Department News

New CD releases by faculty pianists Bjerken and Yampolsky | Wed Feb 18, 2009

Xak Bjerken and Miri Yamposky have new CDs both with a release date of February 2009. Might this suggest a bit of competition in the family? Actually, it's merely coincidence that both of these pianists can celebrate releases in this month.

Xak Bjerken is pianist for Chandos' CD, The Horse with the Lavender Eye, featuring piano and chamber music of American composer Stephen Hartke (b. 1952). The disc begins with the work for which the CD is named—The Horse with the Lavender Eye, episodes for trio bringing together long-time friends Ellen Jewett (violin) and Richard Faria (clarinet). The CD ends with King of the Sun, a tableaux for violin, viola, cello and piano recorded by the Los Angeles Piano Quartet. In between Bjerken presents solo piano works, including selections from Post-modern Homages and Harte's Sonata for Piano. In addition to playing, Xak Bjerken wrote the liner notes and was co-producer with Joel Gordon.

Pianist Miri Yampolsky and long-time collaborator Ariadne Daskalakis recorded Witold Lutoslawski's complete works for violin and piano, as well as music of Szymanowski and Janacek for their Naxos CD. Lutoslawski's works for violin and piano number three: Recitative e Arioso, Subito, and Partita. These works are flanked by masterpieces of fellow Eastern European composers Karol Szymanowski (Myths, op. 30) and Leos Janácek (Violin Sonata).