AMERICAN COUNTERPOINTS
Experiential Orchestra, James Blachly, Curtis J Stewart
FOR YOUR
GRAMMY® CONSIDERATION
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Curtis Stewart, Julia Perry Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
Best Classical Compendium
American Counterpoints
Engineered Album, Classical
Mark Donahue
ABOUT
LISTEN
American Counterpoints is the first album released by Experiential Orchestra since their Grammy® Award in 2021, and is the co-creation of Grammy®-winning conductor James Blachly, and 3-time Grammy® Nominee Curtis Stewart. Featuring the world-premiere recording of Julia Perry's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, the album asserts the central importance of composers Julia Perry and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson in American classical music, juxtaposing early and late works of both composers and interweaving their compositions with original music by Curtis Stewart.
ABOUT Experiential Orchestra
Photo by Allison Stock
Experiential Orchestra was founded by conductor James Blachly as a way to invite audiences more deeply into the sound and powerful experience of the symphony orchestra. Their Grammy®️-winning world-premiere recording of Dame Ethel Smyth’s The Prison (1930) was critically acclaimed in The New York Times, Gramophone, The New Yorker, The Guardian, and many other publications. Musicians are top-tier New York freelancers, top-level soloists, and acclaimed string quartet members. The orchestra was founded on collaborations and co-creations between a generous spirit of celebration, and each curated performance is an exploration of “a new experience of sound” for audience members. As quoted in Symphony Magazine, Blachly says, “We try and keep it fresh for everybody. We are not trying to displace the standard concert experience, but invite people in so that when they next attend a traditional concert they hear things differently.”
For more information, please visit www.experientialorchestra.com.
ABOUT JAMES BLANCHLY
Photo by Judy Crookston
James Blachly is a Grammy®-winning conductor dedicated to enriching the concert experience by connecting with audiences in memorable and meaningful ways. James Blachly serves as Music Director of the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra and of the Experiential Orchestra, and is a versatile guest conductor in diverse repertoire with orchestras including New York Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic, and WDR Funkhausorchester. A strong supporter of composers of our time, Blachly has commissioned and premiered more than 40 works by composers including Jessie Montgomery, Courtney Bryan, Viet Cuong, and many others. In recent seasons, he has collaborated with soloists Paul Jacobs, Michelle Cann, Charles Yang, Julia Bullock, Dashon Burton, Helga Davis, Sarah Brailey, Andrew Yee, and more.
ABOUT CURTIS J STEWART
Photo by Titilayo Ayangade
Praised for “combining omnivory and brilliance” (The New York Times), three-time GRAMMY Award-nominated violinist and composer Curtis Stewart translates stories of American self determination to the concert stage. As a solo violinist, composer, Artistic Director of the American Composers Orchestra, professor at The Juilliard School, and member of award-winning ensembles PUBLIQuartet and The Mighty Third Rail, he realizes a vision to find personal and powerful connections between styles, cultures and musics. As a soloist, Curtis Stewart has been presented by Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Cal Performances, Washington Performing Arts, Virginia Arts Festival, and the 2022 GRAMMY Awards, among many others. His 2021 album Of Power (Bright Shiny Things) was nominated for a GRAMMY Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo. Stewart has been commissioned to compose new works by the Seattle Symphony, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall’s Play/USA, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo and members of the New York Philharmonic, The Knights, La Jolla Music Society, Sybarite5, the New York Festival of Song, Newport Classical Festival, the Royal Conservatory of Music, and the Eastman Cello Institute, among others. An avid teacher, Curtis Stewart currently teaches at The Juilliard School and the Perlman Music Program, and for 10 years led all levels of music theory and orchestra at the Laguardia High School for Music & Art and Performing Arts in NYC.
Learn more at www.curtisjstewart.com.
