Kevin Midnick

EMEC Records is proud to present world premier recordings of Ferdinando Carulli's Deux solos Op. 207 and Jacques Pierre Rode's Trio in D. Featuring performances from world renowned guitarist Agustin Maruri, this release promises to reveal hidden depths among these composers less frequently heard works. Augustin Maruri recorded his first album in 1990, and since then has recorded 23 albums both in solo and chamber music combinations. Each year he strives to discover new musical works from composers around the world, and he has played a major role in premiering various new composers’ works.

Kevin Michael Holzman serves as the Director of Wind Studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Holzman joined CCM’s faculty on a visiting basis in 2017 as the Assistant Director of Wind Studies, and assumed the Director of Wind Studies position in August 2018. As Director of Wind Studies, Holzman serves as the music director for the CCM Wind Symphony (CCM’s premier large wind ensemble), the CCM Chamber Orchestra, the CCM Chamber Winds, and the CCM Bras Choir. His academic responsibilities include teaching graduate conducting, survey of wind literature and related courses as well as the advising and mentoring of wind conducting students in CCM’s MM and DMA programs.

This recording has plenty to recommend it, despite the star power of its competition. The Aradia Ensemble–17 string players, 11 wind and brass players and four continuo players–are a lively, more-than-proficient group of period instrumentalists who, under Kevin Mallon, play the heck out of Handel's colorful, ever-changing score, and can be compared with the finest ensembles around. The obbligato oboist, harpsichordist, and sopranino recorder virtuoso (in Almirena's gorgeous first act "bird" aria) are superb. Mallon doesn't go for fierce string attacks, but every bit of his leadership has spring and energy. He and his cast are particularly careful with the recitatives, which are dramatically put forth. The cast is uniformly good.

The UC College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Wind Symphony releases a new recording, "Grand Pianola Music", featuring works by George Gershwin and John Adams, the recording showcases faculty artist Michael Chertock, student artist Giuliano Graniti and alumni artist Fabio Menchetti (DMA Piano, '19).

Western Spaces is a collaborative album by the American ambient musicians Steve Roach, Kevin Braheny and Richard Burmer. This album is the first of Steve Roach’s many musical tributes to the Southwestern Desert. This recording conjures up the desert vistas and the vast stark beauty of the American southwest through a collection of pieces that play like a soundtrack to a road trip through the Mojave Desert, Death Valley and Joshua Tree, California. All of these locales were the inspiration for the musicians during the creation of the music.