Stephen Paulus, a prolific American composer featured on this album, co-founded the Minnesota Composers Forum (now the American Composers Forum) in 1973 while still a student at the University of Minnesota.
Performer Biography
Laura Sewell, the cellist on this album, was the founder and cellist of the award-winning Lark Quartet, which performed nearly 100 concerts a year in Europe, Asia, Canada, and the United States.
Composition History
The album features two works, Paul Schoenfield's "Six British Folksongs" and Stephen Paulus's "Banchetto Musicale", that were commissioned for cellist Laura Sewell by her parents when she was in her early twenties.
Composition History
Paul Schoenfield's "Six British Folksongs" was dedicated to and inspired by Laura Sewell's time studying with the legendary British cellist Jacqueline du Pré.
Recording & Production
The recording of this album was significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic of 2020-21, which allowed for increased practice time and made chamber music one of the few musical activities that could still happen.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Paul Schoenfield's "Six British Folksongs" is loosely based on the stages a person might go through when coming to terms with the diagnosis of a serious illness, such as blissful unawareness, grief, and acceptance.
Recording & Production
The album was supported by an Artist Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and additional funding from the Paulus family and Paulus Publications.
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