Announcing Spanish Meditations and Dances from Composer Gregory Fritze

Divine Art Records, which itself has offices in both the USA and UK, is proud to announce a new album, recorded in London, of the ‘Spanish Meditations and Dances’ by the most excellent American composer Gregory Fritze.  The works are performed by two of England’s most celebrated soloists and regulars in the catalogs of Divine Art and its sibling labels Athene and Métier: Peter Sheppard Skærved (violin) and Roderick Chadwick (piano).

“Spanish Meditations and Dances” for violin and piano was composed and arranged especially for Peter Sheppard Skærved in 2021. It is a set of seventeen pieces that showcase the violinist in both expressive and exciting technical playing. The titles of the movements are from the many towns and regions of Spain that have been a great inspiration in the composer’s music over the years.

The six exciting dances – Tenerife Dance, Madrid ; Variations on a Theme by Luigi Boccherini, Bilbao; at the Guggenheim;  Lliria Dance, Barcelona;  Gaudi Dance; and Carcaixent Dance –  are interspersed with eleven expressive meditations.

Gregory Fritze is a prize-winning composer and Fulbright Scholar. His compositions have been performed more than one thousand times in twenty-six countries. He has written over one hundred compositions for orchestra, band, chamber ensembles and soloists.  He won over sixty composition awards including Menzione d’Onore (highest award given) of the Mario Bernardo Angelo-Comneno International Music Competition by the Accademia Angelica Costantiniana Arti E Scienze (Rome, Italy) for “String Quartet”, First Prize Winner of Reneé Fisher Composition Prize for “Piano Sonata” and others.

His music is published by several publishers in the US, South America and Europe and has been recorded on Albany Records, MSR Classics and others.  He has been a guest lecturer at many universities and music festivals in the United States, Canada, Japan, South America and Europe. He taught at Berklee College of Music as Professor and Chair of Composition. He attained a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in Composition from the Boston Conservatory and Indiana University respectively.

Peter Sheppard Skærved (violin) and Roderick Chadwick (piano) are both highly popular, talented and critically acclaimed musicians. Both have extensive concert and recording careers and have appeared together and separately on a number of recordings.  More detailed biographies can be supplied on request.

The recording was made in London in the early part of 2022 and the album which will be issued on CD and all digital formats worldwide is scheduled for release between November 2022 and February 2023 (date to be confirmed).

“Spanish Meditations and Dances” (DDA 25239)

Composer: Gregory Fritze
Performers: Peter Sheppard Skærved (violin) and Roderick Chadwick (piano).
Label: Divine Art
ALBUM RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 22 – FEBRUARY 2023 TBC

Peter Sheppard Skærved & Roderick Chadwick Recordings on Divine Art