For the Record, Op. 362: Alyssa Park; Kronos Quartet; La Speranza

December 7, 2025, 4:26 PM · 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.

Violinist Alyssa Park.

Corey Field: Sonata for Violin and Piano
Alyssa Park, violin
Aron Kallay, piano
Corey Field, composer

Violinist Alyssa Park, concertmaster of the New West Symphony and first violinist in the Lyris Quartet, and pianist Aron Kallay perform the premiere of Los Angeles-based composer Corey Field's latest work, his Sonata for Violin and Piano. Field writes that "the 'story' of the entire sonata is the journey of the violin and piano reconciling until at the conclusion they transcendentally break through, together, to a starry universe." BELOW: this recording of the entire sonata, with the score:

Forgive Us For
Kronos Quartet
David Harrington, violin
Gabriela Díaz, violin
Ayane Kozasa, viola
Paul Wiancko, cello

The Kronos Quartet's latest album journeys through Palestine, Iceland, and Ukraine, amplifying voices of mercy, exile, and survival. "People Get Faces" by Hildur Guðnadóttir (b. 1982) recounts a 2015 episode in which the Icelandic government deported a group of Albanian families — including one with a critically ill child — in the middle of the night. "Oh, You Who Are Climbing Up the Mountain" by the late Palestinian singer Rim Banna (1966-2018) emulates the Palestinian women who have traditionally sung the folk song to their imprisoned husbands to convey messages of freedom and liberation. And "Chernobyl. The Harvest," by Mariana Sadovska (b. 1972) is dedicated to the previous occupants of the now uninhabitable cities and villages abandoned after the 1986 nuclear reactor disaster. "There’s a unifying pain and struggle to these stories that are otherwise very different," said Kronos cellist Paul Wiancko. "They shed light on a part of humanity that we so deeply need to focus on in 2025 and beyond." BELOW: Chernobyl. The Harvest II. (The Harvest), featuring Kronos Quartet and Mariana Sadovska.

Mozart's Contemporaries
La Speranza
Maria Lin, violin
Joanna Becker, violin
Yvonne Smith, viola
Francis Koiner, cello

The Texas-based string quartet La Speranza presents works by Hyacinthe Jadin, Joseph Eybler and Paul Wranitzky - composers of the late 18th century, who, as a collective, have been all but eclipsed by the eternal Mozart. The quartet describes these works as "bubbly and light like a good summer’s wine, and equally intoxicating in their virtuosity and charm." BELOW: IV. Allegro molto from String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 10 No. 1 by Joseph Eybler

If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.

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For the Record, Op. 362: Alyssa Park; Kronos Quartet; La Speranza

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