We have finished the Kickstarter project “Les Amis” and have received fabulous reviews!

Thank you for joining me as a Backer for my Kickstarter project “Les Amis,” a recording of original works for the harp by Claude Debussy and Andre Caplet. Kickstarter  is an online funding platform for creative projects. With only 30 days, I had until December 9, 2012 to fund the campaign and WE DID IT.

At the invitation of Conductor Michael Stern, we recorded these brilliant works under his baton with the IRIS Orchestra. This recording was released by AVIE, the noted label with whom I collaborated on the Parish Alvars/Saint-Saens/Albrechtsburger CD in 2011. Also on this recording, my friends Roberto Diaz, concert violist and President of the Curtis Institute of Music and Jeffrey Khaner, Principal Flutist of The Philadelphia Orchestra join me on Debussy’s Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp.

I first came up with the idea of pairing the compositions of Debussy and Caplet while adjudicating at the Lily Laskine International Harp Comp in Paris of 2008. Both composers were instrumental in utilizing the harp’s idiomatic colors and subsequently influenced the indelible position of the harp in the 20^th symphony orchestra. This recording will be the first to exclusively pair Caplet with Debussy.

While the works of Debussy have been recorded often the compositions of Caplet go virtually unknown. His early career was given a jump-start when, aged 23, he was awarded 1^st Prize in France’s most distinguished musical composition concour, the Prix de Rome in 1901, demoting a certain Maurice Ravel into 3^rd place. “La masque de la mort rouge” resembles a score to a Hitchcock thriller.

I need to raise $18,000, all of which will go to the musicians of the IRIS Orchestra  and  the recording, postproduction costs. But you should be aware that I have already cut my budget thanks to my dear friends Michael Stern, Roberto Diaz and Jeffrey Khaner, all have donated their services to this recording. Any gift amount will assist me and I have some great rewards at every giving level. If you are interested in supporting me but not comfortable using Kickstarter’s AMAZON payment method, please contact me and you can send a tax-deductible donation to the Lyra Society.

LAUNCH DATE NOVEMBER 8, 2012
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