2024 brought forth a whirlwind of musical excellence in the classical community. We’re honored to have been a witness to so many inspired instances of artistry and, through it all, to see our family of artists grow exponentially.
Here are a few highlights from our 16th year in music that had an indelible impact on our team.
OCHRE from The Crossing and Navona Records Nominated for “Best Choral Performance” in the 67th Annual GRAMMY® Awards
In November, OCHRE, the July 2024 release from The Crossing and Navona Records, was nominated in the 67th Annual GRAMMY® Awards for “Best Choral Performance.”
Named Musical America’s 2024 Ensemble of The Year, The Crossing has released 35 albums over the course of its history, earning three previous GRAMMY® Awards for “Best Choral Performance” – most recently for Navona Records’ BORN — and multiple nominations.
The performances on OCHRE are both rigorous and supple, moving from the intriguing, foggy textures of George Lewis to Caroline Shaw’s primarily wordless, quiet contemplation of the Earth, to Ayanna Woods’ inspired determination to live in a better world.
This is The Crossing’s 13th release on Navona Records, and it is a special one.
PARMA Acquires Albany Records
Earlier in April, PARMA announced its acquisition of Albany Records, a cornerstone label in the classical music world for over 35 years.
“We are honored to welcome Albany Records into the PARMA family,” said PARMA CEO Bob Lord.
“Albany’s historical focus on excellence and innovation in the arts mirrors our own values at PARMA. We are committed to upholding Albany’s legacy, and to ensuring that their extraordinary catalog of classical music continues to reach new audiences.”
With a catalog of nearly 2,000 albums and counting and a rich legacy of musical excellence, Albany’s journey continues with us.
Explore the latest releases from Albany Records on the newly-designed label website.
In the Studio
From Boston to London, New York to Prague, Philadelphia to Scotland, the PARMA production team spent their year making cutting-edge classical music with the leading composers and performers of today in prestigious studios, historic concert halls, artistically-refreshed hideaways in the Czech countryside, and everywhere in between.
Follow our team around the world through PARMA’s Production Recap archive.
New Recording and Performance Opportunities for Classical Artists
A good portion of our time in the studio this year focused on the recording of works by contemporary composers that were submitted through our latest Featured Recording Opportunities, an ongoing series of initiatives to curate and promote new music for recording and performance with leading ensembles.
Explore our most recent Featured Recording and Performance Opportunity with the Juventas New Music Ensemble.
New Releases by PARMA Artists
This year, PARMA presented emotionally resonant, innovative, and engaging album releases from a variety of today’s leading composers and performers, all sharing a high level of excellence and spirit to carry on the celebrated tradition of classical music.
Explore the full lineup of classical music releases from our family of labels.
The Voice of Brubeck
What happens when two celebrated jazz quartets, a chamber orchestra comprised of Houston’s finest musicians, and a GRAMMY®-award winning choir take the stage to present the music of a legendary American artist?
Attendees of the Brubeck! A Celebration concert on June 1 witnessed the epic event, a one-of-a-kind tribute concert celebrating Dave Brubeck’s contributions to jazz and his explorations of new musical forms.
The subsequent album release from PARMA/Navona Records came just two months later in August, cementing this program and the legacy of the widely influential pianist and composer’s body of work so that future generations may enjoy his music for years to come.
New Website Designs
The PARMA web team has been hard at work in their efforts to construct custom websites for modern classical composers, performers, and creatives in support of their musical endeavors, and we’re pleased to share some recently-launched examples that showcase what a well-built website can do to amplify one’s artistry.
Through these new website designs, PARMA has put an emphasis on streamlining the process for live performances.
In author Dan Brown’s case, PARMA has unveiled several new avenues for a variety of ensembles to perform his classical production, Wild Symphony, through an updated score store on wildsymphony.com, now offering access to a full concert kit, performance portal, resources for educators, and broadened selection of orchestrations.
Putting Things in Motion
PARMA’s design team continues to push the envelope with custom animated album covers, providing an additional layer to the artistry, flair, and originality that permeate releases by PARMA artists.
New Video Productions
From in-studio performances to multimedia productions and documentary shorts on sessions with the London Symphony Orchestra, PARMA’s video team captured a spectrum of musical moments with our family of artists this year.
One may expect to spot a sea of musicians, microphones, and mixers in a standard recording session. If you attended a PARMA production this year, you might’ve found a few cameras in the picture as well.
From in-studio performances to multimedia presentations for visual albums and documentary shorts on sessions with the London Symphony Orchestra, PARMA’s video team captured a spectrum of musical moments.
Richard E Brown – Fire Dance (Live with the London Symphony)
Juliana Soltis – The Creation of AMERICAN WOMAN
Stuart Weber – MISSOURI BREAKS with Benda Quartet
Ferdinando DeSena – DECO SHUFFLE
Watch more video productions featuring PARMA artists and their music on our YouTube channel.
Live Performances
What makes live classical music so special? Perhaps it’s the natural acoustics, the robust, organic output of sound, or the joy of experiencing the creation of a celebrated art form with a room full of like-minded enthusiasts. One thing is certain — classical music was thriving and abundant in 2024, and will remain steadfast in its trajectory for 2025.
Fragments of Time and Rhythms of the Reed: New Video Concerts Featuring Music by PARMA Artists
PARMA Artists Live at Carnegie Hall
We’re pleased to have presented the classical music of several PARMA artists in New York City’s historic Carnegie Hall this year with live performances of RESURGENCE, THE WORKS OF CARL VOLLRATH.
Watch the full performance of composer Carl Vollrath’s Carnegie concert with Trio Casals, Heather Small, and Benjamin Crook on our YouTube channel.
Where in the World is Wild Symphony?
Wild Symphony from the New York Times bestselling author Dan Brown continued its globe-spinning romp around the world in 2024 with multiple leading international orchestras, from U.S. engagements to the great white north and beyond.
Author Dan Brown and Sistema New Brunswick Children’s Orchestra Take the Stage with Wild Symphony
From Seattle to Nashville, Toronto to Liechtenstein, and beyond, Brown’s orchestral portrait of the animal kingdom made positive impressions and impacts on a global scale.
With these concerts in the books and more on the horizon, we’re looking forward to future adventures with Maestro Mouse and The Cleveland Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, and more in 2025.
Award-winning PARMA Artists
We’re honored to see our artists honored, and this year many received recognition and awards in several international competitions. See the full lists of PARMA artists recognized in the 2024 American Prize and Global Music Awards.
In the News:
Browse our press log to see more reactions to PARMA, our releases, and our artists.
