The four female composers on this album have received relatively little attention. Pioneering violist and composer Rebecca Clarke (1886–1979) is probably the most well-known, and the album “encircles” her legacy as a departure point for discovering other brilliant female contemporaries who wrote original works for viola.  Her work is represented by her less well-known Passacaglia on an Old English Tune, poignant with its composition after the Fall of France and before the US entered WW2 at Pearl Harbor. Her fellow Brit, Dorothy Fox (1894–1934) died tragically, and this is the world premiere recording of her Sonata for Viola and Piano (1927) despite it being published and receiving a broadcast during the BBC’s second year of radio operations.  French composers Marcelle Soulage (1894–1970) and Hélène Fleury Roy (1876–1957) were fêted during their lives: Soulange won second prize at the 1921 “Salon des Musiciens Français” for the Sonata (1919) recorded for this album, and Fleury Roy was notably the first woman to win the “Prix de Rome”.  Despite these distinctions, this is only the second time these works have been commercially recorded.

Violist Daphne Gerling and pianist Tomoko  Kashiwagi perform works associated with the Berkshire Composition Competition sponsored by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge (1864–1953), pianist and patron of music. The duo has toured venues throughout the US, (Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama), Canada, and last year had the honor of being featured in recital at the International Viola Congress in Thailand. They are performing at the 2024 Congress next month in Campinas, Brazil. 

Acis’ founder, GRAMMY®-nominated producer Geoffrey Silver says,

“Acis is proud to introduce brilliant recordings of powerful works performed by leading female artists of our time to the diet of the discerning listener. The viola as a solo instrument is often overlooked, and this recording is another example of how this rich strand of concert music is long overdue a thorough exploration. Beautifully supported by Tomoko Kashiwagi, Daphne Gerling brings both her scholarship and performing credentials to the table in spades.”

Encircling drops on July 16, 2024 and is available on all streaming services.  Studio quality downloads and physical CDs are available from the Label.

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES please contact: Amanda Sweet, Bucklesweet, amanda@bucklesweet.com

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