• Kaleidoscope

    Catalog #: NV6494

    Release Date: February 3, 2023

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Orchestral
    Orchestra
    Piano
    String Quartet

    Life can sometimes seem like an infinity mirror of colors reflecting off of themselves, each tint deeply distinct in its own right, yet profoundly beautiful when viewed as a whole. This sentiment is thoughtfully expressed in KALEIDOSCOPE from composer Craig Morris and Navona Records. Morris’s compositional strengths are far-reaching and dynamic, and aptly showcased here with orchestral and chamber works written in a variety of orchestrations. Sentiments of gentle reflections, care and acceptance, and love are echoed throughout this release, a cohesive collection of works written from powerful emotions that tie into the kaleidoscope that is the human experience.

  • Tomáš Svoboda: Premiere Recordings

    Catalog #: NV6490

    Release Date: January 13, 2023

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Orchestra

    Navona Records and the Portland Youth Philharmonic are proud to present TOMÁŠ SVOBODA: PREMIERE RECORDINGS, an album bringing four works from composer Tomáš Svoboda to life. Since 1924, the Portland Youth Philharmonic has provided young musicians in Portland OR with a challenging opportunity to explore their creativity while receiving the highest quality musical education. Through this album, the ensemble further upholds their mission statement with these dexterous works including two premiere recordings, Svoboda’s Folk Concertino for 7 instruments and Variations for Violin and String Orchestra.

  • Looking Back, Moving On

    Catalog #: NV6487

    Release Date: January 13, 2023

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Orchestra

    Contemporary symphonic music tends to fall into either one of two categories: hopelessly cerebral concert hall material that is difficult (if not impossible) to understand – or background music for motion pictures. Neither classification would be much to the liking of New York native Anthony Iannaccone, who sets out to prove that one can have the best of both worlds on LOOKING BACK, MOVING ON. Both his third and fourth symphonies make a strong case: spirited, organically structured, and imaginative, they are formidable displays of American verve. The Concertante for Clarinet and Orchestra, more subtle but no less energetic, drives home the point.

  • Inviting Worlds Vol 3

    Catalog #: NV6482

    Release Date: December 9, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Orchestra

    INVITING WORLDS VOL 3 offers a fresh look into the Navona Records series with a new roster of modern composers. Building on the canon of orchestral works presented thus far, this edition of the series features works inspired by historic poetry, iconic stories, and memories, tied together and brought to life by the raw power of today’s ensembles. From whimsical and uplifting passages to deep stirring nostalgia, the works featured on INVITING WORLDS VOL 3 are unrelenting in their emotive qualities.

  • Hedgehog’s Home

    Catalog #: NV6461

    Release Date: November 11, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Orchestra

    Navona Records presents HEDGEHOG'S HOME, a classic tale centered on the importance of caring for our natural habitat. Based on the original children’s story by Bosnian Serb author Branko Ćopić, this adaptation for the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra was originally premiered in September 2019 at Zagreb’s Vatroslav Lisinski Hall under the baton of then maestro David Danzmayr. A time-tested narrative in an all new form, this presentation of Hedgehog’s Home serves as a gentle and artistically driven reminder not to take our respective abodes for granted.

  • NV6472 DASHING VOL. 3

    Dashing Vol. 3

    Catalog #: NV6472

    Release Date: November 4, 2022

    21st Century
    Folk Music
    Holiday
    Orchestral
    Vocal Music
    Choir
    Orchestra
    Voice

    Navona Records presents DASHING VOL. 3, a festive assortment of new works inspired by the signature sounds and staples of the holiday season. Comprising stories, nods to classic holiday tunes, and an underlying current of wistful nostalgia, this installment of the DASHING series keeps the spirit of holiday music alive with new compositions and arrangements of well-known favorites. Brought to life by a number of orchestras, chamber ensembles, and choirs, the works of new and returning composers to the series are sure to ignite the charm and congeniality of the holiday season, highlighting the many facets that the bright break of winter can bring.

  • Sparks: Eye of London

    Catalog #: NV6454

    Release Date: October 28, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Orchestra

    Navona Records presents SPARKS: THE EYE OF LONDON, an assembly of original fanfares performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Drawing from the compositional strengths of today’s composers, the orchestra navigates chaos and order, isolation, and ascension towards triumph through passionate orchestral writing reminiscent of the fire that burns within us. A collection spanning thought-provoking narratives, scenic synesthesia, soothing passages, and the whimsically abstract, the London Symphony Orchestra explores a vast musical landscape of emotions, tackling each with precision and verve.

  • Symphony No. 2: Tales from the Realm of Faerie

    Catalog #: NV6458

    Release Date: October 14, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Orchestra

    Navona Records presents Michael Kurek’s SYMPHONY NO. 2: TALES FROM THE REALM OF FAERIE, a rich musical tapestry intertwining the colors and characteristics of many fantastical worlds the composer has entered and loved. Performed by the European Recording Orchestra, a certain spirit of unspoiled beauty, innocence, nobility, hope, and heroic goodness stretches across four movements, each giving the listener creative control of the worlds they conjure. With a well-balanced lineage of traditional compositional techniques running throughout his symphony and other works for choir to follow, Kurek presents a dynamic assortment of work that keeps the spirit and heritage of classical music alive.

  • All American Bass

    Catalog #: NV6464

    Release Date: September 23, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Double Bass
    Orchestra

    A champion of repertoire and lauded by the New York Times as a virtuoso, double bassist Richard Fredrickson brings his instrument to the forefront on ALL AMERICAN BASS, an album of works composed specifically for him. Joining the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor Kirk Trevor, Fredrickson flawlessly navigates the works by Vittorio Giannini, John Carbon, and William Thomas McKinley. From Giannini’s darkly profound and agitated Psalm 130 to Carbon’s Endangered Species, which portrays the double bass as a wild and powerful beast that gracefully reins itself in, to McKinley’s modern, somber-then-lively Passacaglia, Fredrickson’s command of tone and melody creates an unforgettable recording and serves as an encapsulation of the instrument’s potential.

  • Source Ground

    Catalog #: NV6452

    Release Date: September 23, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Solo Instrumental
    Orchestra
    Organ
    Piano

    On SOURCE GROUND, Hans Bakker’s second full-length release on Navona Records, the composer once again probes music’s ability to, as Leonard Bernstein said, “name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.” Rhythmically rigorous pieces for solo piano, organ works that fill every nook and cranny of the aural spectrum, powerful orchestral works, and pieces for the rare and haunting lame-sonore draw listeners towards a sense of infinite oneness connected by music.

  • Miniature Symphonies

    Catalog #: NV6447

    Release Date: August 26, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Orchestra

    The term "symphony" automatically evokes grandiosity in all aspects – a large-scale orchestra, great compositional complexity and considerable playing time. Orlando Cela and his Lowell Chamber Orchestra turn this idea on its head with MINIATURE SYMPHONIES, an enticing selection of short and snappy sinfoniettas for chamber orchestra.

  • Symphony No. 1 “Reminiscence”

    Catalog #: NV6441

    Release Date: August 26, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Orchestra

    Peter Drew’s SYMPHONY NO. 1 "REMINISCENCE" is a pastiche of sorts; it gathers up the musical moments that have touched the composer throughout his life. These musical reminiscences recall his excitement as a very young boy, listening to the works of the great western composers through the speaker of a portable radio, and musically encapsulate his discovery of jazz and popular music. The symphony eventually carries listeners well beyond the shores of America to Africa, Australia, Brazil, throughout Europe, India, and Mongolia. Those who follow Drew along this symphonic journey are sure to reap the rewards of the composer’s lifelong dedication to music in all its forms.

  • American Scenes

    Catalog #: NV6446

    Release Date: August 12, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Wind Ensemble

    AMERICAN SCENES, from composer Samuel A. Livingston is, as its title suggests, a painterly tribute to America. The album’s title piece, Three American Scenes, is a three-movement suite that expresses the grandeur of the American west, the serenity of a mountain lake at dawn, and the bustle of a busy day in a large city. The album opens with Celebrating the Fourth, which depicts an American Fourth of July celebration. The final two selections feature works for concert band with a solo instrument – the flute, in Silvertube Variations, and the clarinet, in Balkan Dance. In that last selection, Livingston turns his attention beyond our shores, to the harmonies and rhythms of the folk music of the Balkan countries, especially Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Altogether, AMERICAN SCENES is thoughtfully-crafted and unabashedly jubilant, expressing appreciation for America and the world beyond with refreshing sincerity.

  • Inviting Worlds Vol 2

    Catalog #: NV6445

    Release Date: August 12, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Large Ensemble
    Orchestra

    Hot on the heels of its first edition, INVITING WORLDS VOL 2 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor with the rhythmic dexterity and textural nuance of today’s orchestras paired with a new roster of composers. New sounds and expressions burst with emotion and uplift us through dark days, navigating uncertainty and delivering us to tranquil resolution. From the frenetic energy and hair raising harmony of Chasse Noir to the soothing solemnity of When Quiet Comes, INVITING WORLDS VOL 2 delivers a colorful palette of orchestral virtuosity sure to please any listener who lends an ear.

  • Inviting Worlds

    Catalog #: NV6435

    Release Date: July 22, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Large Ensemble

    From the mysterious magic of our darkest corners to the exuberant atmosphere of Carnaval, infinite possibilities lay within INVITING WORLDS from Navona Records. The musical dimensions of several composers are explored by the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, Zagreb Festival Orchestra, and the National Moravian-Silesian Theater Choir in this dynamic journey, offering insight into new realms through imaginative approaches to composition. Even in far away lands, close-to-home concepts are explored in thought-provoking soundscapes, showcasing the rhythmic dexterity and textural nuance of today’s orchestras across a wide breadth of compositional styles.

  • Symphonic Suite No. 3

    Catalog #: NV6436

    Release Date: July 8, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Orchestra

    Australian composer Mark John McEncroe and Navona Records present SYMPHONIC SUITE NO. 3: THE FOREST AND THE MOUNTAINS featuring three orchestral movements that draw inspiration from the natural world—”Meandering in the Forest I,” “Running Mountain Streams II,” and “Wandering in the Mountain Wilderness III.” Brought to life by Zagreb Festival Orchestra, McEncroe’s unique voice and filmic quality flow throughout, with musical illustrations painted by striking crescendos and gentle string and woodwind melodies.

  • Passages

    Catalog #: NV6427

    Release Date: May 27, 2022

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Orchestral
    Orchestra
    Piano
    Voice

    Composer Michael Murray’s album PASSAGES brings the words of iconic 19th and 20th century poets to life through stirring music for solo soprano and instruments. Murray has selected poetry from the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson, William Butler Yeats, William Wordsworth, John Keats, and Walt Whitman, with poems detailing childhood adventure, hope, and tragedy. Celebrated soprano Genevieve Fulks performs throughout; most of the music heard on the album was written specifically with her voice in mind. Murray’s music has been lauded for its meticulously crafted yet ultimately approachable style. Through familiar themes and time-honored poetry, Murray invites listeners to engage with, and even be challenged by, this collection of thoughtful compositions.

  • Voices of the Night

    Catalog #: NV6425

    Release Date: May 13, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Orchestra

    With VOICES OF NIGHT, composer Richard E Brown introduces a formidable set of works to American orchestral repertoire. His lush orchestration gives his works depth and texture, while individual instruments cut through to create musical narratives that whisk listeners through lyrical passages and dancelike rhythms. While his pieces thrive on the suspenseful and dramatic, they are by no means a pure emotional onslaught—for every build and crescendo, Brown returns to calmness and simplicity. His ability to wrest control of the orchestra from rafter-shaking crests to gentle melodies provides each piece with breathing room, making them all the more powerful.

  • Music From Torrens Road

    Catalog #: NV6420

    Release Date: April 8, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral

    New Zealand native Eric Biddington (*1953) charms with a delightful selection of neoclassical orchestral pieces on MUSIC FROM TORRENS ROAD, delighting the ear with an exuberant blend of levity, catchiness, and joie de vivre. Biddington's musical education was initially cut short by illness, and despite his latter resumption (and conclusion) of formal study, his music preserves exactly the refreshing kind of naturalness and indomitable verve which is all too often squashed by so-called institutions. A blessing, not just for Biddington, but especially for his listeners: These well-crafted, profoundly melodic and musical pieces prove that in order to be complex, music doesn't have to be complicated; quite the contrary, artistic profundity and aesthetic appeal can very well go hand in hand.

  • Oerbos

    Catalog #: NV6381

    Release Date: April 8, 2022

    21st Century
    Orchestral
    Solo Instrumental
    Orchestra
    Piano

    A primeval forest, unaltered by man and teeming with natural greens and ancient oaks, and its power struggle between chaos and order is unearthed in OERBOS from composer Peter Greve. His third volume of all original compositions, the composer offers a wide variety of works for solo, chamber, choral, and orchestral performers, along with a riveting narrative of forest life in the album's titular symphonic poem. Join the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava as they guide you through a turbulent passage of music, beginning with a calm sunrise and ending with an ode to the unity of mankind and nature, a celebratory movement after a ravaging storm.