Emerson Voss - WINDOWS  Film Installation Voss achieves the goal of his art, and is able to precisely constrain the observer in a world of wonderous stupor. Emerson Voss is a young composer and video artist based out of Pittsburgh. His recent film installation, WINDOWS , premiered in mid-October at the Irma Freeman Center for Imagination . WINDOWS  consisted of a room containing three large, synchronized video projections of Voss' own windows in his living room overlooking Squirrel Hill. Stephen Wuchina, the actor present in the film, also performed live in the room during the original presentation. The projections, along with Voss' audio accompaniment, left the audience and spectators in a hypnotic trance, stuck between reality and delusion. Voss, as many artists the past year, was clearly inspired by the pandemic, saying that WINDOWS  is a "meditation on isolation and our desire for connection" (watch the trailer and full-length film here ). Voss achieves the goa...

Iain Quinn - Persichetti's  Organ Works   Quinn's emotional performance and sensible programming turns the seventy-minute album into an exciting adventure into the world of Persichetti's own instrument. In the newest release on Naxos ' American Classics series, organist Dr. Iain Quinn revives several of Vincent Persichetti 's marvelous compositions for solo organ. The album features prominent large-scale works such as the Dryden Liturgical Suite , Op. 144, his chorale prelude Drop, Drop Slow Tears , Op. 104,  Auden Variations , Op. 136, a handful of hymns, and the stunning Sonata for Organ , Op. 86. Many audiences, even those accustomed to classical music concerts, will admit to be lulled to sleep by a recital of only organ music. However, Quinn's emotional performance and sensible programming turns the seventy-minute album into an exciting adventure into the world of Persichetti's own instrument. Most remarkable is Quinn's rendition of the  Sonata for ...

 David Conte - Gloria Conte, renown for his vocal compositions, again shows off his exceptional compositional craft in this almost fifteen minute long work. Gloria , David Conte 's newest work for SATB choir, soprano soloist, organ, and brass ensemble, was premiered by West Chester University of PA  on December 11th (watch the concert here ). Led by Dr. David P. DeVenney , the WCUPA Mastersingers and Concert Choir gave a tremendous performance of yet another stellar vocal work by Conte. The performance also starred soprano soloist Dr. In Young Lee  and organist  Sándor Kádár . (watch the updated YouTube video  here ) Conte, renown for his vocal compositions, again shows off his exceptional compositional craft in this almost fifteen minute long work. Gloria  begins with an exuberant introductory fanfare for brass and organ, shortly followed with the full choir echoing out 'gloria' to the previous tune of the brass. Conte expertly alternates between contrapun...

 Lathyrus - On the Brink of Light On the Brink of Light  pleasantly surprised me with an exquisite aesthetic: an intricate and perfect combination of jazz, new age, contemporary classical, and traditional folk music. On the Brink of Light (Uz gaismas sliekšņa) is the first album released by the new music jazz quartet Lathyrus . Consisting of composer/vocalist Monta Tupčijenko, cellist Conrad Noll, trumpeter Ruven Weithöner, and pianist Max Brackmann, Lathyrus beautifully straddles the line between traditional jazz aesthetics and contemporary-sounding folk music. All four musicians are accomplished in both classical and jazz musical backgrounds, enabling the intricate compositional voice of Tupčijenko to create a new, atmospheric sound-world, surprising for such a sparse quartet of instruments. Released early October by  TonkunstManufaktur , On the Brink of Light  is an amazing example of what chamber jazz music can sound like in the twenty-first centu...

 Noah Marconi - Picture Palace Overall,  Picture Palace  was a fun new work for both the audience and performers. The piece is superb as long as it is never taken more seriously than intended.  Picture Palace  is an exciting new fanfare for orchestra by aspiring film composer Noah Marconi . Running at around twelve minutes, slightly longer than expected for a concert opener, the piece develops in sections, with the opening material resurfacing time to time. Marconi describes the work as a "tribute to film music", which is spot on. The piece basically is a conglomeration of a series of cliches from cinematic music. As long as you take the music for what it is, a fun tribute to screen music, Picture Palace  is an effective and entertaining work for orchestra (listen to it here ). Marconi opens the work with an aggressive mixed-meter introduction. Raucous strings and piercing piccolo lines calls to mind orchestral repertoire of mid-to-late twentieth-century Am...

 Attacca Quartet - Summa  - Arvo Pärt It is without a doubt that I can say this is the version of  Summa  Pärt initially intended. Attacca Quartet enables the hidden beauty of minimalism to rise to the forefront. Arvo Pärt 's Summa  opens Attacca Quartet 's most recent album with an air of beautiful mystique. Of All Joys , released in November 2021, is a deeply thoughtful album which mixes the mesmerizing world of twentieth-century minimalism with ancient beauties from the Renaissance. Summa , this time in Pärt's arrangement for string quartet, is the perfect choice to begin this album. Attacca Quartet shines at bringing new light and musicality out of a decades old work. Despite being written in '77, with the string quartet version appearing in '91, Pärt's harmonious music feel completely new. Pärt composes with strict compositional systems, of which Attacca demonstrates a clear understanding. The quartet is able to freely phrase with each other and within...

 Shuying Li - The Last Hive Mind The Last Hive Mind , chock-full of powerful rhythmic syncopation, extended techniques, and hefty chromaticism, is one of Li's most engaging works for large ensemble. Shuying Li 's The Last Hive Mind  is an intense and energetic work for grade 5-6 wind band composed in 2019. Li has fortunately had several repeated performances of this work, with the most recent being 2 December 2021 at The Hartt School , where Li completed her undergraduate after moving to the United States. Conducted by Glen Adsit, for whom the work was originally written, the Hartt Wind Ensemble gave a convincing performance, allowing Li's musical story to come through to the audience. The Last Hive Mind  supposedly depicts the fight between two forces, one an evil, technological 'hive mind' and the other a wistful and tuneful melody. The Last Hive Mind , chock-full of powerful rhythmic syncopation, extended techniques, and hefty chromaticism, is one of Li's mos...