"I wish I could properly put into words how much this debut album means to me. The amount of thought, passion, and hard work that has been poured into this album makes this by far my most prized creation, and I am so, so glad to be able to share it with you. Before you listen, I just wanted to take a beat to tell you a little bit about how this recording came to life, and to properly introduce you to the composer of the music you are about to hear - the one and only Augusta Read Thomas.

When I set out to record my debut album, I wanted to select a concept and a program that mirror who I am now, while also setting the tone for the type of artist I want to be going forward. When you dedicate your life to an instrument as challenging and versatile as the violin, there is no shortage of repertoire from which to choose from; and yet, the vast majority of CDs out there cater to a very specific, restricted niche of composers and their most well-known works. This can often give our audience the impression that classical music is somehow a stagnant, old-fashioned art-form, when in reality it is a constantly evolving organism, driven by thousands of inspiring and innovative creators. As a new artist in the industry myself, I feel a certain calling to break this pattern by championing and performing works that reflect our present, as well as of our past, and by striving to surprise my audiences with music that they can discover and even relate to. This debut album is my first of hopefully many projects that aspires to achieve this, and it is also my reply to all those people who believe classical music is a thing of the past.

Earlier I wrote that I would introduce you to the true protagonist of this album, the composer of the works you will hear; but in reality, Augusta needs absolutely no introduction. This booklet is too brief for me to list all of her accomplishments and qualities, but I will say this: it is exceptionally rare to cross paths with someone who is as dedicated, passionate, humble, and kind as Augusta, all the while being as successful as she is. I truly have never encountered someone so devoted to music, nor have I ever seen anyone willing to work as hard as she does every single day in service of her art-form and her community.

I met Augusta by total surprise about five years ago in Chicago, where I was performing a recital that included her “Capricious Toccata: Dandelion Sky”. It was the first time that I had had the opportunity to discuss a piece of music with the actual composer, and I became absolutely fascinated with the world of possibilities that such a dialogue can lead to. I instantly started to study other works of hers, and began programming them in several of my recitals throughout the years. The more I performed these pieces and became familiar with Augusta’s compositional style, the more I felt myself wanting to create something tangible and long-lasting with these works. And thus, at the beginning of the global pandemic a few years ago, the idea for this CD was born.

This album features Augusta’s complete works for solo violin to date, as well as the world premier recording of her Violin Concerto n. 3 “Juggler in Paradise”. Each and every piece has a different character and tells its own story, and these seemingly unrelated, abstract pieces of a puzzle come together during the course of the album to create a dream-like journey. Augusta herself illustrates this concept perfectly when she describes her process of composition as “living inside of a poem.” She says, “I think of myself, and have been described as, a poet-composer. I sculpt my music akin to how poets create, refine, and polish their works. Poetry can give language to the ineffable: likewise, music is akin to an infinite alphabet.”

I will leave you now to experience this collection of poems, but I would be remiss if I did not first express my infinite gratitude to all the people who made this dream of mine come true. First and foremost, I want to thank Gusty from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to perform and interpret her music, and for being such an inspiration to me. Another big thank you goes to Christopher L. Willis, our four-time Grammy-winning sound engineer, for believing in this project and for his unwavering patience throughout the whole process. To conductor Vimbayi Kaziboni, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and the recording engineers for their incredible talent and superb work ethic: thank you for discovering this dazzling concerto with me and for making it come to life in the studio. And of course, my deepest thanks to the whole team at Nimbus Records without whom none of this would have been possible. On behalf of all of us, happy listening!"  Clarissa