Justin Connolly: Music for Strings (plus…)

Métier celebrates the music of Justin Connolly (1933–2020) with a landmark double album. Featuring world premiere recordings of his intricately crafted works, this release shines a long-overdue spotlight on a composer once named by Pierre Boulez among the most compelling British voices of his era.

Connolly’s music, characterized by conceptual rigor, lyrical intensity, and flashes of playful invention, has remained largely absent from the public stage in recent decades. A long compositional hiatus in the late 20th century may have contributed to this neglect, but his unique voice is now rediscovered through this comprehensive recording.

Cellist and producer Neil Heyde reflects on Connolly’s impact as an inspirational teacher at the Royal Academy of Music and as a curious, collaborative force within the musical community: “His intellectual engagement with music was unparalleled, and his enthusiasm for exploring the unconventional was as legendary as his generosity of spirit. This project seeks to capture the essence of his unique sensibility through these premiere recordings.”

Heyde leads the project alongside Kreutzer Quartet colleagues Peter Sheppard Skærved and Mihailo Trandafilovski, with clarinettist Roger Heaton featured on Gymel-B. The album also includes collaborations with Royal Academy of Music students, providing a vibrant intergenerational exchange in Connolly’s larger ensemble works.

Four pieces receive world premiere performances, making this the most extensive exploration of Connolly’s music to date. These works illuminate a fascinating spectrum, from virtuosic solos to ensemble compositions that are as deeply intricate as they are expressively bold.

Recorded in spring 2024 in London by the renowned engineer Adaq Khan, and supported by a research grant from the Royal Academy of Music’s Research Committee, this project captures the brilliance and nuance of Connolly’s artistry with exceptional clarity.

This album reintroduces Justin Connolly as a vital figure in British contemporary music, offering an arresting portrait of a composer whose intellectual rigor and lyrical depth remain as relevant today as ever.