The BBC Concert Orchestra led by John Andrews present a survey Errollyn Wallen’s orchestral music written between 2000 and 2023, showcasing her distinctive voice across a wide range of moods. Recently appointed Master of the King’s Music by King Charles III, Wallen is a groundbreaking figure in contemporary classical music. The program kicks off with the newest composition: Dances for …

The Black Oak Ensemble (violinist Desirée Ruhstrat, violist Aurélien Fort Pederzoli, and cellist David Cunliffe) continues to push the boundaries of the string trio repertoire with their third album on Cedille Records. The idea for the album was born out of a mistaken Google search. During the 2022 World Cup, with Switzerland, Germany, France, and England all in the running—all …

A tribute to women composers across history and a range of genres, Esther Abrami’s new album Women showcases 14 composers, spanning newly composed works and rediscovered masterpieces. Abrami carefully chose each piece on Women, not only for its musical brilliance but also for the emotional connection it holds for her, highlighting the often-overlooked voices of women in classical music. “I …

Rumon Gamba’s exploration of the music of Ruth Gipps continues with these world premiere recordings of the Fifth Symphony, Violin Concerto, and Leviathan. Composed in 1943 and conceived for her elder brother, Bryan, the Violin Concerto is large in scale and shows remarkable assurance of touch for a twenty-two-year-old composer. Leviathan, for double-bassoon and orchestra, dates from the late 1960s, …

Formed in 2015 by lutenist Albane Imbs, the early music ensemble Les Kapsber’girls has a permanent core of four women musicians: two singers, a viola da gamba player, and Imbs as artistic director on plucked instruments, with guest artists based on the nature of each project. The French ensemble’s name is a nod towards one of the most celebrated Italian …

French composer Clémence de Grandval (1828–1907), born Marie Félicie Clémence de Reiset and known as Vicomtesse de Grandval and Marie Grandval, studied composition with Friedrich Flotow, composer and family friend, and later with Frédéric Chopin and Camille Saint-Saëns, the latter dedicating his Oratorio de Noel to her. A prolific composer, Grandval’s output includes a mass, 50 songs with piano accompaniment, …

For their third installment of orchestral works by Ruth Gipps, Rumon Gamba and the BBC Philharmonic center the 20th century composer’s Symphony No. 1 and Horn Concerto with soloist Martin Owen. Dated September 1942, the First Symphony is a direct reflection of the horrors of war. The work demonstrates Gipps’s personal voice and features some wonderful writing for winds. Gipps …

Pianist Jean-Pierre Armengaud is considered a leading interpreter of French music and a specialist in Impressionist and Expressionist repertoire. He has been director for musical programming at Radio France and is associate professor at the Paris-Sorbonne University. Following his acclaimed recordings of the complete piano works of Debussy, Armengaud embarks on a project to record all of Clara Schumann’s solo …

The title of the Boulanger Trio’s latest album alludes to Virginia Woolf’s seminal 1929 essay “A Room of One’s Own” discussing the barriers faced by female creative artists. The Boulanger Trio (Karla Haltenwanger, piano; Birgit Erz, violin; Ilona Kindt, cello) pay tribute to centuries of women composers who struggled with, and one way or another triumphed over, those barriers. Included …

Spanish pianist and scholar Isabel Dobarro has an active international performing career and has performed and lectured at some of the most renowned venues in the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, the European Parliament, and the National Auditorium in Madrid and the Palau de la Música Catalana. Dobarro is recognized as a passionate advocate for female …

Cellist Juliana Soltis and pianist Ruoting Li champion women composers Mary Howe, Amy Beach, Margaret Bonds, Helen Crane, Dorothy Rudd Moore, and Florence Price.  The new album sheds light on a treasure trove of rarely heard gems of cello-piano literature. Helen Crane’s Six Idylls is of particular interest, and new to WFMT. Written in 1918, the Six Idylls for Cello …

Baroque violinist Sophie de Bardonnèche pays tribute to French female composers of the 18th century.  The centerpiece works are three violin sonatas of Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, one of which is unpublished. No fewer than ten female composers — most new to the WFMT library – are represented in this programme of sonatas, overtures and dances devised by de …

Before Imogen Holst died in 1984, she established the Holst Foundation to support living composers which led to the founding NMC Recordings. Imogen Holst, daughter of Gustav Holst, was a teacher, educator, festival administrator, and one of Britain’s most accomplished composers. Discovering Imogen features many world premiere recordings of her Modern era works for choir and orchestra. Colin Matthews, founder …

Austin based Grammy-nominated baritone, trumpeter, and pianist, Michael Hawes (former Chicagoan and former member of Axiom Brass) has devoted his first solo album to the music of Florence Price. Hawes sings most of the selections with pianist Eugenia Jeong. Four of the songs are performed on the trumpet. A brass ensemble, which includes the distinguished trombonist Randall Hawes, Michael’s father, …