As the flowers and foliage of our home turf in New Hampshire start to bloom this spring, so are new and ongoing recording projects with artists around the globe. Here’s a glimpse of this month’s sessions and future premieres.
Shakespearean Opera Production
Composer and Navona Records artist Joseph Summer teamed up with PARMA to record an operatic adaptation of Hamlet for a Shakespearean Concert Series. The project will premiere this June, and will be released as a three album set through PARMA. The project was recorded on the ground in Bulgaria and from a remote location back home, and is expected to release this winter.
Malta Philharmonic Orchestra
PARMA recorded five concerts this month for the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra for the InClassica International Music Festival. Held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, Malta, the concerts will be premiered over the course of late August through September.
Recording with Composer Michael Cohen
From left to right: Engineer Francis X. Schmidt, Fischer Duo cellist Norman Fischer, Composer Michael Cohen (on screen), Fischer Duo pianist Jeanne Kierman Fischer, and multi GRAMMY-award winning producer Judith Sherman
Two compositions by Composer Michael Cohen were captured this month with ensembles on opposite sides of the country. PARMA kicked off its recent sessions with Cohen at Oktaven Audio in New York to record Sirius Quartet’s performance of his “String Quartet 1959,” the collaboration arising from a Call for Scores opportunity earlier in May that highlighted new compositions and the exhilarating precision of Sirius Quartet. The Sirius Quartet was recently highlighted in one of PARMA’s Featured Recording Opportunities, an initiative that sources and facilitates the process of getting new compositions recorded and performed by the world’s top ensembles.
Fast forward to mid-May, the team was back with Cohen and Fischer Duo to record A Song for Silenced Voices at Stude Concert Hall in Houston TX. Consisting of strings and piano, the Fischer Duo has been performing classical repertoire together since 1971.
Both sessions were produced by 11-time GRAMMY Award-winner Judith Sherman.
Portland Symphony Orchestra Classics Series
PARMA continued its on-going project with Maine’s Portland Symphony Orchestra to record and produce content for their Classical Concert Series, allowing the ensemble to reach its audience in a meaningful way through quarantine and beyond. This specific installment, along with all previous concerts are available to watch via the PSO website.
Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra
Seven different works were recorded with the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra this month, each by different composers. The sessions took place at the Ostrava House of Culture in Czechia, where works by Richard E. Brown, Rain Worthington, Michael Wittgraff, Carl Vollrath, Liova Bueno, Peter Greve, and Sarah Wallin Huff were captured.
Sentimental works from Gary Belshaw
Composer Gary Belshaw had his music recorded this month, performed by Jessica Lizak on flute & piccolo, Sandra Mosteller on clarinet, and Richard Fountain on piano. The short composition was named after the pets of the performers for whom the piece was composed for.
Neighbor: Live from the Portsmouth Music Hall
Neighbor during a performance at The Music Hall in Portsmouth NH
PARMA set up shop in The Music Hall this month in Portsmouth NH to capture a performance by Neighbor, an unpredictable force in the jam scene revered by fans for their ambitious compositions and fervent approach to improvisation. In addition to audio recording, PARMA shot live streamed, multi-camera video for the performance. Tina Sawtelle, Executive Director and CEO of The Music Hall shared her thoughts on the experience.
“…our team was thrilled with the end product. We are onto something really special here. …I can’t wait for our next hybrid event!”
– Tina Sawtelle, Executive Director and CEO of The Music Hall
