Yolanda Kondonassis, The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra & Ward Stare - American Rapture (2019)

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Yolanda Kondonassis, The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra & Ward Stare - American Rapture (2019)

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Azica Records will release American Rapture featuring harpist Yolanda Kondonassis and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Ward Stare. This album includes the world premiere recording of Pulitzer Prize-winner Jennifer Higdon’s Harp Concerto, written for and dedicated to Yolanda Kondonassis; Samuel Barber’s Symphony No. 1 in One Movement, Op. 9; and the world premiere recording ofPatrick Harlin’s Rapture. The album is designed to highlight three generations of American composition and, as defined by Harlin in the context of his work, to depict rapture not as a religious event, but as an experience of extreme human emotion.

Yolanda Kondonassis notes, “We’ve come to associate many ideas with classical music composition in North America, but even so, there is a tangible and unique essence that embodies the ‘American Sound’ in all its forms. This repertoire is just a tip of the iceberg, but with strong threads of that which personifies the American experience: originality, introspection, power, whimsy, pain, joy and grit.”

Jennifer Higdon, one of the greatest musical voices of our time, says, “I love writing concerti because it gives me a chance to not only explore the different instruments’ qualities, but also because I get to experience the joy of the performer in displaying those qualities. Yolanda Kondonassis’ enthusiasm for her instrument is infectious.”

Kondonassis echoes, “The journey of bringing Jennifer Higdon’s Harp Concerto to life has been an amazing ride. We agreed on many aspects of what a new harp concerto should be – strong, agile, lyrical, feisty, energetic and even heroic when necessary; it should be challenging, but really fun to play, and it should have a groove that allows the harpist to catch a musical wave with the orchestra once in a while. Jennifer managed all this and more, delivering a work that is all at once powerful, heart-wrenching, whimsical, and original.”

Jennifer Higdon’s Harp Concerto is a consortium commission from the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, Lansing Symphony Orchestra, and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra. Of the world premiere performance, Rochester’s CITY Newspaper notes, “Higdon was keen to showcase the harp’s naturally rich harmonic colors, and there was something prayerful about Kondonassis’ playing, particularly in the quieter moments,” and, “Sonically, the presence of Kondonassis’ harp seemed to signify magic at work, in the throes of a hectic and sobering reality, as played by the orchestra . . . The vibraphone and bells reinforced the divine character of Kondonassis’ tone, and something akin to Renaissance song in Higdon’s melodies only heightened the mystery.” In the final movement, the critic observes, “The previously conventional concerto acquired a welcome avant-garde, dance-like quality.”

Yolanda Kondonassis, harp
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Ward Stare, conductor