Sumner Coy

Anne Akiko Meyer's latest album Fantasia is a labor of deep affinity, one that began with a chance record store find, and culminated in her collaborating with one of the composers that inspired her, Einojuhani Rautavaara.

"Fantasia" takes its title from that collaboration, the final work of Rautavaara, who is described by Meyers, alongside Karol Szymanowski and Maurice Ravel, as a "master colorist" of classical music.

"My goal was to feature this riotous color throughout," says Meyers. "There's such a beautiful story throughout each work."

The 21st century's "concurrent abundance and scarcity" proves a deep well for artistic exploration in 'Labor&Materials,' the latest exhibition hosted by 21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville, offering blazing color, knowing kitsch, and a deep ambivalence towards a world in flux. 

Nearly lost works by Arkansas-born composer Florence Price (1887-1953) are being brought to modern ears this month thanks to efforts of  ​Er-Gene Kahng, violinist and music professor at the University of Arkansas.

Christina Pluhar and her seasoned L'Arpeggiata Ensemble bring one of the great "rock stars" of his time, George Frideric Handel, into a vibrantly modern soundscape with an album that bridges classical, jazz and world music. 

The title of  Handel Goes Wild refers both to Handel's own storied reputation and L'Arpeggiata's freewheeling approach.

"I'm sure he was a very amazing person, and you can hear it in his music," says Pluhar.

Listen to the entire interview with Katy Henriksen via the streaming link.

Mutant compositions, broken echoes, and the sound left after the end of the world- these are some of the inspiring forces behind New York-based composer Scott Wollschleger's new album Soft Aberration. In a discussion of his latest work with Of Note's Katy Henriksen, Wollschleger explained the important role that white noise fills on the album, as well as his definition of "brontal," the constructed appellation that guides Wollschleger's creative process.