The UA Blog

Anton Rosputko releases debut recording of Chopin, Piano Sonata No. 3, on 28 August

10/8/2020

Latvian pianist and Vienna resident Anton Rosputko releases his debut recording, of Chopin, Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58, on 28 August 2020.

Anton Rosputko was born in Jūrmala (Latvia) in 1993. Interntional awards include 1st Prize, Gradus ad Parnassum Competition (Kaunas, Lithuania); Third Open Russian Competition in Kaliningrad, 2nd Prize, Virtuosi per musica di pianoforte, Ústí nad Labem (Czech Republic), 3rd Prize; Schumer Prize in Enschede (Netherlands), 2nd Prize (2007) and 1st Prize (2010) at the Jūrmala International Competition. His main mentors have been Tatyana Pavlyuchenko, Jānis Maļeckis, Pavel Gililov and Boris Petrushansky.

Anton Rosputko received a Latvian Ministry of Culture prize in 2005, 2006 and 2008, as well as a Latvian 'Recognition Award' in 2009. In 2012 he received the Hübel Foundation Scholarship. He is a prize-winner of the Mozarteum International Summer Academy (Salzburg, Austria, 2009), including performing in the Salzburg Festival.

Anton has also taken part in masterclasses with Armen Babakhanian, Arkadiy Sevidov, Pavel Gililov, Sergej Maltsev, Anatol Ugorski, Peter Tacács, Jacques Rouvier, Matti Raekallio, Siegfried Mauser, Wolfgang Manz, Boris Petrushansky and Denis Proshayev.

Anton Rosputko was a participant of the Kaunas Festival in Lithuania in 2006 and 2010. As a soloist with orchestra he has performed with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra and Normunds Vaicis, Sinfonia Concertante Orchestra with Andris Vecumnieks, Kaunas City Orchestra and Modestas Pitrenas, Liepāja Symphony, and Amber Sound Orchestra with Tadeusz Wojciechowski. Anton Rosputko has performed widely in Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Performance venues include the Great Hall and the Vienna Hall of the Mozarteum Foundation, Solitär Hall of the Mozarteum University, Great Concert Hall of the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, Great Hall of the University of Music and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Theatre Leipzig, the Concert Hall of Kaliningrad Philharmoniс Society, Great Hall of Kaunas State Philharmonic Society; the Small Guild, Riga House of Moscow, Great Hall of Latvian National Opera and Dzintari Concert Hall.

Release Details

Download:
iTunes: https://music.apple.com/gb/album/chopin-piano-sonata-no-3-in-b-minor-op-58-ep/1525608771
Amazon Music: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chopin-Piano-Sonata-No-minor/dp/B08DX55S8Y

Stream:
Spotify:
http://open.spotify.com/album/4GuBmUalvuWpUreNQYvmZk
(Playlisted in Spotify's Classical New Releases: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWV0gynK7G6pD

Deezer:
https://deezer.page.link/PLaZodrDaSTZbB9G6

Recording Engineer: Sascha Tekale
Apple Digital Masters Certification: John Croft
- Chiaro Audio
UPC 5054526851603

YouTube:
1st movement - https://youtu.be/T0JOWEXxq4c
2nd movement - https://youtu.be/yMAA93OrKds
3rd movement - https://youtu.be/UYoZY9_-gY0
4th movement - https://youtu.be/b2xUK-0Hc1c

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Thomas Kelly Debut Releases - Liszt, Chopin and Schumann on Ulysses Arts

31/7/2020

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Ulysses Arts is delighted to release pianist Thomas Kelly's debut recordings, starting with Liszt, Rhapsodie espagnole, on 21 August 2020. Chopin Nocturne in D-flat Op. 27 No. 2 follows on 4 September, and Schumann's Toccata Op. 7 on 25 September.

James Ross, director of Ulysses Arts, comments:

'It is a great pleasure to be launching Thomas Kelly's debut recording with Ulysses Arts on Friday 21 August, of Liszt's Rhapsodie espagnole. I first met Thomas when judging the The Purcell School's Senior Concerto Competition a few years back. He played Brahms' Second Piano Concerto. Beforehand I was sceptical about the likelihood of a 17-year old pianist being ready musically to interpret this work, however technically impressive or promising they were. I was wrong: Thomas' performance was utterly convincing and he won the first prize amongst a field of excellent finalists crowded with talent.

Since then I have had the pleasure of performing Rachmaninov PIano Concerto No. 1 with Thomas, and of hearing him continue to develop as a musician - it is therefore hugely exciting now to be releasing his work.'

Thomas is currently studying at the Royal College of Music in London with Andrew Ball. His three single releases will be followed by a full album in autumn 2020, including music by Sibelius, Prokofiev, Reubke and Tippett.

Release Information:
Liszt, Rhapsodie espagnole
https://www.facebook.com/events/945394305932960
https://music.apple.com/gb/album/rhapsodie-espagnole-s-254-ep/1525770489
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/7pDQ4wb98i1lx8EwXKkDNr
YouTube: https://youtu.be/KAcESj3VjcQ
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/album/164225212
UPC 5054526852310

Chopin, Nocturne in D-flat Op. 27 No. 2
Apple Music and iTunes: https://music.apple.com/gb/album/nocturnes-op-27-ii-lento-sostenuto-in-d-flat-major-single/1525771498
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1oidvTusUJTkVoz9Q3Pg9M
Deezer: https://deezer.page.link/JvqjX4bTefmFFWNE6
YouTube: https://youtu.be/O22MWZlMFRE
UPC 5054526852679

Schumann, Toccata Op. 27
Apple Music and iTunes: https://music.apple.com/gb/album/toccata-op-7-single/1525771268
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/7dUsPPgXmrDGMMZVcZV4HG
Deezer: https://deezer.page.link/M6Dg17iyvUPB3t9S8
YouTube: https://youtu.be/6v5ARQFyxr4
UPC 5054526852686

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ANTOINE PRÉAT PLAYS BEETHOVEN PIANO SONATA NO. 31 OP.110 - EP RELEASING ON 19 JUNE

10/6/2020

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Ulysses Arts introduces Franco-Belgian pianist Antoine Préat's debut recording of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No.31 in A-flat Major, Op.110 on Friday 19 June on ITunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer and all major streaming services.

The Beethoven release precedes Antoine Préat's full album 'Polyphony', also including works by J.S. Bach, Chopin and Scriabin, to be launched in autumn 2020. Antoine comments:

'Born into a Baroque-fanatic family in Paris, I grew up immersed in the sound of the 'cello and harpsichord. I have always been intruiged by polyphonic music, with deep emotion contained within a perfectly assembled puzzle. I decided to dedicate my debut album to this theme, with the Beethoven as a preview. A deaf Beethoven produced this gem of virtuous wisdom, tragedy and vulnerability, culminating in an amazing fugue. It is a testament to an incredible craftsman, an honest poet and a philosopher in music.'

Described as 'one of the most gifted artists of the younger generation' and 'a young artist with a distinctive voice', Antoine Préat made his orchestral debut aged 17 playing Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto. He has performed at the Salle Cortot, Salle Gaveau and Beaux Arts Museum in Paris, Thayer Hall in Los Angeles, Freydrick Chopin Institute, Warsaw and the Wigmore Hall, London. His performances have been broadcasted by the BBC and France Musique.

Antoine studied at the Ecole Normale de Musique Alfred Cortot in Paris and at the Royal Academy of Music, London, with Tatiana Sarkissova, winning the Colin Murray Award, Vivian Langrish Award and Bache Fund Award, where he is now a postgraduate student with Christopher Elton.

Décrit comme "un jeune artiste doté d'une voix particulière", Antoine Préat se distingue par des débuts très prometteurs en tant que soliste et chambriste.

Né en août 1997, ce pianiste franco-belge débute l'apprentissage du piano à l'âge de 9 ans à Paris. Un an plus tard, il joue en public pour la première fois Salle Gaveau.

Antoine fait ses débuts avec orchestre à 17ans, jouant le deuxième concerto de Rachmaninov avec l'Orchestre d'Alicante, et se produit régulièrement en tant que soliste avec des orchestres tels que le London Student Orchestra, le Tonerl Chamber Orchestra, les Sainsbury Soloists, l'orchestre de l'Académie Royale et le Resonate Chamber Ensemble. Il est invité à se produire dans différents festivals tels que le Festival Chopin à Nohant, Chopin à Bagatelle, les Concerts d'Esther, Marathon Chopin (pour son bicentenaire), les Nuits du piano à Paris, Jeunes talents, et l'Encuentro de Santander. Il se produit régulièrement en tant que soliste et en musique de chambre à travers la France ainsi qu'en Europe et aux Etats Unis, dans des salles telles que le Wigmore Hall, la Salle Cortot, la Salle Gaveau, l'Equinoxe, Schloss Glienicke, l'Institut Frederyk Chopin et le Petit Palais.

Formé au CNR de Paris puis à l'École Normale Alfred Cortot, d'où il sortira diplômé à l'unanimité à 17 ans, il a notamment été élève de deux héritiers de l'Ecole Russe : Guigla Katsarava, élève de Lev Naumov, et Ludmila Berlinskaia, "protégée" de Sviatoslav Richter.

Marqué par cet enseignement russe, Antoine a choisi de poursuivre sa formation à la Royal Academy of Music de Londres, dans la classe de Tatiana Sarkissova où il a reçu le Colin Murray Award et le Vivian Langrish Award après avoir obtenu les plus hauts résultats de l’institution, et termine actuellement son Master auprès de Christopher Elton.

DOWNLOAD NOW ON ITUNES HERE

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6sbugbIevP08ADOYDhY5LO

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/album/151467932

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLabrcmXLYzTJeb1Tf2TSH8VdE2kVBmPQn

Release Details:
Record Number: UA000019
UPC: 5054526748620

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Nafis Umerkulova's album Darkness illuminated - Scriabin and Stanchinsky

16/10/2019

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Ulysses Arts launches Darkness illuminated by Uzbek pianist Nafis Umerkulova in September 2019. The album sets piano works of eccentric enigmatic genius Alexander Scriabin alongside those of his rarely heard contemporary, Aleksey Stanchinsky.

Stanchinsky’s extraordinary talent was noticed at an early age. He was invited to study with Sergei Taneyev, a teacher of Rachmaninov, Scriabin and Medtner. Many believed Stanchinsky was destined to become a great Russian composer, however his untimely death at the age of 26 put an early end to his creative genius, Medtner dedicated his Three Pieces Op. 31 to the memory of Stanchinsky.

Scriabin’s Preludes Op.16 from “Darkness illuminated” reflect his fascination at the time with the music of Chopin, whereas his Fourth Sonata Op.30 and Two Poems Op.32 are among the highlights of Scriabin’s artistic input. Stanchinsky’s Sonata in E-flat minor pays homage to Scriabin, and is one of the forgotten jewels of twentieth century piano sonata repertoire.

Nafis Umerkulova comments: ‘Scriabin’s music has been my lifelong passion; I discovered Stanchinsky’s works some years ago and immediately fell in love with them. The music I chose for this album was written within a 17-year time span; my intention was to draw parallels between the works and to demonstrate how the style of each composer evolved over this period. Illuminating, through my vision, a creative chapter from the lives of Scriabin and Stanchinsky, I hope to connect the listener more closely with this beautiful music.’

A prize-winner of national and international competitions, Nafis Umerkulova, was the first musician from Uzbekistan to be awarded a full scholarship to study at the Purcell School as well as at the Royal Academy of Music and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Nafis is also a recipient of the prestigious Myra Hess Award by Help Musician’s UK. She has performed in venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Birmingham Symphony and Town Halls, Manchester Bridgewater Hall and Glasgow City Halls.

Apple ITunes Link

https://music.apple.com/gb/album/darkness-illuminated-nafis-umerkulova-plays-piano-music/1479182364?fbclid=IwAR2gsCdk3grYtpUG12MOGsWuXN_hSFTsi6EswOt1JEOLbu-hEIXt3NIbn2c

Preview Links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKoEP4kFK_E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL5gQZRARiw

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Veronika Shoot - Journey through Childhood - launched on 10 May 2019

6/4/2019

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RUSSIAN-BORN PIANIST VERONIKA SHOOT PRESENTS DEBUT ALBUM ‘JOURNEY THROUGH CHILDHOOD’ – SCHUMANN, DEBUSSY, SHOSTAKOVICH, KORNGOLD, VLADISLAV SHOOT, TAKEMITSU AND LYADOV

Ulysses Arts is delighted to launch Journey through Childhood by Russian-born pianist Veronika Shoot on 10 May 2019. The album is a unique exploration of children’s music, and compositions inspired by childhood.

Veronika Shoot

Veronika Shoot’s sonic picture of childhood features a vast array of musical styles, interweaving well-known masterpieces including Debussy’s Children’s Corner and Schumann’s Scenes from Childhood, alongside rarely played classics by Korngold, Takemitsu and Shostakovich, and the first ever recording of Children’s Album by composer Vladislav Shoot, the artist’s father. Journey through Childhood aims to capture and inspire the imagination of both adults and children.

Veronika Shoot comments: ‘I was inspired to create Journey Through Childhood by my father Vladislav Shoot’s Children’s Album. I have played these pieces since my earliest days as a pianist and find myself returning time and again to the beauty, playfulness and intricate visual narratives of each composition. I intended the album to illustrate a varied landscape of the earliest years of human experience and its imaginative power. It is my vision to create a fresh perspective into the vast world of great children’s music, much still little known. As Saint-Exupéry wrote in The Little Prince, “… All grown-ups were children once although few of them remember it…” I would like to dedicate Journey Through Childhood to the inner child in every one of us, in the hope that it provides a door to explore that world and all its creative possibilities.’

Described by Yehudi Menuhin as ‘destined to become a great pianist’, Veronika Shoot was born in Moscow and moved to the UK when Vladislav Shoot was invited to become Artist in Residence at Dartington Hall in 1993. She studied at the Menhuin and Purcell Schools, the Royal Academy of Music and Royal Scottish Conservatoire, and performed at the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, St John’s Smith Square and Purcell Room, BOZAR Fine Arts Centre in Brussels, Istanbul International Mozart Festival, Moscow’s Rachmaninov Hall, and the Château de Versailles.

Integral to Journey through Childhood is the aspiration to inspire and engage a new generation of musicians. Veronika Shoot has devised a series of workshops for schools in London and Moscow; Journey through Childhood’s next stage will be the creation of an animation film and interactive digital experience.

Download the complete album with extensive digital brochure at: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/journey-through-childhood/1458868476

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Anton Rosputko releases debut recording of Chopin, Piano Sonata No. 3, on 28 August

Thomas Kelly Debut Releases - Liszt, Chopin and Schumann on Ulysses Arts

ANTOINE PRÉAT PLAYS BEETHOVEN PIANO SONATA NO. 31 OP.110 - EP RELEASING ON 19 JUNE

Nafis Umerkulova's album Darkness illuminated - Scriabin and Stanchinsky

Veronika Shoot - Journey through Childhood - launched on 10 May 2019

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