February 21, 2025 New Releases from Navona, Big Round, and Albany Records

MOZART COMPLETE SONATAS AND VARIATIONS by Christina Petrowska Quilico and violinist Jacques Israelievitch on Navona Records honors the tenth anniversary of Israelievitch’s death. While enduring late-stage cancer, he rallied his strength to finish these recordings just months before he passed away. These performances are a proud entry in Israelievitch’s and Petrowska Quilico’s recorded catalogs and stand as a powerful testament to the human spirit.

Pianist Gerry Bryant returns to Navona Records with THE COMPOSERS VOLUME 2, the long awaited second installment in a series dedicated to amplifying the voices of underrepresented Black classical composers. Bryant breathes fresh air into compositions by Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, Betty Jackson King, L. Viola Kinney, Nathaniel Dett, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor in this release.

Kevin Wilt’s TAVERN MUSIC is an evocative collection of chamber works performed by pianist Irena Kofman and the Amernet String Quartet. Wilt’s compositions employ vivid musical color and texture across a variety of styles. The title piece draws on Celtic and Gaelic traditions, blending classical technique with folk-inspired melodies; it emulates the sounds of a jam session in a local pub, with friends and their fiddles gathered around a table sharing a pint.

It’s a rare treat to hear exceptional recordings of double reed ensembles; no trio could know this better than bassoonist Kristin Wolfe Jensen, oboist Andrew Parker, and pianist Colette Valentine, who’ve accomplished a delightful performance on their new release, MARIE DE GRANDVAL’S GRAND TRIO. A popular composer in her day, de Grandval’s works are given a breath of fresh air, handled delicately in a collaboration with remarkable natural blend.

REGRESO AL AMOR from accordion virtuoso Anton Stachev celebrates the pioneering work and legacy of Astor Piazzolla. Featuring arrangements that combine accordion and string quartet, REGRESO AL AMOR is full of the passion and drama for which its namesake is immortally known.

Crossing folk music and modern serious music has a long tradition. American musical scholar Ketty Nez ventures a fresh take on this concept: Inspired by her own family’s heritage, she artfully blends folk music of Central Europe and Turkey with her own modern compositional language. The result is THROUGH THE LIGHT.