Avie Records » Releases

Elena Ruehr – Winter Night

Avie Records — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:51:13 +0000

I first heard The Boston Trio almost 30 years ago at a concert in Jordan Hall in Boston. I was deeply impressed by their musicianship and wanted to write a work for them. Over the years I became close friends with both the pianist, Heng-Jin Park, and violinist, Irina Muresanu. I went to many of their concerts and composed a number of works for them, including one concerto each and a lot of chamber music. But I always wanted to write a trio specifically for The Boston Trio and to work with them on a recording. This disc represents a compilation of works and the realization of a dream. It features Irina Muresanu, Heng-Jin Park, Mihai Marica and guest violist Marcus Thompson on the piano quartet.

Schubert Lieder

Avie Records — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 15:58:32 +0000

Clara Osowski lends her lush mezzo-soprano to 19 lieder penned by Franz Schubert during the last 13 years of the composer’s all too short life. Landscape abounds in this collection – lakes, rushing streams, the rising moon, stars, flowers, birdsong. True to Schubert’s conception, the American mezzo – who makes her solo debut recording with this release – considers her voice and that of pianist Timothy Lovelace equal partners.

Rhythm Nation

Avie Records — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:04:06 +0000

Rhythm Nation celebrates American rhythmic traditions as an expression of bodily autonomy and tacit history keeping. This wide-ranging exploration features new works by Jlin, Jeff Scott, Mazz Swift, and Eddie Venegas, commissioned by PUBLIQuartet with the support of a 2024 Chamber Music America Artistic Projects grant. The quartet also expands upon two works from the library of Kronos String Quartet’s Fifty for the Future project: Fodé Lassana Diabaté’s Sunjata’s Time (2015) and Henry Threadgill’s Sixfivetwo (2018), with electronics interludes created by Jannina Norpoth and John-Paul Norpoth meditating on the poignant words of Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation.” Each of the pieces on the album evokes a distinct rhythmic world, reflecting the plurality of American movement(s) and protecting the unspoken spirit of their lineage’s narratives.

Folklore

Avie Records — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:37:03 +0000

Folklore is a musical journey throughout 19^th and 20^th century France, Georgia, Hungary and Spain, through different styles and soundscapes that are united by folk traditions and national character, as well as personal memories of the performers – Swiss-French cellist Christoph Croisé and Georgian pianist Ana Bakradze.

Folklore takes the listener on a musical journey throughout 19^th and 20^th century France, Georgia, Hungary and Spain. Through different styles and soundscapes, the compositions are united by the spirit of folk traditions and national character, as well as personal memories of the performers – Swiss-French cellist Christoph Croisé and Georgian pianist Ana Bakradze. Works originally conceived for their instrumental combination sit alongside transcriptions that fit their sound world like a glove, a testament to the popularity of all the music on this album.

Siete Canciones populares Españolas, a set of seven traditional Spanish songs by Manuel de Falla, is his most-arranged composition and among his most popular. Béla Bartók’s Six Romanian Folk Dances, originally composed for solo piano, were drawn from melodies the composer recorded of folk musicians singing in the countryside of his Hungarian homeland. Hungarian influences infuse Pablo de Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs), originally scored for violin and orchestra. Sulkhan Tsintsadze’s Five Pieces on Georgian Folk Themes evoke childhood memories for pianist Ana, especially the fourth, a lullaby that her mother used to sing to her.

The most substantial work on the album, Robert Schumann’s Fünf Stücke im Volkston (Five Pieces in Folk Style) conjures the harmonies and rhythms of folk music.

French national character imbues Nadia Boulanger’s Trois pièces (Three Pieces) and works by her teacher Gabriel Fauré: his elegant Sicilienne – originally penned for orchestra but frequently adapted for cello and piano – and his ever-popular miniature ‘Après un rêve’ (After a dream) from his Trois Mélodies (Three Melodies).

When asked about their own connections to this music and what they wish for the listener, Christoph and Ana agree, “Above all, joy! We share a love for the roots in these pieces and the inspiration they provided to the composers. For this album, we’ve selected our favourite miniatures. Some are well known, others are more personal, but they all connect to the spirit of folk traditions in some way. It’s about the lasting pleasure of connecting through music we love.”

Pièces en solitude

Avie Records — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:49:54 +0000

Viola da gambist Caroline Nicolas makes her solo debut recording featuring compositions by eminent figures of the French baroque era: Marin Marais, Antoine Forqueray, Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe and Le Sieur de Machy.

New York City-based viola da gambist Caroline Nicolas is one to watch – a captivating performer and “one of the finest gambists working today” (Gotham Early Music Scene). With her star rapidly in the ascendent, Caroline has performed with ensembles including The English Concert, Kammerorchester Basel and Philharmonia Baroque, and collaborated with the likes of Jordi Savall, William Christie and Kristian Bezuidenhout.

For her solo debut recording, Caroline brings out the big guns of the viola da gamba repertoire from France’s defining era of the instrument – the late 17^th and early 18^th centuries. Pièces de viole were integral to the French instrumental baroque, and Caroline’s programme leads with selections by the master of the genre, Marin Marais. For contrast, Caroline juxtaposes the first Suite by the iconoclastic Antoine Forqueray, and in between offers a pair of amuse bouche, an intricate Chaconne by Marais’ tutor, Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe, and a Prelude by the pedagogue Le Sieur de Machy. In keeping with French viol music’s nuance and relative restraint, Caroline is accompanied solely by theorbo, its complementary timbre reflecting the repertoire’s aesthetic.