Armenia is a singular nation in possession of a uniquely preserved culture, perched high in the Caucasus mountains with an ancient history. Despite being surrounded by powerful and influential neighbors, Armenia is largely homogenous and preservation of its rich history is prioritized and show up in its artistic communities. Serenade with a Dandelion is a follow up to violinist and curator Movses Pogossian’s Modulation Necklace, also featuring exclusively Armenian repertoire (FCR244), and chronicles a rich contemporary lineage of chamber music and works for voice. Pogossian has organized the four discs of Serenade with a Dandelion by instrumentation — the first and third CDs highlight chamber music without piano, the second focuses on art song, and the last on music for piano, mostly featuring solo works but closing with a work for piano trio. Throughout this collection of music spanning nearly a century, one hears several aesthetic continuities. Several of the pieces use folkloric material as their thematic basis, there is a frequent reliance on modal pitch material drawn from the harmonic minor scale, melodic ornamentation especially in melismatic figures is employed frequently, and there is a consciousness of balancing trends within a larger community of concert music with the preservation of an Armenian musical identity. Pogossian and his performer colleagues deliver committed, heartfelt performances, projecting a strong connection to this repertoire.

Soprano Ah Young Hong has a large repertory extending as far back in time as Monteverdi but has an especially strong commitment to contemporary music. In her adopted U.S., she is a significant educator. Hong grew up in Seoul, South Korea, where her mother was a classical pianist.

Sumna is the third solo album of Kivie Cahn-Lipman (founding cellist of the International Contemporary Ensemble, founder of baroque band ACRONYM and HiP Scottish ensemble Makaris, and co-founder of viol consorts LeStrange and Science Ficta). Here he offers first recordings of new cello solos written for him by Daijana Wallace, Édgar Guzmán, and Vincent Calianno, along with a modern classic by Caroline Shaw and a multitracked cello octet by Kaija Saariaho. Cahn-Lipman's passion for early music emerges both in the opening track (a fresh take on HIF Biber's solo violin Passacaglia, a seventeenth-century masterpiece), and the title track (a commission from Mario Diaz de Leon for unaccompanied viola da gamba).

David Liptak, longtime composition faculty member of the Eastman School of Music, releases this compilation of his music for wind ensemble, written for and inspired by the august group at his institution. Featuring soprano Tony Arnold in the four movement "Folgore's Months" based on 14th century Italian sonnets, Liptak's broad sources of inspiration and sensitivity to lyricism and orchestration pervade this release. David Liptak’s music has been described as “luminous and arresting,” “richly atmospheric,” and having “transparent textures, incisive rhythms, shimmering lightness.”