New Recordings, New Works, and a Double Violin Concerto Return

Recent Highlights

This past fall brought two premieres that were deeply rewarding.

In October, New Orleans Mix had its premiere at the Harvard Musical Association in Boston, performed by Ensemble 4.1. The performance was fantastic—Thomas Hoppe, Jörg Schneider, Alexander Glücksmann, Christoph Knitt, and Sebastian Posch brought such vibrant energy and precision to this celebration of New Orleans' musical heritage. Collaborating with this ensemble—who've championed Jerusalem Mix for years—continues to be one of the real joys of my career.

Then in November, Lament and Variations for solo piano premiered in California with Mackenzie Melemed. Mackenzie has since taken the piece on a wide-ranging tour across the U.S., with a Finnish premiere in Helsinki this December. His recording of the work, released on his album Tulevaisuus, honors the piece's emotional depth beautifully—this is a very personal and sorrowful work, and he captures that with remarkable sensitivity.

Other recent highlights include performances of In Flux (the triple percussion concerto) with the phenomenal Trio Colores and the Jugendsinfonie Orchester Zürich under David Bruchez-Lalli across Germany and Switzerland. Frozen in Time was also performed in major venues like the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Konzerthaus in Vienna with Vivi Vassileva and the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie conducted by Stanislav Kochanovsky.

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New Recordings

This winter has brought an especially exciting season for recordings—three new releases feature my work:

Nigunim (Violin Concerto No. 2), with Gil Shaham, Leon Botstein, and Orchestra NOW, has just been released and was recently featured in The Strad. I've had the privilege of working with Gil for many years now, and there's something about the way he approaches my music—the depth of understanding, the incredible beauty of tone—that brings out dimensions I didn't even know were there. This recording is a testament to that extraordinary collaboration.

Lament and Variations is included on Mackenzie Melemed's new album Tulevaisuus, a beautiful and heartfelt recording that captures everything from the quiet introspection to the fiery virtuosity of the piece.

Mazurka has its world premiere recording performed by Anna Kijanowska on the album 21st Mazurkas, joining a collection of fresh, contemporary reflections on this beloved dance form.

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Looking Ahead

The first quarter of 2026 is shaping up to be full of exciting performances across Europe and North America. Frozen in Time will continue its journey with upcoming concerts in Estonia (conducted by Andres Kaljuste) and Salzburg (Vivi Vassileva with David Runtz and the Zagreb Philharmonic) in January.

In March, I'm especially looking forward to the return of A Time to Mourn and a Time to Dance, performed by Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony in Rochester with the Rochester Philharmonic under Andreas Delfs. Collaborating with these incredible artists again is always something I treasure.

Also coming up:

• Nigunim with Lara St. John and London Symphonia, conducted by Nicolas Ellis, in Canada this January
• Lament and Variations continues its tour across the U.S. with Mackenzie Melemed
• Udacrep Akubrad and Four Marimbas performed by the Wave Quartet at the Kölner Philharmonie in February
• Jerusalem Mix returns to Pennsylvania with Market Square Concerts in Harrisburg
• Sextet will be performed in St. Louis, featuring Orli Shaham and members of the St. Louis Symphony in March
• Eternal Rhythm with Cynthia Yeh and the New Bedford Symphony, conducted by Yaniv Dinur

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Thank you so much for reading—and for your ongoing support. I hope to see you at a performance sometime soon.

Warmly,
Avner

www.avnerdormanmusic.com

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