Oboe Professor’s Trio Releases New Album
A new album celebrates the enduring friendship of three musicians. Released on March 6 by Navona Records, a classical imprint of music production house PARMA Recordings, “Thread” features Associate Professor of Oboe Eilzabeth Sullivan (below, right) and her longtime musical partners, flutist Rebecca Johnson and pianist Cara Chowning. Together they are Trio Village.
The musicians formed Trio Village more than a decade ago, when all three were doctoral students at the University of Illinois. They have presented programs at universities, conferences and festivals throughout the United States. Through their performances and commissions, they strive to champion works by women and other historically excluded composers that are not standard to the chamber music canon. “Thread,” their first album, presents new music by eight contemporary composers.
The album takes its title from the opening work, composed by Leonard Mark Lewis, professor of music at Winthrop University. In six short movements, “Thread” reflects “the enduring bond of three individuals who first came together through music, interwoven through the joys, challenges and ever-changing aspects of life,” Lewis wrote in the album notes.
Composer Shawn Okpebholo describes “The Spiral” as “a whirling interplay between the oboe, flute, and piano — a dialogue illustrated through timbral, rhythmic, and tonal shifts” that reflects upon ideas of “growth and personal transformation.” Brandon K. Smith’s one-movement “Trio in A Major” and the lively “Sprout” by Jasmine Arielle Barnes are also for the full trio of musicians, while the other four works showcase Sullivan and Johnson – often with electronics. Click here for a full track list, notes, and purchase information.
The multi-year project of commissions and recordings was completed with support from various organizations and funding sources, including a UNC Charlotte Faculty Research Grant, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Arts & Science Council Artist Support Grants, Eastern Illinois University Council on Faculty Research Fall and Summer Research and Creative Activity Awards and the Illinois Arts Council Creative Accelerator Fund.