Shchedrin

The Russian-born violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky, who founded the New European Strings Chamber Orchestra in 1990, has enthusiastically practiced the art of transcription for many years, producing more than 25 new string arrangements of chamber and keyboard works. This is Sitkovetsky’s first project for Nonesuch, a creative adaptation of Bach’s Goldberg Variations for strings, cast a fresh light on that formidable monument of keyboard music. The New York Times called it “robust, joyous and full of insight.”

Firma Melodiya presents an anniversary set dedicated to Vladimir Spivakov’s 70th birthday. This outstanding musician is well-known and loved across the world. A violinist, educator, conductor, founder and permanent leader of the chamber orchestra Moscow Virtuosi and the National Symphony Orchestra of Russia, an organizer of the charity trust that supports talented children, a director of international music festivals both in Russia and overseas.

Celebrated pianist and renowned Beethoven specialist Rudolf Buchbinder will release his first album on Deutsche Grammophon. The collaboration sees him record not only his own new interpretation of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations but to commission 12 new variations himself, echoing the original story where in 1819 music publisher and composer Anton Diabelli wrote a 32-bar German Dance – a forerunner of the waltz – and sent it to more than 50 Austrian composers, asking each of them to write a variation on his original theme.

It should have been just another memorable con­cert in the hectic life of the Geneva Chamber Orchestra. However, the global Covid-19 pandemic decided otherwise and turned this summit meeting with conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy and pianist Mikhaïl Pletnev into a historical moment. Chronicle of an extraordinary adventure…in every respect…

Firma Melodiya presents recordings of 20th century cello music performed by Oleg Vedernikov and Alexey Goribol. The name of Alexey Goribol, a pianist, public figure, Honoured Artist of Russia and organizer of numerous festivals and music projects is well known to the domestic and foreign listeners, while the name of Oleg Vedernikov whose life ended up so tragically in 2015 is less known to a wide audience. This album is dedicated to the memory of the remarkable cellist.

Currently in school at the Curtis Institute and studying with Gary Graffman (teacher of Lang Lang and Yuja Wang), pianist Wei Luo gave her orchestral debut at age ten with the Shanghai Philharmonic and went on to claim first prize in the 11th Chopin International Competition for Young Pianists and the 2nd Rachmaninov International Piano Competition for Young Pianists. Recently granted the 2018 Gilmore Young Artist Award and named one of WQXR's "19 for 19" artists to watch, Luo releases her self-titled debut album featuring works by Prokofiev, Shchedrin, and Shostakovich.