photo: pianist Elizabeth Loparits
2022 has come to a close, and while we’re already looking forward to a number of exciting productions on the horizon, there were a few sessions at the end of the year that truly felt like the cherry on top of it all. With that, here’s how the PARMA production team rounded out an outstanding year of music:
Recording begins for PARMA/Sphinx Project
The production team kicked off December’s sessions with the long-awaited recording of the first set of pieces selected in the PARMA/Sphinx Call for Scores for an upcoming album featuring cellist Thomas Mesa and pianist Michelle Cann, who were awarded a major Sphinx MPower grant last year.
Michelle Cann and Thomas Mesa during a recording session at Oktaven Audio in NY
The five works for cello and piano that were recorded will be released by PARMA’s GRAMMY® award winning Navona Records imprint in 2023. Created to raise the voices of musicians from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in classical music, the project features the works of five modern composers:
Productions with Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava
In the Czech Republic, productions were underway with Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, who were gearing up to record composer Lawrence Mumford’s Sacrifice, the third piece in a series of two previously recorded works: Adagio: Of Times and Seasons and Hope and a Future. The team also captured composer Matthew Hetz’s Concerto for Flute, Celesta, and Chamber Orchestra with the JFO, which featured flutist Dieter Flury and pianist Lucie Kaucká, who played celesta during the session.
New Music with Immersive Audio
Back in the United States, the production team synced up with composer Meira Warshuaer in South Carolina to record her piece, Ocean Calling. Featuring pianists Phillip Bush & Elizabeth Loparits, the work was captured at the University of South Carolina School of Music Recital Hall. The recording is currently being mixed in Dolby Atmos immersive audio by GRAMMY® award-winning PARMA producer Brad Michel, and will be available to stream in traditional stereo and Dolby Atmos formats upon release.
Pianists Phillip Bush & Elizabeth Loparits during a recording session in SC
Shalin Liu Chamber Sessions
Shortly after, the production team set up shop in Rockport MA’s Shalin Liu Performance Center to record new music by composer Edward Messerschmidt. Arranged for euphonium and piano, the piece, titled If, featured euphonium player Alex Avilla and pianist Julia Scott Carey. With the premiere recording of Leonard Bernstein’s Music for String Quartet and more slated for 2023, we’re looking forward to another year of exceptional music. In the meantime, check out our library of production recaps from past to present here:
