Together: Yolanda Kondonassis and Jason Vieaux
He recently won the Grammy for “Play” as Best Instrumental Solo, and was also in Portland in the fall for a solo recital with Portland Classic Guitar. She has a Grammy-nominated CD titled “Air”, and next season, will perform Alberto Ginastera’s Harp Concerto with the Oregon Symphony. Now, harpist Yolanda Kondonassis and guitarist Jason Vieaux have released a gorgeous and adventurous first CD that pairs these two extraordinary American musical talents. “Together” is the apt title of this first collaboration by these two performers, who both teach at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and in this CD have crafted a diverse but at the same time, cohesive grouping of works for their instruments, many of which are by living composers (Maximo Diego Puhol, Gary Schocker and Keith Fitch), but also by such greats as the Catalan composer Xavier Montsavatge and American Alan Hovhaness.
I had an enjoyable time recently with Mr. Vieaux and Ms. Kondonassis, learning how these two just recently started playing together, and how their collaborations culminated in this new CD that has music that fully explores the possibilities of harp and guitar, both as a duo and individually. You’ll hear a selection from each of the pieces on their new disc, and hear about their approach to this repertoire, which they say presents some special challenges as well as rewards.
Kondonassis & Vieaux: Together
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