All the works on the CD were commissioned, written for, and/or premiered by George Pope. The composers are all recognized and performed worldwide. Graduates of distinguished universities such as Juilliard, Cleveland Institute of Music, Michigan State University, California Institute of the Arts, University of Akron, and others, their music embrasses a wide variety of styles, but is all solid and listenable.
George Pope is Emeritus Professor of Flute at the University of Akron, and has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Blossom Festival Orchestra, the Brevard Music Center Orchestra, and many more. He is a founding member of the Solaris Wind Quintet, recently featured in Quintets by Alec Wilder on Crystal CD758. His performances have been hailed as “clean, arrestingly vigorous and beautiful”, by Fanfare Magazine. “The wonder of Pope’s playing is how engagingly he pours himself into music that is the same but also very different...reflecting his mellifluous aesthetics and wide-ranging stylistic tastes, with an emphasis of ‘beautiful melodies and colors’.” Gramophone.
Eric Charnofsky, a graduate of Juilliard, where he majored in piano accompanying, also holds degrees in solo piano performance and composition. He is instructor at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio.
Eric Charnofsky, a graduate of Juilliard, where he majored in piano accompanying, also holds degrees in solo pianoperformance and composition. He is instructor at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio.
“The wonder of Pope’s playing is how engagingly, articulately, flowingly and objectively he pours himself into music that is the same but also verry different. The recording...has lots of energy.” Gramophone (Laurence Vittes)