Celebrating 14* album releases from 13* of our New York Women Composer colleagues in 2023!

1. Eleanor Aversa: BECAUSE HE WAS A WEASEL: SONGS FOR COURAGE, COMFORT, AND FUN presents wholesome, funny, and life-affirming songs for kids and parents. NYC-affiliated singers are Dan Callaway (Broadway, title role in The Phantom of the Opera), local soprano Josephine Kraemer (Elle Woods, Pacific Opera Theater), and singer Nadia Washington (Jazz at Lincoln Center). Other featured singers are Shradha Ganesh (2023 Vidya Bharati Canada Young Artist Award) and Jillian Aversa (soloist with the Baltimore, National, and San Diego Symphonies). Released on August 25, 2023. Stream it here: http://tinyurl.com/mrxvzye4 | More info: www.eleanorandfriends.com.

2. Marilyn Bliss: BRASS TACKS 2 –– Two pieces for solo tuba – Aria and Evocations – are included on this compilation album of music for brass instruments. The tuba soloist is Jobey Wilson, and the pieces are published by ACA. “Evocations” is a four-movement piece exploring the broad range of sound, timbre, register, and emotions obtainable on this too-often misunderstood and neglected instrument. “Aria” is a brief, lyrical exploration of the tuba’s full range, highlighting its tonal beauty. Released on September 8, 2023. Buy/Stream here: https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6556/.

3. Victoria Bond: BLUE AND GREEN MUSIC is a string quartet based on a painting by Georgia O’Keeffe. It is performed by The Cassatt String Quartet, which also performs Bond’s quartet “Dreams of Flying.” Two vocal works round out the CD, “From an Antique Land,” and “Art and Science'” both performed by baritone Michael Kelly and pianist Bradley Moore. The title work takes its inspiration from a painting of the same name by Georgia O’Keeffe, in the words of the composer an “abstract study in motion, color and form, with the interplay of those two colors that dance with each other in graceful, sensuous patterns.” It is available on Albany Records and also on Spotify and iTunes. Released on January 1, 2023. Buy it here: http://tinyurl.com/msrfxm7m | Stream it here: http://tinyurl.com/3ysd45v4.

4. Ellen Fishman: UNLEASHED––“The Lark” quartet by Franz Joseph Haydn was one of the first string quartets I studied as a music student. In 2009, I was commissioned by Jeanne Ruddy Dance in Philadelphia to write an electronic piece loosely based on this quartet. With the pandemic of 2020-21, I reworked and revived this work for string quartet. I was honored to work with the Fairmount String quartet on this album of works by women composers. Released on February 17, 2023. Buy it here: http://tinyurl.com/2yp4txse | Stream it here: http://tinyurl.com/yn8wspxf / http://tinyurl.com/3pakfh4m.

STRINGFLO–– String Flo started as a conversation between myself and other musician friends who practice yoga or pilates. We all agreed that we would love to have the resonances of string instruments accompany our practice and yet there were few resources. The musicians of the Fairmount String Quartet encouraged me and we presented this work live with a Yoga Instructor. Released on December 1, 2023. Buy/Stream here: https://fanlink.to/thmG.

5. Whitney George: CHASING LIGHT, when performed live, is a 95-minute multi-sensory experience of light, movement, and music, inspired by photography. The work, scored for Pierrot Ensemble and written for members of her ensemble, The Curiosity Cabinet, aims to depict light as the main subject captured in different situations, each in a separate movement as a multi-sensory and immersive experience where the audience is enveloped in each of the 16 unique lighting environments. Released on December 15, 2023. Buy it here: http://tinyurl.com/44w68xmw | Stream it here: http://tinyurl.com/33fmu76d.

6. Juliana Hall: 40@40––Soprano Laura Strickling commissioned 40 composers to write 40 art songs for her 40th birthday. This CD presents recordings of 20 of those art songs. Composers include H. Leslie Adams, Juhi Bansal, Eugenia Cheng, Tom Cipullo, Andrea Clearfield, Nell Shaw Cohen, Evan Fein, Jodi Goble, Daron Hagen, Juliana Hall, Felix Jarrar, Joseph Jones, Lori Laitman, Bess McCrary, Reinaldo Moya, James Primosch, Myron Silberstein, Dennis Tobenski, Scott Wheeler, and Ed Windels. With pianist Daniel Schlosberg. 40@40 is one of five official nominees for a 2024 Grammy Award in the Best Classical Solo Vocal Album category. Released on August 18, 2023. Buy it here: https://www.brightshiny.ninja/40-at-40 | Stream it here: http://tinyurl.com/y5t66tdb.

7. Jennifer Jolley: WALKING ON SHATTERED GLASS is the first recording by the Texas Woman’s University Wind Symphony – the album of all women composers seeks to acknowledge the dichotomy of pioneering women who break down barriers while also highlighting how these women lead others through their passion for composition. Jennifer Jolley’s wind ensemble work “Ash” is featured, along music by Haley Woodrow, Catherine Likhuta, Nicole Piunno, Grace Baugher, Jodie Blackshaw, Cait Nishimura, and Valerie Coleman. Released on March 10, 2023. Buy it here: http://tinyurl.com/32yacz6h | Stream it here: http://tinyurl.com/59yn4j5y.

8. Diane Jones: LONDON CELLO CONNECTION––”Soul Dance” for cello and strings is intended to inspire movement and dance. “Soul Dance” is a part of the Parma release, London Cello Connection. The collection is made up of short works for cello and orchestra from 8 composers, all composed for cellist Ovidiu Marinescu. Released on March 10, 2023. Buy it here: http://tinyurl.com/wyc5cbzt | Listen to it here: http://tinyurl.com/5e5zwtk3.

9. Debra Kaye*: IKARUS AMONG THE STARS––From lyrical to grooving, experimental to coloristic, IKARUS AMONG THE STARS explores themes both perpetual and fleeting. The two Ikarus – themed works were commissioned as a memorial to a young musician and his music. The recording features Charles Neidich, clarinet; Hikaru Tamaki, cello; Daedalus Quartet; Marta Aznavoorian, piano; Kinga Augustyn, violin; Carl Gutowski, flute; Marcia Eckert, piano; Portland Youth Philharmonic, David Hattner conductor. Released on May 26, 2023. Buy it here:  http://tinyurl.com/2h4be648 | Stream it here: http://tinyurl.com/ywapws9f.

10. Catherine Neville: THREE PIECES ON PAINTINGS BY KANDINSKY (single) for electric guitar and vibraphones is inspired by Kandinsky’s use of color and abstract geometric shapes. “Red Accent,” from 1938, starts the piece with aggressive chords passed between guitar and vibes. “Blue” creates a complete contrast with melancholy sounds, and “Green” ends the work with an imitative, fugal texture. Released on October 27, 2023. Buy it here: http://tinyurl.com/jxdefdka | Stream it here: http://tinyurl.com/yfbarm3e.

11. Alyssa Reit: A CHRISTMAS FEAST––The album is a set of holiday arrangements, celebrating the rich tradition of Christmas music across multiple cultures and centuries. These twenty chamber-style settings feature violin (Krystof Witek), flute (Helen Campo), Horn (Peter Reit), cello (Annabelle Hoffman), and harp (Alyssa Reit). Released on November 3, 2023. Buy/Stream it here: http://tinyurl.com/57zswpsn.

12. Kim Sherman: ARK RESOUNDING––The ARK Trio, formed by soprano Allison Charney, cellist Kajsa William-Olsson, and pianist Reiko Uchida, commissioned works from contemporary composers as well as re-arranging classics, and the result can be heard on their debut release, ARK RESOUNDING. Works include two pieces by Kim D. Sherman: A Prairie Diary (song cycle) and The Wedding Song. Kim Sherman is also the co-producer of this recording. Released on February 3, 2023. Buy it here: http://tinyurl.com/3bk59dwm | Stream it here: http://tinyurl.com/mr3jpy5u.

13. Faye-Ellen Silverman: TIME LINGERS, recorded by Todd Revolt, alto saxophone, includes “Interval Untamed: Five Miniatures”, published by Subito Music. All five movements of this work are built on the opening pitches of the first movement – F-E (the initials of my first name – Faye-Ellen). Yet each miniature movement has its own tempo and its own timbral color. The opening interval reappears repeatedly, only resolving in the final measures of the work, when E to F finally resolves to three Ds. Released on September 1, 2023. Stream it here: http://tinyurl.com/4kkfdhvb.

*Composer added after initial publication.

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