When the world shut down in early 2020, Frank Horvat wanted to raise spirits and create music for those forced into self-isolation. In just 6 weeks he composed 31 short solo and duo works for a variety of instruments and voice. The musical community responded, with over 150 musicians worldwide sharing their experience of self-isolation and posting their performances online.

During the pandemic, the contemporary music ensemble Alarm Will Sound has commissioned a series of online works called Video Chat Variations that take advantage of the medium’s quirks and idiosyncrasies. John Fitz Rogers’s Respiration is a recent commission that will be available on Alarm Will Sound’s YouTube channel on March 30th at 11am EDT. The work was premiered on February 19, 2021 as part of a livestream broadcast on the University of South Carolina’s Southern Exposure New Music Series, directed by Michael Harley, who teaches at UofSC and is also Alarm Will Sound’s bassoonist. The work was performed and recorded in real time by the ensemble, conducted by the group’s artistic director Alan Pierson, using Jamulus (a software program that reduces latency) for audio and Zoom for video.

The Slovenian-born, Los Angeles–based guitarist Mak Grgic is an avid explorer of the guitar and all its possibilities. In addition to core repertoire, he performs Balkan music and flamenco. He plays new music, with Daniel Lippel, of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), JACK Quartet, and others. He’s working on an homage to Ligeti using gamelan-inspired arrangements. He composes his own works.

Sophie Hutchings is an Australian composer who creates stunning piano-led work that is equally inspired by outside living and a mindful lifestyle. In the past, she has talked of an idyllic childhood, surrounded by nature and her family’s similar love for music. Sophie’s Father was obsessed with all things jazz, and her brothers heavily into the rock scene, it took Sophie a little while to understand her potential, and what her true sound could be.

The world of digital concerts is now a “thing”. Who would have ever thought that this form of consumption would be necessary. But about a year later, we all know why. Watching performances on a screen—no matter the size—might be something you’ve found taxing this past year. You’re not alone. However, just like other things in life, there are “blessings in disguise”. And likewise, in classical music, digital concerts have become the lifeblood of our time that has uniquely given access to “high art” unlike anytime in history.

Floating Into Infinity is a new album from composer Benjamin Louis Brody, described as “one of the most progressive and multi-faceted musicians in New York City.” There’s definitely a lot of low guitar and even symphonic gestures in sound here, which makes sense, considering Brody’s history as a guitarist and symphonic composer.

Two American pianists have been confirmed as Competitors for this year’s The Leeds International Piano Competition 2021. Anna Han (25) and Kate Liu (26) are two of 63 outstanding pianists who have been invited to participate in the 2021 Competition.

Music provides healing and community in times of suffering and discord. The King’s Singers New Music Prize brings new music to today’s world, leaving it a richer place.

In this issue of our Leading Composer Series, pianist Natalia Kazaryan interviews the Juno Award-winning composer Vivian Fung. Covering topics from creative philosophy, to what happens in the creative process, to life at Juilliard, and what’s on her playlist right now. Remember you can catch up on other interviews in this series featuring Jennifer Higdon, Gabriela Lena Frank, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and Missy Mazzoli.

Carl Sandburg once said “nearly all the best things that came to me in life have been unexpected.” In your own life, consider that non-milestone birthday party which turned out one of your best ever. Or the new or vintage movie no one knows about that you absolutely love. Or that musician whose performance made you experience a Beethoven sonata in a new way.

The following are the program notes for Schubert III: Winterreise, available now on the Brooklyn Art Song Society Digital Concert Hall.

On January 15, 2021, the New York City band Founders released Songs for the End of Time Vol. 1—their newest and second album. Recorded over the span of three days in November 2019, it features an arrangement of Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, created by Founders’ members Ben Russell and Brandon Ridenour. The release of Songs for the End of Time Vol. 1 carries special meaning—not only as it honors Messiaen’s artistry and gripping story, but also because it coincided with the 80th anniversary of the original work’s premiere.

Add to the list of things Covid-19 has put on hold the old “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” joke. Even “practice, practice, practice” — ironically, an activity well-suited to lockdown — won’t enable you to perform there anytime soon.

Mr. Alejo and Ms. Happel Ashe form the ensemble River Town Duo.

“We’re all dressed up for nobody — which is kind of fun, actually,” muses Nicholas McGegan shortly before a performance at Cleveland’s Severance Hall, certainly a sign of the times in which concert life proceeds without an audience, and of the conductor’s unwavering high spirits, even during a challenging year.

The COVID-19 pandemic perhaps all but demands an artistic response. A commission from the Oregon Bach Festival, Richard Danielpour’s An American Mosaic provides just that in an expansive piano work written for Simone Dinnerstein that at its core reflects upon the various segments of American society united by the shared experience of the pandemic.

Pulitzer Prize and three-time Grammy-winner Jennifer Higdon joins us on Classical Post this month for an insightful convo with pianist Natalia Kazaryan. As one of the most frequently performed composers, Dr. Higdon transcends today’s classical scene with radiance. Here’s her take on leading at this level.

While listening to soprano Laura Strickling’s latest album Confessions, I was reminded of a phrase she has said countless times in rehearsals, interviews, and performances: “Song matters.”

Night after grueling night, Richard Danielpour went to sleep at 11:00 p.m., only to wake up at 2:00 a.m.

“I tried everything I could think of,” said the Grammy-winning composer. “My doctor prescribed sleeping pills. I tried melatonin, magnesium, this, that. Nothing would do it.”

Everyone talks about the new normal in the era of COVID-19, and many business organizations like bars, restaurants, and sports teams have adjusted their operations to retain their audiences and stay in business.