This New Music Friday, Navona, Ravello, and Big Round Records present albums that speak to the current state of our natural world, draw upon musical mainstays of the past, and reignite the conventions of classical music with modern approaches.
Dive in and discover new music from: Joseph Summer, David Colson, Jeffrey Derus, Choral Arts Initiative, Wesley Ferreira, and Berl Olswanger.
HAMLET
Joseph Summer
Composer Joseph Summer brings us to Elsinore with The Bard’s classic play in a new operatic setting complete with the lyric integrity of Shakespeare’s words in a contemporary musical arrangement. The celebrated revenge tragedy bursts with a new modern flair while keeping the spirit and riveting narrative of the original alive.
RISE
David Colson
On RISE: MUSIC IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY, composer David Colson employs conventional and innovative chamber combinations alike to express a wide array of emotional content. Drawing upon years of experience as a performer, conductor, and composer, his command over the music and ability to adapt is present on each piece.
FROM WILDERNESS
Jeffrey Derus, Choral Arts Initiative
Spanning landscapes from Mexico to Canada, the Pacific Crest Trail covers several thousand miles of natural beauty, a transformative journey captured in FROM WILDERNESS. A concert-length work and meditation, listeners will hear a wash of sounds that allow for introspective reflection on the sacredness of nature, profound text, and themselves.
INTO THE GREEN
Wesley Ferreira
On INTO THE GREEN, clarinetist Wesley Ferreira takes listeners on an aural journey through a world where digital and analog become one. Ferreira blends the instrument with industrial beats, atmospheric arpeggios, and reverberating effects, creating a seamless juxtaposition of computer-based composition and classical, folk, and world music.
THE BERL OLSWANGER SHOW
Berl Olswanger
THE BERL OLSWANGER SHOW transports listeners to stageside seats as pianist Berl Olswanger and his band plays a historic set of toe-tapping tunes. No matter the track, Olswanger’s presence is front and center, from his genre-blending skills and his technical chops at the piano to his ability to keep the band crisp and tight as they boogie through the set.