Harpist Yolanda Kondonassis to Release New Album

Internationally acclaimed harpist Yolanda Kondonassis has always been fascinated by the creations of French composer Maurice Ravel. Her new release, Ravel: Intimate Masterpieces, on the Oberlin Music label, is a celebration of Kondonassis' longtime love of Ravel's music.

Intimate Masterpieces will be released on October 29 on CD (amazon.com and all major online retailers) and is available now by digital download (through iTunes). It will be distributed by Naxos of America. The Ravel disc marks Kondonassis' 18th album in a recording career that has broken boundaries and sold hundreds of thousands of discs and downloads worldwide.

"This disc is especially meaningful because I was able to make it with such wonderful players and celebrate the wealth of artistry and musical opportunity that lives at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. This disc also marks the launch of the Oberlin Music recording label and Oberlin Music's new collaboration with Naxos," says Kondonassis.

In addition to Kondonassis, Intimate Masterpieces features the Jupiter String Quartet, Oberlin's quartet-in-residence for 2012-14, fellow Oberlin faculty members Richard Hawkins on clarinet and Alexa Still on flute, and Oberlin alumni soprano Ellie Dehn and pianist Spencer Myer.

The release of Ravel: Intimate Masterpieces will be celebrated with a CD release concert in New York on Sunday, November 3 at 7 PM at SubCulture, 45 Bleecker Street. Tickets may be purchased at http://www.subculturenewyork.com/event/388133-ravel-intimate-masterpieces-new-york/

Yolanda Kondonassis is celebrated as one of the world's premier solo harpists and is widely regarded as today's most recorded classical harpist. Hailed as "an extraordinary virtuosa" and "sheer luminescence at the harp," she has performed around the globe as a concerto soloist and in recital, appearing with major orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic, to name a few.

Her most recent recording, American Harp, released in June 2013, uncovers original harp solos by Elliott Carter, John Cage, Lowell Lieberman, John Williams, Norman Dello Joio, Hannah Lash and Stephen Paulus. Rave reviews of the disc hail Kondonassis for her "remarkable sensitivity and strength" (The Cleveland Plain Dealer) and "wit and imagination" (The San Francisco Examiner). Other recent releases include her Grammy-nominated disc of music by Takemitsu and Debussy entitled Air, as well as the world-premiere recording of Bright Sheng's Harp Concerto, written for Ms. Kondonassis, and Solo Harp: The Best of Yolanda Kondonassis (Azica CD-71273), celebrating twenty years of critically acclaimed recordings.

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