Chanticleer Wins the Chorus America Education Outreach Award

Congratulations to Chanticleer for winning Chorus America's "Chorus America Education Outreach Award."

Each year, Chorus America's member organizations submit nominations for outstanding programming in education outreach. Criteria for the Education Outreach Award vary from year to year, as stipulated by Chorus America’s Education Committee, in order to highlight specific aspects of this important field. Winners receive an engraved plaque and a cash award of $2,500.

The award winner was selected by a panel of judges consisting of the Chairperson of the Chorus America Programs & Education Committee or his/her appointed delegate, a member of the Chorus America Programs & Education Committee, and a member-at-large of Chorus America who is neither a board member nor affiliated with a chorus under consideration for the award. At least one member of the panel is a professional educator.

So congratulations to Chanticleer for winning this wonderful, and prestigious award!

Also, we would like to note that Chorus America's "Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal" was created in memory of Louis Botto for his artistry, selfless service to the choral art, and entrepreneurial spirit in founding the men's vocal ensemble Chanticleer and bringing it to national prominence as the first professional choral ensemble in the U.S., outside the military, consistently to offer full-time employment to its singers. The award is given periodically to an individual who through his or her work with a member ensemble of Chorus America has demonstrated innovative action and entrepreneurial zeal in developing a professional or professional-core choral ensemble (in operation for at least 5 years).

Another Raving Review of Christopher O'Riley

THE LAST SONATA, THE LONGEST OPUS
As the Piano Rules Ludwig's Roost
By Paul Hertelendy
artssf.com, the independent observer of San Francisco Bay Area music and dance
Week of April 18-25, 2010
Vol. 12, No. 92

SAN JOSE---There were some admirable Promethean heights in Christopher O’Riley’s assault on late Beethoven in his April 17 piano recital here. Pairing Beethoven’s longest piano piece---the monumental “Diabelli” Variations---with the resonant last sonata (Op. 111) made a powerful statement echoing through the time-worn concert hall on the San José State University campus.

O’Riley is best known for hosting the syndicated radio showcase for teen musicians, “From the Top,” which has done more to dissolve stereotypes of nerdy classical musicians than anything else since Leonard Bernstein’s music lectures on early TV, But he is also a concert pianist, doing both recitals and concertos around the country with panache.

What I really liked about O’Riley was his dynamism and passion in attacking the keyboard...read the full review at ArtsSF.com

Wiener Staatsoper Orchester - Don Giovanni

If you recall, on our Syrah Classics album, one of the free download tracks we posted was the Overture to Don Giovanni performed by the Wiener Staatsoper Orchester. So today we thought it would be fun to post a fun video we came across of the Wiener Staatsoper Orchester in a performance of Don Giovanni on a live recording from 1954!

Some Chanticleer Fun!

Chanticleer is still continuing their rigorous tour schedule, but today we wanted to prove to you that this is an ensemble that isn't filled with stuffy musical geniuses. Rather, they are fun-loving musical geniuses! So enjoy some recent pics that Chanticleer shared via their Twitter account @ChanticleerSF:

Tomorrow

We just wanted to do a quick blog letting you know of something fun we're going to be doing on Twitter tomorrow in case you're not following us already. Tomorrow for Wine Wednesday we want your suggestions for what wines go best with our other three releases (Chanticleer's Fireside DVD, Christopher O'Riley's "Out Of My Hands," and Maestro Alex Gregory's "Bach On Steroids")

So follow us on Twitter tomorrow and give us your favorite pairing!

So make sure you're on Twitter and following: @WhiteTieRecords

Wine Classics to try

Since we've gone through our seven Wine Classics albums, we thought it would be fun to present some things in the theme "Wine Classics" that aren't musical! So today, we wanted to share a fun article from Food & Wine:

50 Wine Classics You Must Try
Ray Isle devises a 50-bottle introduction to the world's great wines.

By Ray Isle

What is a classic wine? It’s a wine that gives a definitive sense of a region or a style; it’s exemplary, a model of the form, even iconic—a standard-bearer. That doesn’t mean the wine is expensive (though some certainly are), nor that it’s made in extraordinarily limited amounts (though that’s sometimes true). In fact, among the 50 classics on these pages is a $12 cava from a producer that sells millions of cases a year.

We strongly encourage you to check out this site and go through their 50 Wine Classics!

Christopher O'Riley at UC-Irvine

A couple of weeks ago, Out Of My Hands artist, Christopher O'Riley hosted his NPR Program "From the Top" at the University of California - Irvine. Like he usually does during "From the Top" Mr. O'Riley features young musicians, and also plays some music himself. Today we came across a fantastic review of the UC-Irvine event that we just couldn't help but share:

From "Music by Anne-Marie Lynne":

Orange County Register

Pianist Christopher O’Riley’s “From the Top,” the most popular classical music radio show on the air today, is all about breaking the icy ritual of classical performance. Its formula is simple. Find talented young performers, chit-chat with them a bit, then let them play. It overturns the old Victorian admonition; here, children (and young adults) are seen and heard.

O’Riley brought the format, if not the broadcast, to Irvine Barclay Theatre Friday night as part of the venue’s 20th anniversary celebrations. In this iteration, he collaborated with music students from the University of California, Irvine. It all went smoothly, the performances, too, and the audience lapped it up.

The pre-performance interviews are crucial to the show’s success. O’Riley is a calm and composed interviewer, wry at times but never trying too hard. The goal is nothing more than to generate a little small talk and put the performers (and audience) at ease. To the three colorfully gowned, carefully coiffed young women who were his first guests he asked, “Who’s getting married?,” got a laugh, and we were off. We learned, for instance, that cellist Anne-Marie Alexander also studied criminology in addition to music, and enjoyed working on cars. The interviews are rather like Alex Trebek’s contestant interviews on “Jeopardy,” in fact, with the same humanizing result. “Musicians are real people too” is the message...continued on "Music by Anne-Marie Lynne"

We strongly encourage you to read the article in its entirety as the author goes into detail about Mr. O'Riley's performances and includes wonderful reactions from the young artists themselves.

Christopher O'Riley - Beyond Radiohead

We wanted to share this great write-up on Christopher O'Riley that we found in the Oakland Tribune. The article was in preparation for a concert that O'Riley gave at San Jose State, and it talked about how Christopher O'Riley's piano recital skills in the standard repertory are often overlooked because of his status as a radio host and because of his fame doing arrangements of Radiohead (like on our album "Out of My Hands"). But, the reason that O'Riley's been able to have the career he's had is that he above all else, an outstanding pianist.

Here is an excerpt from the article, and we encourage you to read it in its entirety at the Oakland Tribune Website.

Christopher O'Riley — radio host and Radiohead fan — to play works by Beethoven at S.J. State

By Richard Scheinin

...O'Riley also loves to talk about his No. 1 obsession of recent years: the band Radiohead, a favorite of many classical musicians. Trouble is, O'Riley's public profile as radio host and Radiohead lover has sometimes obscured the fact that he is also a piano recitalist of the first rank, one who routinely delves into core repertory. He has devoted most of his career to performing the works of Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Schumann and others — including Beethoven.

Now, here's your chance to witness O'Riley's talents as a Beethoven interpreter: Saturday at San Jose State University, he will give an all-Beethoven recital, performing a pair of monumental works, the Diabelli Variations and the late-period Sonata in C minor, Op. 111. He is coming at the invitation of the American Beethoven Society, which brings a leading Beethoven interpreter to San Jose State each year. Richard Goode, Garrick Ohlsson, Anton Kuerti and Angela Hewitt have performed in the past.

"And Chris's Beethoven is like no one else's," says William Meredith, director of the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies at San Jose State, the event's co-sponsor. (The concert is a benefit for the center's fund for acquiring new manuscripts, first editions and other Beethoveniana.) "He carries you away from banal everyday life into a wide-open creative musical space...

Read the full article on InsideBayArea.com

Wine Wednesday Complimentary Download - Cabernet Classics

We have introduced to you our seven "Wine Classics" compilations, and today we finish our series celebrating the weekly Twitter holiday "Wine Wednesday" here on our blog. To celebrate, each week we have posted a couple of tracks from each of our seven "Wine Classics" compilations. Today we present two tracks from Cabernet Classics. It is our hope that you will download these tracks and listen to them while enjoying your favorite Cabernet! If you're following us on Twitter (@WhiteTieRecords), let us know what Cabernet you're drinking and where it comes from. Most of all have a happy Wine Wednesday!

To create a perfect companion to your favorite Cabernet, your two complimentary tracks today are Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major: Mvt. 2. Lento, and Mendelssohn's Nocturne from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61.

To download these tracks from Cabernet Classics, right-click the track links and save them to your computer!

The complete Cabernet Classics compilation is available on iTunes, Amazon, and practically any other download store.

White Tie Artist Tours

Today we just wanted to take some time and let you know of our artists current tour schedules so that you can check them out live!

Christopher O'Riley:

April 17, 2010: San Jose, CA: recital @ Beethoven Center featuring Diabelli Variations

May 8, 2010: Croton, NY: recital w/Carter Brey, cellist

May 14,15, 2010: Austin, TX Mozart Concerto, K. 595 w/Austin Symphony, Peter Bay, cond,

May 18, 2010: Ames, IA: live taping of From the Top

May 27, 2010: Los Angeles, CA: recital @ LA County Museam of Art

June 18, 2010: live taping of From the Top @ Gettysburg Festival

July 14, 2010: live taping of From the Top @ Young Artists Piano Camp, Minneapolis, MN

July 30, 2010: solo recital @ Caramoor Festival

Chanticleer:

04/10/10 New York, NY Metropolitan Museum of Art, 7:00 PM

04/11/10 Boston, MA Jordan Hall, 3:00 PM

04/13/10 New York,, NY Private Event, TBA

04/15/10 Greenville, NC East Carolina University, 7:30 PM

04/17/10 Bethlehem, PA Educational Residency, 11:00am

04/17/10 Bethlehem, , PA Lehigh University, 8:00 PM

04/18/10 The Plains, VA Grace Episcopal Church, 5:00 PM

04/19/10 Winchester, VA Shenandoah University, 7:30pm

04/21/10 Cookeville, TN Educational Residency, TBA

04/21/10 Cookeville, TN Tennessee Tech University, TBA

04/24/10 Lima, OH Concert TBA, 7:30pm

04/24/2010 Lima, OH Interactive Educational Event, 11:00am

04/25/10 Cinncinnati, OH St. Peter in Chains, 3:00 PM

May, 2010

05/03/10 Portland, OR St. Philip Neri, 7:30 PM

05/04/10 Portland, OR Educational Residency, TBA

05/04/10 Portland, OR Kaul Auditorium, 7:30pm

05/06/10 Madison, WI Union Theater, 7:00 PM

05/07/10 St. Louis, MO St. Louis Cathedral, 8:00 PM

05/08/10 Columbia, MO Missouri United Methodist Church, 8:00 PM

05/10/10 Lincoln, NE First Plymouth Church, 7:00 PM

05/11/10 Omaha, NE St. Cecilias Cathedral, 7:30pm

05/13/2010 Malibu, CA Interactive Educational Event, 2:00pm

05/13/10 Malibu, CA Smothers Theater, 7:30pm

05/14/10 Santa Barbara, CA Campbell Hall, UCSB, 8:00pm

June, 2010

06/02/10 Berkeley, CA First Congregational Church, 8:00 PM

06/03/10 Sacramento, CA St. Francis Church, 8:00 PM

06/04/10 San Jose, CA St. Joseph Cathedral, 8:00 PM

06/05/10 San Francisco, CA Mission Dolores, 8:00 PM

06/14/10 Shanghai, China Expo 2010, TBA

Wine Wednesday Complimentary Download - Chardonnay Classics

We have introduced to you our seven "Wine Classics" compilations, and today we would like to continue our series celebrating the weekly Twitter holiday "Wine Wednesday" here on our blog. To celebrate, each week we will be posting a couple of tracks from each of our seven "Wine Classics" compilations. Today we present two tracks from Chardonnay Classics. It is our hope that you will download these tracks and listen to them while enjoying your favorite Chardonnay! If you're following us on Twitter (@WhiteTieRecords), let us know what Chardonnay you're drinking and where it comes from. Most of all have a happy Wine Wednesday!

To create a perfect companion to your favorite Chardonnay, your two complimentary tracks today are Mozart's Serenade No. 13 in G Major "Eine kleine Nachtmusik", K525 — 2. Romanze, and Schubert's Rosamunde, Op. 27 Ballet Music #2.

To download these tracks from Chardonnay Classics, right-click the track links and save them to your computer!

The complete Chardonnay Classics compilation is available on iTunes, Amazon, and practically any other download store.

Wine of the Week - Chardonnay

Just for fun, since tomorrow is Wine Wednesday, we thought we would give you a heads-up on which wine our free downloads will be from. This way you can make sure you have the right wine for tomorrow! So this week our Wine Wednesday downloads will be from our Chardonnay Classics album.

Please tell us your favorite Merlot here, or on Facebook or Twitter!

And Get the past Free Downloads by Clicking HERE

Wine Wednesday Complimentary Download - Pinot Grigio Classics

We have introduced to you our seven "Wine Classics" compilations, and today we would like to continue our series celebrating the weekly Twitter holiday "Wine Wednesday" here on our blog. To celebrate, each week we will be posting a couple of tracks from each of our seven "Wine Classics" compilations. Today we present two tracks from Pinot Grigio Classics. It is our hope that you will download these tracks and listen to them while enjoying your favorite Pinot Grigio! If you're following us on Twitter (@WhiteTieRecords), let us know what Pinot Grigio you're drinking and where it comes from. Most of all have a happy Wine Wednesday!

To create a perfect companion to a crisp Pinot Grigio, your two complimentary tracks today are Haydn's Symphony No. 104 in D Major"London", HobI/104 — 4. Finale. Spiritoso , and From Holberg's Time, Op. 40 — 3. Gavotte. Allegretto–Musette: Un poco mosso–Gavotte by Edvard Grieg.

To download these tracks from Pinot Grigio Classics, right-click the track links and save them to your computer!

The complete Pinot Grigio Classics compilation is available on iTunes, Amazon, and practically any other download store.

Check out our "Rock Star" Pianist

We just had to share this wonderful write-up of Christopher O'Riley by the Des Moines Register.

Pianist Christopher O'Riley is a sort of rock star classical artist.

"I had been in a rock band in my junior high years while still focusing on classical piano studies, and played jazz professionally in my high school years," O'Riley said in an interview over a three-week span with the Register. The "talk" took place on Facebook, a social networking site the Chicago native is active on.

O'Riley's repertoire includes Ravel, Scriabin and Chopin. But he has also performed pieces by Tori Amos, Nick Drake and Radiohead.

His 2003 "True Love Waits" album, featuring transcriptions of Radiohead's experimental rock songs, reached No. 3 on the Billboard Top Classical Crossover chart...Click to Reda more at the Des Moines Register

Find the full Des Moines Register interview with Mr. O'Riley on his Facebook Page, and make sure to read all of his answers!

Chanticleer & The US Naval Academy Men's Glee Glub

We came across this video yesterday, and even shared it on Twitter, but it's just so good, that we had to post it here as well! If you remember we released a DVD with Chanticleer this last Christmas season, and are working towards doing other things with them in the future. So please enjoy Chanticleer & The U.S. Naval Academy Men's Glee Club performing Ave Maria:

Wine Wednesday Complimentary Download - Syrah Classics

We have introduced to you our seven "Wine Classics" compilations, and today we would like to continue our series celebrating the weekly Twitter holiday "Wine Wednesday" here on our blog. To celebrate, each week we will be posting a couple of tracks from each of our seven "Wine Classics" compilations. Today we present two tracks from Syrah Classics. It is our hope that you will download these tracks and listen to them while enjoying your favorite Syrah! If you're following us on Twitter (@WhiteTieRecords), let us know what Syrah you're drinking and where it comes from. Most of all have a happy Wine Wednesday!

To create a perfect companion to a rich Syrah, your two complimentary tracks today are Albinoni's Oboe Concerto in d minor, Op. 9 No. 2 - 2. Adagio, and Mozart's Don Giovanni, K527 - Overture.

To download these tracks from Syrah Classics, right-click the track links and save them to your computer!

The complete Syrah Classics compilation is available on iTunes, Amazon, and practically any other download store.

Grape Encounters Radio

Today we wanted to share a fun radio program with you that relates a little to what we are doing with our "Wine Classics" series. It's from Grape Encounters Radio, and the program is called "The Music of Wine." White Tie Records's owner Lisa Nauful will be featured on this program in the coming weeks! So make sure you take a listen to The Music of Wine on GrapeEncountersRadio.com

Wine Wednesday Complimentary Download - Merlot Classics

We have introduced to you our seven "Wine Classics" compilations, and today we would like to continue our series celebrating the weekly Twitter holiday "Wine Wednesday" here on our blog. To celebrate, each week we will be posting a couple of tracks from each of our seven "Wine Classics" compilations. Today we present two tracks from Merlot Classics. It is our hope that you will download these tracks and listen to them while enjoying your favorite Merlot! If you're following us on Twitter (@WhiteTieRecords), let us know what Merlot you're drinking and where it comes from. Most of all have a happy Wine Wednesday!

To create a perfect companion to a mellow Merlot, your two complimentary tracks today are Brahms' Variations On a Theme By Haydn, Op. 56a — Variation 7. Grazioso, and Debussy's La Plus Que Lente.

To download these tracks from Merlot Classics, right-click the track links and save them to your computer!

The complete Chablis Classics compilation is available on iTunes, Amazon, and practically any other download store.

Wine of the Week - Merlot

Just for fun, since tomorrow is Wine Wednesday, we thought we would give you a heads-up on which wine our free downloads will be from. This way you can make sure you have the right wine for tomorrow! So this week our Wine Wednesday downloads will be from our Merlot Classics album.

Please tell us your favorite Merlot here, or on Facebook or Twitter!

And Get the past two week's Free Downloads by Clicking HERE

Some Wine and Music Resources

Since we're in all out Wine Classics mode here, we wanted to share some good Wine and music blogs and websites.

Fun resources:

Everyday Opera. A community for opera, music, wine and travel.

Our friend the "Wine Whisperer" at grapevineradio.net blog.

A great Sommelier, Countess Rose Perry's company Vino CaPisco.

And for fun, The Naked Winery.

Wine Wednesday Complimentary Download - Chablis Classics

We have introduced to you our seven "Wine Classics" compilations, and today we would like to continue our series celebrating the weekly Twitter holiday "Wine Wednesday" here on our blog. To celebrate, each week we will be posting a couple of tracks from each of our seven "Wine Classics" compilations. Today we present two tracks from Chablis Classics. It is our hope that you will download these tracks and listen to them while enjoying your favorite Chablis! If you're following us on Twitter (@WhiteTieRecords), let us know what Chablis you're drinking and where it comes from. Most of all have a happy Wine Wednesday!

Because the light and joyful music of Dvorak and Rossini create a perfect companion to a delightful Chablis, your two complimentary tracks today are Dvorak's Polka movement (No. 3) from Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, and Rossini's Allegretto movement from his Sonata for Strings (String Symphony) No. 5 in E-flat Major.

To download these tracks from Chablis Classics, right-click the track links and save them to your computer!

The complete Chablis Classics compilation is available on iTunes, Amazon, and practically any other download store.

Christopher O'Riley Review

Recently Christopher O'Riley performed at The Egg in Albany where he performed both traditional classical music, and his rock "imaginations" like those on our "Out of My Hands" release. So today we would like to excerpt a review of that concert from the Times Union.

Pianist O'Riley has rocked covered
By Joseph Dalton

ALBANY -- Best known as the host of the radio program "From the Top," pianist Christopher O'Riley has a distinctive ringing sound at the keyboard and a knack for choosing repertoire that shows off his light, transparent touch. That he's become a specialist in making and playing transcriptions of alternative rock songs -- especially by the band Radiohead -- is really just an added cool factor. Like a dancer who ends up doing most of his own choreography, O'Riley knows his strengths so well that he may as well also be the one to set the notes.


This realization came about two-thirds of the way through his Sunday afternoon recital at The Egg in Albany when he played the "Ondine" movement from Ravel's "Gaspard de la Nuit." Its floating textures were given a shimmering, crystalline elegance -- and felt surprisingly similar to much of the other material on the program, whether it was by Nirvana, Pink Floyd or Tori Amos...To Continue Reading this Review, please visit the Times Union Website.

Wine Classics - A New Meaning

We have been featuring our Wine Classics Series as of late, and so we thought it would be fun today to share something that truly combines wine and classical music:

Wine Wednesday Complimentary Download - Champagne Classics

Over the last two weeks we have introduced to you our seven "Wine Classics" compilation, and today we would like to start a new series celebrating the weekly Twitter holiday "Wine Wednesday" here on our blog. To celebrate, each week we will be posting a couple of tracks from each of our seven "Wine Classics" compilations. It is our hope that you will download these tracks and listen to them while sipping the correct pairing. If you're following us on Twitter (@WhiteTieRecords), each Tuesday we will let you know which of the compilations we'll be featuring so that you can make sure and have the right wine!

So to start, we want you to kick back with some bubbly and enjoy two tracks from our Champagne Classics album.

Please enjoy Tracks 1 and 5 from Champagne Classics:

Sergei Prokofiev's "Classical Symphony" (Symphony No. 1), Op. 25 — 1. Allegro Con Brio performed by the English Chamber Orchestra.

Sergei Prokofiev's "Lieutenant Kijé Suite" Op. 60 — 4. Troika conducted by Mario Rossi with the Wiener Staatsoperorchester


To download these tracks, simply right-click the link and save it!

Download the full Champagne Classics compilation from iTunes, Amazon, or practically anywhere digitally!

Wine Classics Series - Chardonnay Classics

Chardonnay Classics

After surveying music lovers, we were surpirsed to learn that almost everyone agreed on which wine should go with which composition. Respighi's Fountains of Rome most certainly calls for a glass of bubbly, while Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata deserves a rich Cabernet. We created this series of 30 minute musical digital bundles to give the casual classical music listener a taste of some of our well known favorites as well as an introduction to some lesser known works.

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 — Traumereri
Robert Schumann
Jacqueline Blancard, piano

Rosamunde, Op. 27 — Ballet Music #2
Franz Schubert
Maurice Abravanel, conductor; Utah Symphony Orchestra

Sonata for Violin and Piano in g minor — 2. Intermède
Claude Debussy
Jan Tomasow, violin; Franz Holetschek, piano

Orchestral Suite No. 2 in b minor, BWV1067 — 7. Badinerie
Johann Sebastian Bach
Josef Suk, conductor; Suk Chamber Orchestra

Serenade No. 13 in G Major "Eine kleine Nachtmusik", K525 — 2. Romanze
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Felix Prohaska, conductor; Wiener Staatsoperorchester

Serenade No. 7 in D Major "Haffner", K250 — Menuetto
Wolfgang AmadeusMozart
Mogens Wöldike, conductor; Wiener Staatsoperorchester

Download this album on iTunes, Amazon, and many other download sites!

Wine Classics Series - Pinot Grigio Classics

Pinot Grigio Classics

We created this series of 30 minute musical digital bundles to give the casual classical music listener a taste of some of our well known favorites as well as an introduction to some lesser known works.

Serenade No. 10 in B-flat Major "Gran Partita", K361 – 2. Menuetto
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Leopold Stokowski, conductor; Wind Group of the American Symphony Orchestra

Water Music Suite No. 1 in D major, HWV349 — 2. Alla Hornpipe
Georg Friedrich Händel
Johannes Somary, conductor; English Chamber Orchestra

Symphony No. 104 in D Major"London", HobI/104 — 4. Finale. Spiritoso
Joseph Haydn
Mogens Wöldike, conductor; Wiener Staatsoperorchester

From Holberg's Time, Op. 40 — 3. Gavotte. Allegretto–Musette: Un poco mosso–Gavotte
Edvard Grieg
Johannes Somary, conductor; English Chamber Orchestra

Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90 — 3. Poco allegretto
Johannes Brahms
Maurice Abravanel, conductor; Utah Symphony Orchestra

Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 in F Major "Spring", Op. 24 — 2. Adagio molto espressivo
Ludwig van Beethoven
Joseph Szigeti, violin; Claudio Arrau, piano

Download this album on iTunes, Amazon, and many other download sites!

Wine Classics Series - Cabernet Classics

Cabernet Classics

We created this series of 30 minute musical digital bundles to give the casual classical music listener a taste of some of our well known favorites as well as an introduction to some lesser known works.

Piano Sonata No. 14 in c-sharp minor "Moonlight", Op. 27 No. 2 — 1. Adagio sostenuto
Ludwig van Beethoven
Guiomar Novaes, piano

Symphony No 4 — 2. In gemächlicher Bewegung, ohne Hast
Gustav Mahler
Maurice Abravanel, conductor; Utah Symphony Orchestra

Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major — 2. Lento
Franz Liszt
Emil Gilels, piano; Kiril Kondrashin, conductor; USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Violin Concerto in A minor — 2. Andante sostenuto
Alexander Glazunov
David Oistrakh, violin; Kiril Kondrashin, conductor; USSR State Symphony Orchestra

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61 — 3. Nocturne
Felix Mendelssohn
Vladimir Golschmann, conductor; Wiener Staatsoperorchester

Download this album on iTunes, Amazon, and many other download sites!

Wine Classics Series - Champagne Classics

Champagne Classics

We created this series of 30 minute musical digital bundles to give the casual classical music listener a taste of some of our well known favorites as well as an introduction to some lesser known works.

1. "Classical Symphony" (Symphony No. 1), Op. 25 — 1. Allegro Con Brio
Sergei Prokofiev
English Chamber Orchestra

2. Champagner Galopp, Op. 8
Willi Boskovsky Ensemble
Johann Strauss

3. Flute Sonata in E-minor, BWV1035 — 4. Allegro assai
Paula Robison, flute; Kenneth Cooper, harpsichord; Timothy Eddy, cello
Johann Sebastian Bach

4. Pini di Roma (The Pines of Rome), P141 — 4. I pini di Villa Borghese
Sergiu Commissiona, conductor; Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Ottorino Respighi

5. Lieutenant Kijé Suite. Op. 60 — 4. Troika
Mario Rossi, conductor; Wiener Staatsoperorchester
Sergei Prokofiev

6. Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite 2 — 4. Bergamasca
Christopher Lyndon Gee, conductor; Australian Chamber Orchestra
Ottorino Respighi

7. Symphony No. 4 in A Major "Italian", Op. 90 — 4. Saltarello. Presto
Vladimir Golschmann, conductor; Wiener Staatsoperorchester
Felix Mendelssohn

Download this album on iTunes, Amazon, and many other download sites!

Wine Classics Series - Syrah Classics

Syrah Classics

We created this series of 30 minute musical digital bundles to give the casual classical music listener a taste of some of our well known favorites as well as an introduction to some lesser known works.






1. Oboe Concerto in d minor, Op. 9 No. 2 - 2. Adagio
André Lardrot

2. Faschingschwank aus Wien, Op. 26 - 4. Intermezzo
Jacqueline Blancard

3. Don Giovanni, K527 - Overture
Wiener Staatsoperorchester

4. Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 - III Allegro
London Philharmonic Orchestra

5. The Creatures of Prometheus, Op. 43 - 5. Adagio-Andante quasi allegretto
Utah Symphony Orchestra

Wine Classics Series - Chablis Classics

Chablis Classics

We created this series of 30 minute musical digital bundles to give the casual classical music listener a taste of some of our well known favorites as well as an introduction to some lesser known works.

Track Listing:

1. Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 — 3. Polka — Antonin Dvorak
Wiener Staatsoperorchester

2. Sonata for Strings (String Symphony) No. 5 in E-flat Major — Allegretto — Gioachino Rossini
I Solisti di Zagreb

3. Minuet — Luigi Boccherini
I Solisti di Zagreb

4. Horn Concerto in E-flat Major, K495 — 3. Rondo. Allegro Vivace — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wiener Staatsoperorchester & Albert Linder

5. Symphony No. 41 in C Major "Jupiter", K551 — 1. Allegro Vivace — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wiener Staatsoperorchester

6. Symphony No. 7 in D Major "Haffner", K250 — 1. Allegro Maestoso — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wiener Staatsoperorchester

Wine Classics Series - Merlot Classics

Yesterday we introduced our Wine Classics Compilation series, so today we want to begin by sharing specifics for what is on these albums.

Merlot Classics

We created this series of 30 minute musical digital bundles to give the casual classical music listener a taste of some of our well known favorites as well as an introduction to some lesser known works.

Track Listing:

1. Symphonie Espagnole, Op. 21 — 4. Rondo–Allegro
Wiener Staatsoperorchester & Mischa Elman

2. Variations On a Theme By Haydn, Op. 56a — Variation 7. Grazioso
Utah Symphony Orchestra

3. Pictures At an Exhibition (orch. Ravel) — the Old Castle
Wiener Staatsoperorchester

4. La Plus Que Lente
Jan Tomasow & Franz Holetschek

5. Sicilenne
I Solisti di Zagreb

6. Slavonic Dances, Op 72, No 2 In e Minor Allegretto Grazioso
Wiener Staatsoperorchester

All track links go to the iTunes Store

Wine Classics Series

If you have a significant other, you probably did something to celebrate Valentine's Day Sunday. And if you're like us here at White Tie Records, wine is always a good place to start for celebrations, romance, relaxation, or anything else. So for those that maybe received a bottle or more of wine for Valentine's Day and can't figure out what to listen to while you enjoy it, we've created the perfect compilation series to accompany your specific wine of choice.


Wine Classics:

Chablis Classics
Merlot Classics
Syrah Classics
Champagne Classics
Chardonnay Classics
Pinot Grigio Classics
Cabernet Classics

Mozart - White or Red? How about Mahler, Dvorak and Beethoven? The White Tie Wine Classics Series was created to enhance a delicious merlot, a sparkling champagne, chablis or rose. After surveying music lovers, we were surpirsed to learn that almost everyone agreed on which wine should go with which composition. Respighi's Fountains of Rome most certainly calls for a glass of bubbly, while Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata deserves a rich Cabernet. We created this series of 30 minute musical digital bundles to give the casual classical music listener a taste of some of our well known favorites as well as an introduction to some lesser known works.

You can find all of these titles available for download from practically any digital retailer! More information coming tomorrow!

Wilma Cozart Fine

In the beginning of my music industry career I had the pleasure of working with an amazing woman, Wilma Cozart Fine. Perhaps the younger readers won’t know of her, but any woman in the record industry owes a great deal to Wilma. Together with her husband Bob, she engineered and produced some of the most impressive recordings ever made - the Mercury Living Presence recordings.

I met Wilma when I was 28 years old. I was the product manager at PolyGram in New York when Philips Classics reissued her series. I worked with her almost every day for 2 years. Her diligence and passion knew no limits. Few people in this industry have made such an impression on me. She taught me the importance of keeping my word and showed me how graciousness can be just as powerful as a hard-nosed toughness. Wilma was proof that there is nothing that can replace knowledge of product, business savvy and years of experience.

Wilma passed away a last September. I am a better businesswoman and better person for knowing her. Thank you Wilma, you were one hell of a dame. - Lisa Nauful

Click to read the New York Times dedication to Wilma

Christopher O'Riley Interview for Out of My Hands Tour

Since we shared the information here about Christopher O'Riley's upcoming concert featuring music from our recent release "Out Of My Hands" we thought it would be interesting to share a recent interview on how he got started doing "pop" transcriptions.

A classical show with pop
By Jeremy Eichler
The Boston Globe Staff / February 6, 2010

The popular public radio show, “From the Top,’’ is in its 10th anniversary season of spotlighting kids, mostly teenagers, who are passionately devoted to classical music. The show returns this evening to its home in Jordan Hall for a performance taping that will feature several individual Boston-area students as well as 60 members of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra performing Mozart. Hosting the show as always will be concert pianist Christopher O’Riley, now well-known in the classical world for his piano transcriptions of pop songs, a repertoire he’ll dip into for an upcoming solo recital (Feb. 27) at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Speaking with the Globe from Sagamore Hills, Ohio, O’Riley explained that his pop transcriptions actually began on “From the Top.’’

Q. How did the radio show originate?

A. The show was the brainchild of our executive producers, Jerry Slavet and Jennifer Hurley-Wales, who thought, “Wouldn’t it be neat to have a radio show housed in Jordan Hall?’’ Jerry had toured with the NEC preparatory division and was so astonished by how hard the kids were working. He found it deserving of wider recognition, like what we typically accord high school athletes. He also thought it could be a great way for audiences to get inside the music.

Q. And how did you begin playing the pop transcriptions as part of the show?

A. It was Jerry’s original idea to have all kinds of music on the programs. In the first season we’d have a classical violinist and then the LaGuardia High School jazz ensemble. But the [classical] radio constituency said, “Look, you play one minute of jazz and you’re off.’’ That was narrow-minded but I guess we thought of it as a necessary evil. As a little bit of thumbing the nose at the stations that didn’t want us playing jazz, I started playing these break pieces, which I could do because I was the classical player. And then when it was announced that the piece I had just played was “Karma Police’’ by Radiohead, we’d start getting these e-mails saying “Who is this Mr. Head, and where can I find more of his beautiful music?’’...

Click to read the full interview between Christopher O'Riley and The Boston Globe.

Christopher O'Riley Out of My Hands Tour

We want to keep you informed of what our artists are up to, so here is some information for an upcoming concert from Christopher O'Riley performing works from our "Out of My Hands" release:

THE ICA AND WORLD MUSIC/CRASHarts PRESENT

Christopher O'Riley
Host of the popular NPR music program From the Top, Christopher O'Riley has stretched the piano beyond conventional boundaries. Touring in support of his latest release, Out of My Hands, O’Riley tackles music of R.E.M., Portishead, Cocteau Twins, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, the Bad Plus, the Smiths, Tears for Fears, Radiohead and a newly released song by Elliott Smith.

Click Here to buy tickets

MIDEM 2010

We know we are still just getting going with the online stuff, but we are going to have to take a break for the next few weeks. White Tie Records is taking off tomorrow to Cannes, France for the 2010 MIDEM Conference. Unfortunately due to time, internet reliability, and luggage limitations, we will not be able to do any blogging/tweeting/Facebooking while we are there. But please enjoy the videos, samples, and information we have posted already!

If you don't know what MIDEM is, click to learn more!

Out of My Hands Concerts

In case your in these areas, we wanted to make you aware of a couple of Christopher O'Riley Out of My Hands concerts:

February 27, 2010: Boston, MA @ ICA -- Out Of My Hands -- Solo Recital
March 6, 2010: Albany, NY @ The Egg Out of My Hands -- Solo Recital

To se all of Christopher O'Riley's tour information, please visit www.christopheroriley.com!

Maestro Alex Gregory receives the L.A. Music Awards Career Achievement Award

We want to share with you some older but still exciting news about artist/inventor Maestro Alex Gregory with whom we released the 2004 album "Bach on Steroids." At the end of last year (2009), the Maestro received a "Career Achievement Award" from the L.A. Music Awards.

Also, check out the introductory video the L.A. Music Awards prepared and played before he received his award. Unfortunately we can't embed it here, but we are giving you the link to the video on YouTube. Find it Here!

Congratulations Alex!

Christopher O'Riley talks about "Out of My Hands"

We wanted to share with you a great article/interview with Christopher O'Riley about our album "Out of My Hands" from Newcity Music. However, we will only be posting an excerpt here with a link to the entire article. So please make sure to read on!

Hand to Hand: Christopher O’Riley gives pop some class

By Tom Lynch

So rarely does a musician truly bridge a gap between two entirely disparate forms of music that it seems likely any success in that regard would be met with confusion and skepticism. Classical pianist Christopher O’Riley has been doing it for years; his arrangements of Radiohead songs—performed entirely on a piano—have filled not one, but two records thus far, and he has dabbled with other artists’ work as well.

Raised in Evanston, O’Riley got his start in jazz, and moved on to classical once studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. A virtuoso pianist, O’Riley also hosts NPR’s classical radio program “From the Top.” It was on this program that he started fooling around with his Radiohead covers, playing them as time-fillers during breaks as supplements to pieces by Rachmaninoff and Debussy.

Admittedly, when I received O’Riley’s first pop-music record, “True Love Waits: Christopher O’Riley Plays Radiohead” (Sony), back in 2003, I scoffed and mocked it with rock-fan vigor. “Cashing in,” I’m sure I thought. After a week of staring at it I gave it a spin, and was blown away by its power...Click to continue reading at music.newcity.com

Christopher O'Riley Video - Exit Music for A Film

Just thought we would share:

Out of My Hands review

Check out this great review of Christopher O'Riley's release "Out of My Hands" from Michele Yamamoto in UnderTheRadar magazine's Fall 2009 issue:

Christopher O’Riley has been a public figure in the fusion (or confusion) of classical and popular styles of music. An able pianist, O’Riley has peformed eclectic programs, placing the impressionism of Debussy against the experimental folk of Nick Drake. He’s already released two albums adapting the music of Radiohead and one each that tackled Elliot Smith and Drake. Now, with this latest release, Out of My Hands, O’Riley presents his own arrangements of popular pieces from Cocteau Twins, Nirvana, Radiohead, The Smiths, Portishead, R.E.M. and more.

The first single off the album, a rendition of Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box,” opens up faithfully enough. A quiet reproduction of the melody is about as overtly faithful as it gets, but O’Riley manages to retain the anxiety of the original. Both in dynamic song structure and in the harmonies that result from intricate layering of music ideas, “Heart-Shaped Box” is every bit as aggressive as the original. And with the final unresolved chord, O’Riley even allows the harmony to ring out for about 45 seconds, enabling the sound mass to eventually take on the timbre of feedback.

With Elliott Smith’s “New Disaster,” the piano emphasized the sparkle of Smith’s upper guitar lines and spins it all like a Debussy-an quasi-tonality. Radiohead’s “All I Need” displaces lines from the bass-heavy song across the keyboard, creating an entirely different space with virtually the same notes. Of course, he never forsakes the harmonic or melodic structures.

In his adaptations, culled from the originals and onto a single instrument, O’Riley utilizes scores of techniques to produce original interpretations without sacrificing the core of the original songs.