Kathrin Christians / Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn / Ruben Gazarian FELD - WEINBERG - THEODORAKIS

“Feld’s Concerto for flute, string orchestra, piano, harp and percussion is the work that set the idea to record this rather unusual repertoire in motion. This piece is one of the cases in music history where a decent work is at risk of wrongly being forgotten. It is played far too rarely. The outward-thrusting eruptive energy, which might not be typically associated with the flute, is what intrigued me. Weinberg’s brilliant version of Concerto no. 2 op. 148 for flute and string orchestra is recorded here for the first time ever and was another important item for me, even though I initially harboured some doubts when putting the programme together. I spent a long time pondering on whether or not to include the Weinberg and Mikis Theodorakis’s Adagio for Solo-Flute, String Orchestra & Percussion, fearing that it would make for a very sombre release. This dilemma was an important process because it made me realise just how good the selection is. All the pieces go hand in hand with one another, feed into one another and give one another so much energy.”

Kathrin Christians is an internationally renowned flautist, having performed worldwide both as a soloist and with orchestras. On this release she performs with the Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn (WKO), under the baton of its chief conductor and artistic director Ruben Gazarian. (Presto Classical)

Sharon Kam PORTRAIT - Virtuose Klarinettenmusik

Sharon Kam is one of the world’s leading clarinet soloists and has been working with renowned orchestras in the United States, Europe, and Japan for over 20 years.

Mozart’s clarinet masterpieces have been an object of artistic focus for Ms. Kam since the beginning of her career. At the age of 16, she performed the Mozart Clarinet Concerto in her orchestral debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Zubin Mehta. A short time later, she performed the Clarinet Quintet with the Guarneri String Quartet in Carnegie Hall, New York.

As part of Mozart’s 250th birthday celebrations at the National Theatre in Prague, her interpretation of the Mozart concerto was televised live in 33 countries and is available on DVD. In the same year, she was able to realize her longtime dream of recording the Concerto and the Clarinet Quintet using the basset clarinet. Contributing to the widely praised disk were eminent string players Isabelle van Keulen, Ulrike-Anima Mathé, Volker Jacobsen and Gustav Rivinus, as well as the Haydn Philharmonie.

As a passionate chamber musician, Sharon Kam regularly works with artists such as Lars Vogt, Christian Tetzlaff, Enrico Pace, Daniel Müller-Schott, Leif Ove Andsnes, Caroline Widmann and the Jerusalem Quartet. She is a frequent guest at festivals in Schleswig-Holstein, Heimbach, Rheingau, Risør, Cork, Verbier, and Delft, as well as the Schubertiade festival. She is also an active performer of contemporary music music and has premiered works by Krzysztof Penderecki (the Clarinet Concerto and Clarinet Quartet), Herbert Willi (the Clarinet Concerto, at the Salzburg Festival), Iván Erőd and Peter Ruzicka (at Donaueschingen).

Sharon Kam feels at home in a variety of musical genres – from classical to modern music and jazz – a fact reflected in her diverse discography. She received the ECHO “Instrumentalist of the Year” award two times: in 1998, for her Weber recording with the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig and Kurt Masur, and in 2006, for her CD with the Leipzig Radio Orchestra featuring works by Spohr, Weber, Rossini and Mendelssohn. Her “American Classics” disc with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by her husband Gregor Bühl, was awarded the Deutsche Schallplattenkritik Prize.