
Release Date: January 10, 2025
21st CenturyConcertosOrchestralOrchestraViolinNavona Records is pleased to present SYMPHONIC STRADIVARIUS, featuring decorated violinist Davide Alogna and the esteemed London Symphony Orchestra. Several contemporary composers assemble in this release to showcase the diverse influences and creative capabilities of modern classical composition. Recorded at the historic LSO St. Lukes, this repertoire offers musical insight into the environmental aspects of our world, all united by a world class ensemble, celebrated soloist, and an instrument that has been passed down through centuries of lauded performers: a “1690s ‘Stevens’ Stradivari” belonging to the very first group of red varnished Violins ever made.
Changing
Catalog #: NV6686
Release Date: November 8, 2024
20th Century21st CenturyRenaissanceVocal MusicChoirChoral Chameleon, under the direction of Vince Peterson, explores the concept of change as a fundamental aspect of our existence on CHANGING from Navona Records. The texts and poems in this release delve into change as something that is inevitable and cyclical, to be actively embraced and critically examined in how it transforms our experiences, identities, and worldviews. CHANGING encourages listeners to move forward together with joyful anticipation of what is to come — not only with willingness, but with courage and evergreen determination.
Sonata for Flute and Piano
Catalog #: NV6685
Release Date: December 6, 2024
21st CenturyChamberFlutePianoSONATA FOR FLUTE AND PIANO by Timothy Schmalz is a vibrant and eclectic three-movement piece. This technically-demanding sonata incorporates a wide range of musical styles, inspired by Schmalz’s years spent studying works from the classical and pre-Romantic periods as well as the 20th and 21st centuries. The musical vernacular of the work is at once daring and playful, with the final movement representing a full “dream cycle.” Likened to a “musical children’s book” by the composer, this piece — Schmalz’s first foray into sonatas for small chamber ensembles — invites listeners young and old into the realm of imagination.
Any of Those Decembers
Catalog #: NV6684
Release Date: December 13, 2024
21st CenturyHolidayVocal MusicFluteString QuartetBlending vocal and orchestral elements across several movements, cantatas are notoriously difficult to compose. Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg has accepted the challenge with ANY OF THOSE DECEMBERS, setting poems by Jeanne Minahan to music. The result is intimate, aesthetic, and wistful — a tender embrace of lyrics and sound. Scored for four solo singers with varying accompaniments, ANY OF THOSE DECEMBERS impresses on multiple fronts. But it isn't due to the excellent source material alone: the master performers in Lyric Fest bring both the lyrics and the composition to life. A wonderful collaboration, in which the whole is even greater than the sum of its parts, Wenzelberg’s work is “a cantata to make memories sing.”
Red Square
Catalog #: NV6683
Release Date: December 6, 2024
21st CenturyOrchestralOrchestraThe concept of color has influenced several of popular music’s most memorable melodies — from Sinatra’s Blue Moon to Prince’s Purple Rain, and Kermit’s It's Not Easy Being Green. Enter composer J.A. Kawarsky, who throws his hat in the ring with RED SQUARE, a jubilant union of original musical ideas with hints of popular music references sprinkled throughout, and no shortage of twists and turns. Kawarsky challenges listeners to identify which compositional quotes may have derived their placements from the color red with this short and snappy symphonic work, performed in this Navona Records release by the acclaimed London Symphony Orchestra.
Life’s Sweet Shadows
Catalog #: NV6682
Release Date: November 15, 2024
21st CenturyVocal MusicVoiceCelebrated soprano Ellaina Lewis honors composer Richard Thompson's art song oeuvre in LIFE'S SWEET SHADOWS, a recording created in collaboration with masterful sound designer Joe Williams. Immersed in the rich text of Paul Laurence Dunbar and Langston Hughes, Lewis gives a profoundly emotional performance, her rich timbre pronouncing the story within each song and elevating the complexities of Thompson's compositional style. Lewis shines in each expression, proving equal beauty in the musings of One Life as the joyful call of Passion. Lovingly brought to fruition with the help of many supporters, including the encouragement of pianist Kim Davenport, LIFE'S SWEET SHADOWS is a triumph in art song.
Shifting Direction
Catalog #: NV6681
Release Date: November 15, 2024
21st CenturyChamberClarinetFluteViolinA resilient voice for new music, Eric Allen conducts the Texas Tech University Contemporary Music Ensemble in SHIFTING DIRECTION, a collection of three works by composers Joan Tower, Jennifer Jolley, and Jennifer Higdon. Elevated by Allen's precise conducting and careful attention to detail, SHIFTING DIRECTION provides three unique listening directions for contemporary music enjoyers to delight in. In Petroushskates, Tower paints an image of a carnival on ice, a whirling winter affair inspired by the thematic material of Stravinsky's Petrushka as it appears in the opening Shrovetide fair sequence. Weaving and flowing, the music creates the graceful effect of seeing a figure skating routine. Jolley's Blue Glacier Decoy pays tribute to the path of modern dancer and choreographer Trisha Brown, who revered the glacier and incorporated its landscape and movement into her work. SHIFTING DIRECTION closes with a bang — or rather, a zap — with Higdon's Zaka, a word which is defined as doing the following at great speed: zap, sock, race, turn, drop, sprint. The ensemble moves at an electric pace to capture the essence of the term.
Hope Eats You Alive
Catalog #: NV6679
Release Date: December 13, 2024
21st CenturyVocal MusicChoirTitled for composer Scott Gendel’s setting of forensic scientist Lori Baker’s spoken grief for those lost at the Mexican-American border, HOPE EATS YOU ALIVE, recorded by the Madison Choral Project, loudly proclaims: “something has to be done.” The graphic and heart-breaking story of Baker’s mission to identify the bodies buried in shallow graves at the border reveals several issues at the center of the immigration debate. Gendel book-ends with the words of Chris van Dyke, who questions if the lines we’ve drawn between each other are worth the lives they’ve taken. HOPE EATS YOU ALIVE includes recordings of four more works by Gendel, some humorous, some warm, some contemplative, but each evoking a common message: love is worth hoping for, even if it eats at you, even if it takes you alive, and loving one another is something we must do as often as possible.
Mythology Suite
Catalog #: NV6678
Release Date: December 6, 2024
20th Century21st CenturyOrchestralWind EnsembleMYTHOLOGY SUITE from the acclaimed Nevada Wind Ensemble is a chronological cross-section through the ensemble's highly diverse repertoire: vibrant, unapologetically modern, a determined confluence of 20th century serious music and contemporary 21st-century composition. It's rare to hear a wind ensemble soaring to such lofty heights as under the baton of Reed Chamberlin, who commands the ensemble exceptionally well in this Navona Records release.
Denmark Vesey
Catalog #: NV6676
Release Date: November 8, 2024
21st CenturyChamberString QuartetComposer Thomas Cabaniss and the Charleston Symphony String Quartet bring a new and exquisite recording of Cabaniss's third, fourth, and sixth string quartets to Navona Records. A complementary record to the previously released FOUR ELEMENTS, DENMARK VESEY completes Cabaniss's six-quartet series. Bearing endless musical complexities masked in an air of exquisite melodic simplicity, the Charleston Symphony String Quartet effectively captures the evolving story between each movement and each quartet. Just as easily as they lean into the melancholy lines of the sixth, whose narrative tells the viscerally emotional story of Denmark Vesey, a slave revolt leader, they capture the harsh futuristic elements of the fourth and the flowing dance movements of the third. No doubt, DENMARK VESEY again proves Cabaniss to be a composer of wide variety, a collaboration that cements his legacy in the string ensemble genre.
Meciendo
Catalog #: NV6675
Release Date: October 25, 2024
21st CenturyVocal MusicChoirThe multi-GRAMMY® award winning ensemble The Crossing, led by Donald Nally, delivers an enthralling program of contemporary choral compositions with MECIENDO from Navona Records. New works from six composers unknown to one another and yet wondrously aligned; their music weaves together seamlessly, even mystically, into a meaningful story of spirituality and interconnectedness. Warmth and sparkle alternate effortlessly in the choral textures created by this renowned ensemble, enveloping listeners in a sound that travels from the closed arms of a loved one to the stars above. Available in stereo and Dolby Atmos immersive audio formats, MECIENDO blends the intimate and the profound in an awe-inducing performance.
Gustav Hoyer: Symphony No. 1
Catalog #: NV6674
Release Date: October 25, 2024
21st CenturyOrchestralOrchestraEmerging from Gustav Hoyer’s innate desire to push the boundaries of his personal musicality, SYMPHONY NO. 1 is the cumulation of a lifetime of affectionate study of orchestral craft. Mirroring Hoyer’s own musical passage from then to now, and commenting on the strange, uncertain state of our world following a pandemic, Symphony No. 1 dances a path of regaining hope in the face of anxiety and strife. Vast instrumentation conveys tense uncertainty and glorious resurrection in a shattering finale that ensures Hoyer’s first symphony will be regarded as a triumph for the composer and an unforgettable experience for listeners.
Second Nature
Catalog #: NV6672
Release Date: November 8, 2024
21st CenturyChamberBrass EnsembleAs a musical ensemble and non-profit organization, Calliope Brass flourishes in its joint mission of cultivating both entertainment and education. And with the freshly-commissioned contemporary works on SECOND NATURE, this vibrant ensemble proves that innovation lies at the very core of its existence. Leaning heavily into tailor-made commissions can be an artistic gamble for any musical group, but in this case it pays off. The compositions’ motives are diverse in their representations of nature — meditations on mushrooms, Greek mythology, and modern dating, to name a few — but the performance given by Calliope Brass is one thing only: comprehensively flawless.
Dashing Vol. 5
Catalog #: NV6671
Release Date: November 15, 2024
21st CenturyHolidayChoirHarpOrchestraOn the hunt for a flurry of contemporary classical works to soundtrack your holiday season? Look no further than DASHING VOL. 5 from Navona Records. This installment of the series unwraps the spirited, uplifting, and grandiose qualities of classical holiday music, exploring new interpretations of mainstay melodies, sonic interpretations of snowfall, delicate carols, and more. Featuring an array of instrumental and vocal music from several lauded composers and performers, DASHING VOL. 5 serves as a cheerful reminder that music may be the greatest gift of all.
Ink Traces
Catalog #: NV6670
Release Date: October 4, 2024
21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalPianoViolinInspiring curiosity, cultural interaction, and deep listening, INK TRACES reflects violinist Julia Glenn’s 15-year journey exploring Chinese culture and interactions between Chinese language and music, fueled by frequent trips and three years living in China. This Navona Records release reflects a greater interdisciplinary approach seen in Chinese arts - one that blends poetry, dance, painting, calligraphy, and music and shows fascinating interchanges between gesture and sound. The title, inspired in part by Pan Kai's Ink Traces of Sigh for solo violin, is a nod to such interplay. The album explores three threads: probing the musical-linguistic play possible in the music of Chinese speakers, broadening perspectives on Chinese music, and fostering cultural dialogue between China and the United States. It features works by Chinese and Chinese-speaking composers, stretching traditional Western musical boundaries to create rich, imaginative soundscapes and processes.
Horizon
Catalog #: NV6669
Release Date: October 25, 2024
21st CenturyVocal MusicChoirPianoVoiceIf one could have recorded an ancient culture, how would it have sounded? Croatian conductor Antoaneta Radočaj-Jerković and two all-female choirs under her lead pursue this question. The result is HORIZON, a haunting performance of the eponymous work by contemporary composer Dalibor Bukvić. HORIZON is meant to evoke the ambiance of the prehistoric Vučedol culture, which flourished between 3000 and 2200 B.C. in what is now (mostly) Croatia. And in this endeavor, it succeeds with unsettling precision: Bukvić's work and the choirs' impeccable performance conjure images of hermetic settlements, starry skies, pagan rituals, and an ever-present consciousness of impending extinction. An ethereal experience.