National Orchestral Institute + Festival Releases Seventh Naxos Label Album Featuring Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”
Pianist Kevin Cole prepares for his recording with the NOI Philharmonic. Photo by David Andrews.
The National Orchestral Institute + Festival (NOI+F), a program of the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, has released its seventh album of American music as part of their ongoing, nationally unique partnership with Naxos Records. Two-time Grammy Award-winning conductor David Alan Miller leads the NOI Philharmonic on the album, which includes three Gershwin classics—”Rhapsody in Blue,” celebrating its centennial this month, “Cuban Overture” and “Second Rhapsody.” The Gershwin works feature Kevin Cole, the foremost interpreter of Gershwin’s piano music, and are premiere recordings of the Gershwin Critical Edition, which aims to accurately represent the composer’s intentions through the use of manuscripts and other resources. Joan Tower's “1920/2019” and Steven Stucky's “Dreamwaltzes” round out the disc.
“This latest release celebrates the musical genius of George Gershwin, evidenced by the stellar performances of pianist Kevin Cole,” said Richard Scerbo, NOI+F director. "Collaborations like this, with world-class artists, and our ongoing collaboration with Naxos Records create unparalleled opportunities for NOI+F orchestral fellows."
One of the nation’s leading orchestral training programs, NOI+F prepares aspiring orchestral musicians, composers, conductors and arts administrators from across the globe in a month of dynamic music-making and professional exploration. An integral program of The Clarice, a vibrant arts organization dedicated to cultivating creativity and presenting exceptional artists and inspiring performances, NOI+F selects musicians using a rigorous, cross-country audition process. These young musicians present exhilarating performances both at The Clarice and in the College Park, Maryland community, working with different conductors in dynamic repertoire on a weekly basis. Conducting luminary Marin Alsop has served as the festival’s music director since 2020.
NOI+F’s extensive partnerships around the country create unique artistic experiences aimed at shaping the 21st-century musician. The festival established a multi-year partnership with Naxos Records in 2015 to produce albums of American music. Through this recording partnership, the ensemble has released six projects, working with renowned conductors JoAnn Falletta, James Ross and James Judd, in addition to David Alan Miller, who also led the orchestra in their 2015, 2017 and 2020 Naxos releases. In 2019, the NOI Philharmonic received a Grammy nomination in the “Best Orchestral Performance” category for the disc led by Miller: “Ruggles, Stucky, Harbison.” NOI+F performances have been heard by millions of listeners with frequent broadcasts on programs including Your Classical’s Performance Today, WETA’s Front Row Washington and WQXR’s Young Artist Showcase.
Through the exploration of rarely performed repertoire, educational programming and recording initiatives, conductor David Alan Miller has established himself as one of the leading champion's of American symphonic music. Miller’s albums of Christopher Theofanidis’ “Concerto For Viola And Chamber Orchestra” and John Corigliano’s “Conjurer” concerto both won Grammy awards. Widely regarded for his jazz-classical artistry, Kevin Cole is the first pianist to play all four of Gershwin’s works for piano and orchestra in a single concert. Miller and soloist Kevin Cole worked closely with NOI+F orchestral fellows in June 2023 ahead of their recording session. The group presented a live performance on June 17, 2023.
The University of Michigan Gershwin Initiative is an ongoing scholarly examination of the Gershwins’ music, in which scholars collaborate with peers from across the nation and globe to document, analyze and create scholarly editions of Gershwin’s works. In June 2019, Miller and Cole recorded Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F Major with the NOI Philharmonic. For this recording, they used a critical edition by Timothy Freeze published as part of the Gershwin initiative.
"Recording these essential Gershwin masterpieces with the brilliant musicians of the NOI Philharmonic and Kevin Cole, the greatest Gershwin interpreter of our time, is a dream come true for me,” says David Alan Miller. “We are so proud to present them for the very first time restored to their original glory."
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