For the Record, Op. 359: Chris Thile; Leila Josefowicz; Pacifica Quartet; Albert Sammons
Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening! Click on the highlighted links to obtain each album or learn more about the artists.
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2
Chris Thile, mandolin
Mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile has done it again - he has taken J.S. Bach's Solo Sonatas and Partitas for Violin and reimagined them for mandolin, shedding new light and perspective on them that violinists are likely to appreciate. It's not the first time - more than 10 years ago, Thile released his Volume 1 of these works - in which he performed Sonatas No. 1 and 2; and Partita No. 1 on mandolin. Earlier this month he released Volume 2, which completes the cycle with Partitas No. 2 and 3, and Sonata No. 3. In the liner notes, Thile writes that for Volume 1, "I spent most of its development and execution worrying about whether Bach would like it." He writes that the reason Volume 2 exists is that he loves practicing Bach. "Communing with something THAT beautiful, made by a human being, continuing to be made and enjoyed by so many human beings, makes you proud to be human. And so you practice it. As often as you can, everywhere you go. Your living room. Hotel room. Onstage before the rest of the band shows up for soundcheck. In an empty corner of an airport after a cancelled flight ...Would he like it? Though I was tempted to capitalize ‘he’ just now, I’m trying not to care. Do I like it? Yes." Read our 2013 interview with Chris Thile about Bach here. BELOW: Chris Thile - Bach: Partita No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006: III. Gavotte en rondeau (live).
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Interview with Violinist Leila Josefowicz: Being Open to New Music
When it comes to new music, violinist Leila Josefowicz has some advice: "Feel it and hear it, and be open," she said. "That's all. You don't have to 'get it.'"
Over her career Josefowicz has become an absolute force for new music. She has the technique and intellect to find meaning in the thorniest of new scores - and she also has the gutsy and audacious stage presence to transform them into thrilling live performances.
But how did she get there? From prodigy to fierce advocate for new music - this was not a straightforward path. "It took many years, figuring that all out," Leila told me, during a Zoom interview in October. "I had a very strange start to my career.
Friday marks the release of a new recording that has great meaning for her - her performance of Thomas Adès' Violin Concerto with the Minnesota Orchestra, under the baton of Music Director Thomas Søndergård. Josefowicz is a longtime champion of the work, having performed it internationally for more than 20 years.
On the eve of this release Josefowicz spoke with me about her unusual path, about how her connection with contemporary music and composers grew so strong, what she loves about music that many find difficult to understand, and why the Adès concerto has become a signature of her repertoire.
Keep reading...
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The Week in Reviews, Op. 525: Rachel Podger, Joshua Bell, Midori
In an effort to promote the coverage of live violin performance, Violinist.com each week presents links to reviews of notable concerts and recitals around the world. Click on the highlighted links to read the entire reviews.
Rachel Podger performed a show called "Brilliant Baroque" with Tafelmusik for Early Music Seattle.
- The Strad: "From her first cue, Podger led with the easy buoyancy and collegial give-and-take that are her hallmark....Her calibration of a playful spontaneity with precision proved beguiling, ornaments flickering with an elegantly charming yet intentional ease."
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Classical Nominees Announced for 2026 GRAMMY Awards
Congratulations to the nominees announced Friday for the Recording Academy's 2026 Grammy Awards, which will be presented Feb. 1., at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Nominees include a number of violinists and string players, including violinist Curtis Stewart, violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and the Neave Trio. Orchestras nominated for Grammys include the National Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra Of Venezuela, The Philadelphia Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony.
Violinist Curtis Stewart was nominated for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for his performance of selections from "24 Negro Melodies" in the album Samuel Coleridge-Taylor with the National Philharmonic and Michael Repper. Yo-Yo Ma was nominated in the same category for his performance in Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons.
Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers was nominated - along with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Grant Gershon, with Billy Childs, Dan Chmielinski, Christian Euman, Larry Koonse, Lyris Quartet, Carol Robbins and Luciana Souza - for their performance of Childs’ "In the Arms of the Beloved" in the album Beloved.
The Neave Trio was nominated for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for its album La Mer - French Piano Trios.
Here are all of the classical nominations: Keep reading...
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