One of the highlights of CYSO’s 2017-18 season was the collaboration between members of our Symphony Orchestra and orchestral superstars (and CYSO alums!) Anthony and Demarre McGill. The album we recorded with them, Winged Creatures, is out now from Cedille Records!
Anthony, principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, and Demarre, principal flute at Seattle Symphony, came to Chicago over a long weekend in June 2018 to record the album with our musicians and Maestro Allen Tinkham. The experience was an unforgettable one for CYSO musicians who not only had the change to meet and perform with such revered members of the orchestral community, but also experience what goes into making a professional recording.
The album is named for composer Michael Abels’ Winged Creatures. Known for his work on the Jordan Peele films Get Out and Us, Abels was commissioned by Cedille Records for this special project with the McGill brothers. Throughout the piece, the piece paints scenes of Abels’ inspiration: butterflies and other flying creatures.
Also featured on the album is Joel Puckett’s Concerto Duo, which was commissioned by CYSO in 2012 for a joint concert with the McGills. The album also includes Franz Danzi’s Sinfonia Concertante for Flute, Clarinet, and Orchestra, Op. 41 and Saint-Saëns’ Tarantelle, Op. 6, which the brothers performed on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood as teenagers.
The cd is available now from the CYSO shop. You can also order a digital download from Cedille Records.
This project was supported by New Music USA. To follow the project as it unfolds, visit their program page.
