Debut CD

I am ecstatic that my debut CD with cellist Scott Kluksdahl entitled Shelter will be released on the Pierian label and distributed internationally by Naxos in the Winter of 2011and will be available for purchase at Amazon and iTunes. Shelter will be available for streaming at the Naxos Music Library and Spotify. Also available for download at Classicsonline.com.

How it all began:

We were hired by the Metropolitan Opera Guild to perform in several European countries at the Mediterranean Music Festival. From the first rehearsals in Athens, Greece, making music with Scott was exhilarating and inspiring. The combination of voice and cello created a timbre that is unlike any other pairing. The depth of range and the variation in colors that both create are magical when paired.

In the course of the two weeks of concerts, one of the most special moments happened while performing John Taverner's Ahkmatova Songs in a gorgeous cave in Greece where Maria Callas had performed concerts years before. The damp, dark caves were the perfect setting for those haunting songs. It seemed as if they had found an eerie home. Immediately following our concert in the cave we decided to record the Taverner and were moved to find complimentary pieces to make an entire album of Soprano and Cello repertoire. Over the next year and a half we discovered, rehearsed, and recorded a total of eighteen songs. Some were pieces which had been recorded previously, some had been premiered but never recorded, and one was written for us especially for this recording project by a young composer on the rise, Robert Honstein.

Many of the songs we fell in love with required a collaborative pianist. We were amazed and honored to have the extraordinary artist Rick Rowley complete our trio. Everyday we spent in the Premium Record Studios in Austin was a joy. Our most valuable asset throughout the entire recording process was our gifted producer, Peter Bay. His thoughtful guidance gave us the freedom to express and shape each phrase having complete trust in his most capable ears.

We hope you will enjoy this diverse and lush collection of songs, and that all eighteen pieces will find a home in you.