Latvian Radio Choir

To mark its 40th season, the celebrated San Francisco vocal new music ensemble Volti releases premiere recordings of works of dazzling range and diversity by five American composers- Robin Estrada, Tonia Ko, Ziboukle Martinaitye, Forrest Pierce and Mark Winges. Four of the works are among the twenty Volti has commissioned since 2013. Gary Snyders poem A Prayer to the Great Family provides the test for the Forrest Pierces lush and luminous Gratitude Sutra, in which Snyders words of simple Gratitude become, according to Pierce, a discourse on the generous beauties that sustain us on this voyage around the sun.

As the title and subtitle imply, this is a kind of greatest-hits album, with music selected by ECM label producer Manfred Eicher from the 12 albums on the label devoted to the music of Arvo Pärt. Pärt's music is so malleable that people tend to make their own versions of it rather than collect it, but if you wanted an anthology as a starter box, this would be the one to choose. Eicher has worked closely with Pärt since the 1980s, and he has indeed made a sensible "sequence" out of works that do not have a lot of contrast among them.

Contrastist and bass player who is active in jazz, improvised and contemporary rhythmic music in Latvia. He is currently a bassist in the Latvian Radio Bigbands principal, but he is also writing his own music, which is implemented with projects and musicians such as Equanimity Trio, Edgars Cirulis, Rudolf Dankfeld, Kristaps Vanadzins, Artjoms Sarvi and others. His music features elements such as European jazz sound, Nordic resilience, energetic compulsion and free improvisation.

In this 2018 studio recording prize-winning Latvian pianist Toms Ostrovskis features never before released works by a late romantic Latvian composer, organist, pianist and conductor Alfreds Kalnins (1879?1951). The album features 4 lyrical piano cycles by Kalnins who has written over 900 pieces during his lifetime: 7 morceaux (1913-1915); 7 poemes (1917); 4 Capriccietti (1946-1949) and 3 Small Pieces for the Album "For the Youth" (1949). This album is dedicated to the Centenary of Latvian state.

Angela Brown personifies the ideal soprano: sheer vocal power; luxurious finesse; and shimmering, high pianissimos. With a charming personality larger than life, she unites opera, pops, and gospel in one sensational voice. A featured artist on the two-time Grammy Award® winning recording “Ask Your Mama,” Angela’s international reputation continues to grow.

Since its inception in 2006, Berlin-based Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra has not only redefined the term “large ensemble,” because more importantly, the 18-piece has created a whole new musical language: “Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra dwarfs anything heretofore experienced: Big band brass meets Free Jazz antics, Neue Musik-style compositions meet a unique definition of pop – all thrown into a blender: It’s the kind of sonic cocktail you’ve never tasted before.” (Neue Zürcher Zeitung)