Genre: Solo Instrumental

Through keen observations of nature, imaginative nocturnal scenes, and apt studies in form, Rachel Lee Guthrie crafts a series of works for solo piano in romantic and baroque styles, letting her impressionistic influences shine through with meditative beauty. From the emotional Serenade to the dynamic Lullaby to the lively Waltz, Guthrie proves herself capable of expressing a wide range of feeling and pianistic style. On EXPLORING THE HEART, a collection of 10 of Guthrie's works for solo piano, her qualities as a composer shine and receive ample support from pianists Karolina Rojahn and Dmitry Tavanets.

Pianist Gayle Martin achieved international prominence as the sole American laureate of the sixth International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow. The Washington Post called her performance “a tour de force” and praised her artistry for its “intense passion and deep-seated emotional response to the music.” The Woodstock Times cited her recital as one “which, if recorded on 78’s, could have fooled the average pianophile into thinking he or she was listening to one of the greats of the past.” A native of Texas, Gayle was a student of Madame Rosina Lhévinne at The Juilliard School, where she was awarded the coveted Josef Lhévinne Prize.

THE PRELUDES PROJECT is Holly Roadfeldt’s debut album on RAVELLO records, and features a complete recording of Chopin’s Op. 28 preludes for piano and a new set of twenty-six piano preludes written by American composer Kirk O’Riordan. In her performance of these works, Roadfeldt takes claim to one of the most iconic pieces in the solo piano repertoire, and also annoints O’Riordan’s new work as an impressive achievement among Classical music’s greatest sets of piano preludes.