Neoclassical Suite is a column that will present 7 recent, distinctive tracks of the neoclassical-modern classical-contemporary -and beyond!- music field. 

Note: All Bio/about sections provided/written by the artists.

The Players

Ryuichi Sakamoto and Illia Bondarenko

(neoclassical, cinematic, “benefit”)

Japanese living Legend Sakamoto sent files back & forth with Ukrainian violinist Illia Bondarenko in a bomb shelter, creating a touching cry for healing with texture and lament.

“Ryuichi Sakamoto has lived many musical lives in his nearly 70 years. As a keyboardist and songwriter in Haruomi Hosono’s Yellow Magic Orchestra, he helped set the stage for synthpop. His solo experiments in fusing global genres and close studies of classical impressionism led to him scoring over 30 films in as many years, including Nagisa Oshima’s Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor and The Sheltering Sky, and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s The Revenant. In the past 20 years alone, he’s written a multimedia opera, turned a glass building into an instrument, and travelled to the Arctic to record the sound of melting snow. That exploratory spirit runs through Sakamoto’s 2017 album, async, which paints an audio portrait of the passing of time informed by his recovery from throat cancer. “Music, work, and life all have a beginning and an ending,” said Sakamoto in early 2019. “What I want to make now is music freed from the constraints of time.” (Ryuichi Sakamoto)

***For Ukraine (Volume 2) is a compilation curated by composer Hollie Kenniff and released by Headphone Commute, which features ambient and modern classical composers from around the world who have come together to help raise funds to support displaced children and families affected by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.***

Spencer Zahn

(neoclassical, solo piano, minimalism)

A contemplative solo piano composition, taken from Spencer Zahn’s second album for Cascine, ‘Pale Horizon’,  out this Friday, May 13th…

“If you’re inclined to over-interpret such things, you might hear a profound message in the subtle grace of Pale Horizon. This is an album that flattens hierarchies, warps temporality, and privileges quiet grace over searing technique. These are qualities we need right now, as I write this at the tail end of a global pandemic. Though the sounds on this album reach toward timelessness, they are the products of the unavoidable reality check of 2020 and 2021. With the New York City music scene at a standstill, Zahn relocated to Kingston, NY, where he found the Old Dutch Church, “the cathedral of Kingston,” its organ and choir silenced by the pandemic, its pews empty. Zahn and Highmore recorded the first version of Pale Horizon there in December 2020, and two months later re-recorded the tracks with Phil Weinrobe at Figure 8 Studios in Brooklyn. Even on the final version, I can still hear the impact of that space, at that time. The two musicians seem to improvise with the echo, creating a meditation on solitude and stillness when a busy world suddenly stops. – Nate Sloan, writer and host ‘Switched on Pop’.” (Spencer Zahn)

Ruben Fjellner

(neoclassical, solo piano)

A sweet solo piano composition unleashing nostalgic tranquillity from Swedish pianist and composer Ruben Fjellner… 

“Ruben Fjellner is a producer and composer from Umeå, Sweden. Formerly a member of the band Regimen with over 13 million streams on Spotify. His project is all about sharing musical ideas and improvisations with the world. A collection of thoughts, non-thoughts and insights.” (Ruben Fjellner)

Sam Miller

(solo piano, crossover classical)

An original piano arrangement of ‘Song to the Evening Star’ (“O du, mein holder Abendstern”) from Richard Wagner’s Tannhäuser opera by talented American multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter, composer and producer Sam Miller… “Shall we dance?”

“Sam Miller is a man of unique talents. An American multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter, composer and producer, he has released two full-length lyrical albums, You Need To Hear It (2014) and In One Place at a Time (2019), along with several instrumental albums including, Bach, Human Arpeggiatior (2020), Phonometrographer (2020), and Piano Works (2020).

A rare musical soul who thrives in our modern day of synthesizers and microchips, but who would be equally content playing Bach fugues in a cathedral filled with orangutans. His musical output is driven by curiosity and exploration, noticeably lacking the self-aggrandizing spirit of so much pop music.

From the mysterious deserts of New Mexico, Miller is at once a songwriter, composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is a master storyteller, who walks a tightrope pitched between the beauty of life’s complexities and the abyss of the subconscious. His lyrics grow more dynamic and intriguing with each listen. An elegant love song is simultaneously a riddle that would tickle the ghost of Lewis Carroll.

One of the most impressive measures of Miller’s writing is how the melodic content of the songs carry the weight of his lyrics. His attention to detail in arrangement and production creates fully realized songs that arrive at a clear destination. There is a confidence and thoughtfulness that is applied to each composition. Clever melodic hooks manage to echo in your head for days, allowing the depth of the lyrics to slowly unfurl in your thoughts. Miller’s deep and resonant voice evokes Scott Walker, Nick Cave, and even Johnny Cash. At its climax In One Place at a Time is soaring chamber pop akin to Devotchka, at its most introspective it is indie pop held together by synths and drum machines. With a close listen, there are hints of Americana, traditional country, psychedelia, and even exotica.” (Sam Miller)

Andrew Yarovenko

(neoclassical, new age, cinematic)

Ahead of his debut solo full-length ‘Start Somewhere’, Andrew Yarovenko recently released another great taster,  “the meditative and heart-wrenching ‘Forty Visits’, genuinely arranged & performed!

“Andrew Yarovenko is a composer and multi-instrumentalist interested in conflating beauty and chaos.” (Andrew Yarovenko)

Peter Mowry

(neoclassical, epic music)

Peter Mowry’s latest composition is an emotive treasure, that could be the ideal soundtrack for the best drama scene, of the next Darren Aronofsky’s flick!

“Portland, ME based composer, Peter Mowry, has been honing his craft as a musician for over 25 years. Self-taught in guitar, piano, and composition, Peter has blended his multi-instrumental passions to create music that is currently being heard around the world on radio and television (American Idol, Wanderlust, The Bachelorette, X-Factor, CBS Sports Spectacular and the 2016 Olympics, to name a few).

From performing with duo Westrin & Mowry for Billy Joel to touring with Lord Huron, Peter continues to use his experience as a performing artist to create unique works from his home studio.” (Peter Mowry)

Mikael Oterhals

(neoclassical, solo piano)

A heartfelt solo piano composition by the Swedish pianist and composer Mikael Oterhals, that according to its creator “was inspired by a French Artist, which explains the song title which means “Artist” in French.” 

“I’m a classical pianist and composer located in Stockholm, Sweden. I’ve studied classical music, jazz music and composition for several years which resulted in composing mostly neoclassical music, but with influence from other styles as well, such as pop music and jazz music.” (Mikael Oterhals)

The Music

Christos Doukakis