photo: Belfiato Quintet
What does the PARMA production team need to produce a music video? Two artificial sun lamps, several hundred meters of fresh-picked foliage, smoke machines, and some of the best performers in Europe should cover the bases. Dive in to see how the team used each to create a striking visual production, and how they filled the rest of August with recording sessions around the world.
Orchestral Sessions with the Moravian Philharmonic
The production team kicked off this month’s recording endeavors in Olomouc with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra to work with new music by composer’s Matthew Busse and Joseph Santo. After capturing Busse’s Idyll with violin soloist Patrik Sedlář, the ensemble pivoted to work on Santo’s Život v Pravdě, a piece based on the famous speech delivered in Washington DC by former Czech president Václav Havel.
In addition to the MFO’s performance, the recorded piece will feature highlights from the president’s address. The piece will receive its Czech premiere in October 2026 in celebration of Havel’s 90th birthday.
Atmos Recording with Sirius Quartet
Sessions continued later in the month at Oktaven Audio in Mount Vernon NY with several frequent flyers in the PARMA world. The team met up with composers John Rommereim and John A. Carollo, whose works were recorded by Sirius Quartet. Carollo’s piece, selected from our recent Featured Recording Opportunity for String Quartet.
“This new recording is very special to me,” said Carollo following the recording of his String Quartet No. 3. “This quartet played my music with great beauty and nuance… I will always treasure this one.”
Carollo’s piece will be released in stereo and Dolby Atmos on an upcoming compilation album from Navona Records.
Check out our open Featured Recording Opportunities here.
Visual Productions with Belfiato Quintet
Productions concluded on the property of a restored castle in the heart of the Czech countryside. Bathed in neon pink glow, artificial sun lights, and tucked away in a barn turned contemporary art gallery in the Czech Republic’s historic Chateau Třebešice, the celebrated Belfiato Quintet donned outfits classy and colorful in preparation for the video shoot for their upcoming visual album on Navona Records.
Belfiato Quintet and production crew posing after their session
Kateřina Javůrková, Jan Hudeček, and Jiří Javůrek during filming
Belfiato Quintet perform at the Chateau Třebešice
With recording of both the audio and visual components complete, the coming album from Navona Records is slated for release in 2025.
Check out our recent visual album with Benda Quartet, QUADRANTS VOL. 5, here.
QUADRANTS VOL. 5
Navona Records, 2024
This Navona Records release is also available as a visual album, filmed at the historic Dul Michal mine in Ostrava, CZ. Eloquent, precise, and hypnotic, QUADRANTS VOL. 5 is a crystal-clear reflection of the musical and technical heights of the string quartet genre.
The Works of Carl Vollrath — Video from Carnegie Hall
At the end of the month, PARMA released footage from the recent performance of works by Carl Vollrath at Carnegie Hall. This program features a variety of colorful chamber works from Vollrath’s oeuvre, from his flute and piano sonatas to his widely-performed The Glass Of Absinthe, the world premiere of his Ravel Revival, and more, each in the masterful hands of the critically acclaimed Trio Casals, flutist Heather Small, and pianist Benjamin Crook.
Watch the full production here.
