This debut CD (including Heitzeg’s Sandhill Crane) by California pianist Teresa McCollough began as a nationwide call for original piano compositions by American composers. Three hundred scores later, she picked the best 7 to include on her recital programs and national tours. The result is a solid and exciting program of contemporary music in a variety of approachable styles and of uniform high quality.

Pianists will discover a wealth of new repertoire to include in recitals while listeners will be introduced to some of the best up-and-coming talent in today’s concert music. The music hints at jazz idioms, modernistic sonatas, and spacious, elegiac styles, all the while showing tremendous craft and personality.

Featured musicians

• Teresa McCollough, piano

Reviews

• “A Rome Prize winner, an Emmy Award winner, and a highly experienced composer (Tomas Svoboda) cross paths here, making a very beautiful recital which perfectly fits the original intent of ‘a solid program with diverse, accessible styles, in order to bring American music to a new audience.’ A pleasure to discover.” — by Rejean Beaucage, La Scena Musicale

Tracks

1. BAM! by David Rakowski
2. Nocturnal by David Rakowski
3. Close Enough for Jazz by David Rakowski
4. Prelude and Fugue XIII by Henry Martin
5. Vernacular Dances by Charles Griffin
6. Sonata No. 2, Op. 121 by Tomas Svoboda
7. Sonata for Piano by Alex Shapiro
8. Sandhill Crane by Steve Heitzeg
9. Strains and Restraint by Elizabeth Pizer

Audio Samples

Sandhill Crane (excerpt)

Purchase

• Innova Recordings CD 552 (2001)