Corea / Higdon / Warnaar: Brass Ensemble Concertos

This album is part of Giancarlo Guerrero and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra's mission to expand the contemporary American concert repertoire. Each of these three works illuminates a different facet of the relatively overlooked brass family. Brad Warnaar's cornet concerto wittily pays homage to the rich heritage of 19th-century brass music, while Chick Corea's trombone concerto, his last completed composition, combines lyricism, jazz spontaneity, and orchestral drama. Jennifer Higdon's "Low Brass Concerto" honors the spirit of this orchestral group with a majestic single-movement work of clarity and resonance. All these pieces expand the expressive possibilities of the brass concerto in a surprising and deeply moving way. The soloists on this recording are among the finest brass players. José Sibaja (Warnaar) is one of the most versatile and renowned trumpeters of his generation, with worldwide performances and radio appearances in the classical, Latin, jazz, and pop genres. Joseph Alessi (Corea) is a trombonist with the New York Philharmonic and can look back on a remarkable career as a soloist and recording artist, including his album "Return to Sorrento" and the performance of Stephen Grycs' trombone concerto "Passagi". Higdon's "Low Brass Concerto" is masterfully performed by the musicians of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra's renowned brass section. Their recording of Michael Daugherty's "Metropolis Symphony" was awarded several Grammy Awards. Giancarlo Guerrero is a six-time Grammy winner known for his imaginative programming. As music director of the Nashville Symphony, he spent 16 seasons championing contemporary American music through commissioned works, recordings, and performances. Under his leadership, the Nashville Symphony premiered 24 works by composers such as Béla Fleck, Ben Folds, Jennifer Higdon, Hannibal Lokumbe, Terry Riley, Wayne Shorter, and Victor Wooten.