George Walker, the composer, originally conceived Sinfonia No. 5, 'Visions' as a multimedia presentation, combining the music with a video of Charleston by photographer Frank Schramm and poetic readings.
Performer Biography
Gianandrea Noseda, the conductor on this album, has been the Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra since 2017 and also serves as General Music Director of the Zurich Opera House.
Compositional Technique
Sinfonia No. 5, 'Visions' is a single-movement work that includes demanding string, woodwind, and brass parts, as well as several powerful piano solos, reflecting composer George Walker's start as a concert pianist.
Composer Biography
George Walker was the first Black composer to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in April 1996, for his composition Lilacs for Voice and Orchestra.
Composer Biography
George Walker was a child prodigy, enrolling in Oberlin Conservatory at age 14 and becoming the first Black student to receive the Artist Diploma in both piano and composition from the Curtis Institute of Music.
Composition History
George Walker's Sinfonia No. 5, 'Visions' was composed as a protest against violence, specifically after a 2015 shooting at an African American church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Recording & Production
The National Symphony Orchestra launched its own media label in 2020, with its first release being Dvorák's Symphony No. 9 and Copland's Billy the Kid, distributed in partnership with LSO Live.
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