Cellist John-Henry Crawford to Release Third Album, VOICE OF RACHMANINOFF, On Orchid Classics

On Friday, June 9, 2023, Orchid Classics will release Voice Of Rachmaninoff, the third album of highly-decorated American cellist John-Henry Crawford. Crawford again joins forces with pianist Victor Santiago Asunción to mark the 150th anniversary of Sergei Rachmaninoff as a remarkable composer and pianist. The new album displays the power and richness of Rachmaninoff's piano writing and extremely vocal style, highlighting his impeccable ability to sing through the soaring melodies that one finds across his entire musical output.

The album's first single, the second movement of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op 18 "Preghiera," arranged by Fritz Kreisler and Shelbie Rassler, is out today accompanied by one of Crawford's popular music videos. Additional singles are scheduled for May 12 (Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op.43, Var XVII - Andante Cantabile) and May 26 ("How fair this spot" from 12 Romances).

Watch Crawford and Asunción Perform Preghiera:

Hailed by the Philadelphia Inquirer for his "polished charisma" and "singing sound," Crawford's new album features ten collections of work that include transcriptions from Rachmaninoff's solo piano literature. Each piece is a testament to the genius of Rachmaninoff and the singing, emotive power of the cello, which represents Rachmaninoff's voice in this album. The cellist shares in his notes, "From the slow movement of his second piano concerto in the seemingly infinite lines of the winds and strings, the yearning Elégie adapted from his Morceaux de Fantasie, to the eighteenth variation of his Rhapsody for piano and orchestra which climbs to an ever-reaching climax."

As one of the most revered pianists and celebrated for his magnificent compositions for the instrument, Rachmaninoff is well known for his lyrical melodies and late Romantic style. Crawford says, "His romances for voice like "How fair this spot" and "Oh never sing to me again" show his heart on his sleeve while his Vocalise magnifies the human voice to an almost total purity, devoid of any given syllables or words."

Following his last highly-acclaimed album, CORAZÓN (Orchid Classics 2022), Crawford's Voice of Rachmaninoff is a collection of work that shows Rachmaninoff at his most nostalgic and illustrates how adept he was at fusing pianistic brilliance with rich soulful lyricism. He further adds, "The mainstay of the program is the Sonata in G Minor for Cello and Piano, which is the only sonata Rachmaninoff wrote for any solo instrument other than piano. Rachmaninoff had a great affection for the cello, not surprisingly given its likeness to the human voice. The Sonata boasts one song after another in a vast work with a devilishly difficult piano part, on par with that of his piano concerti."

About John-Henry Crawford

Louisiana born cellist John-Henry Crawford has been lauded for his "polished charisma" and "singing sound" (Philadelphia Inquirer). In 2019, he won First Prize in the IX International Carlos Prieto Cello Competition and was named Young Artist of the Year by the Classical Recording Foundation, and in 2021, he was shortly after named the National Federation of Music Clubs' 2021-2023 Young Artist in Strings.

His most recent album, Corazón: The Music of Latin America (Orchid Classics - June 2022) was selected as Editor's choice in Gramophone Magazine and was #5 on the Billboard Classical Charts in its first week. Crawford's debut album Dialogo (Orchid Classics - June 2021) appeared on the Billboard Top 10 chart as well as the top 5 on iTunes and #1 on Amazon's Classical New Releases. Gramophone Magazine wrote, "There's such a rich variety of colour, touch and texture, and as much vulnerability as dramatic intensity... A splendidly satisfying recital on all counts," while The Strad claimed, "The clean, close recording is like seeing everything through a very powerful lens... a striking interpretation."

Crawford commands a strong Instagram presence, having attracted tens of thousands of viewers to his project #The1000DayJourney, where he films artistic cinematic videos daily from his practice and performances for over 50,000 followers (@cellocrawford) to give a glimpse into the working process of a musician.

At age 15, Crawford was accepted into the Curtis Institute of Music to study with Peter Wiley and Carter Brey. He continued to complete a Master of Music at The Juilliard School with Joel Krosnick, an Artist Diploma at the Manhattan School of Music with Philippe Muller. Other equally important musical mentors have been such artists of note as Lynn Harrell, Zuill Bailey, Andres Diaz and Hans Jorgen Jensen. He has given concerts in 25 states as well as Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Mexico, and Switzerland at venues such as The International Concert Series of the Louvre in Paris, Volkswagen's Die Gläsern Manufaktur in Dresden. Crawford gave his solo debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra as First Prize Winner of the orchestra's Greenfield Competition.

Crawford's numerous competition prizes also include Grand Prize and First Prize Cellist at the 2015 American String Teachers National Solo Competition, the Lynn Harrell Competition of the Dallas Symphony, the Hudson Valley Competition, and the Kingsville International Competition.

He has been a fellow at the Verbier Festival Academy, Music@Menlo, the Perlman Chamber Music Program, Music from Angel Fire in New Mexico, the National Arts Centre's Zukerman Young Artist Program in Canada, and The Fontainebleau School in France.

Crawford is from a musical family and performs on a rare 200-year-old European cello smuggled out of Austria by his grandfather, Dr. Robert Popper, who evaded Kristallnacht in 1938 and a fine French bow by the revolutionary bowmaker Tourte "L'Ainé" from 1790. In addition to music, he enjoys learning languages, performing magic tricks, and photography. Learn more at www.johnhenrycrawford.com.

About Victor Santiago Asunción

Hailed by The Washington Post for his "poised and imaginative playing," Filipino- American pianist Victor Santiago Asunción has appeared in concert halls in Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Spain, Turkey and the USA, as a recitalist and concerto soloist.

A chamber music enthusiast, he has performed with artists such as Lynn Harrell, Zuill Bailey, Antonio Meneses, Joshua Roman, Giora Schmidt, the Dover, Emerson, and Vega String Quartets. He was on the chamber music faculty of the Aspen Music Festival, and the Garth Newel Summer Music Festival. He was also the pianist for the Garth Newel Piano Quartet for three seasons. Festival appearances include the Amelia Island, Highland-Cashiers, Music in the Vineyards, and Santa Fe.

His recordings include the complete Sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven for Piano and Cello, Sonatas by Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff with cellist Joseph Johnson, the Rachmaninoff Sonata with the cellist Evan Drachman, and the Chopin and Grieg Sonatas, also with cellist Evan Drachman. He is featured in the award-winning recording Songs My Father Taught Me with Lynn Harrell, produced by Louise Frank and WFMT-Chicago. Mr. Asunción is the Founder, and Artistic and Board Director of FilAm Music Foundation, a non-profit foundation that is dedicated to promoting Filipino classical musicians through scholarship, and performance. Victor Santiago Asunción is a Steinway Artist. Learn more at https://victorsantiagoasuncion.com.

Voice Of Rachmaninoff Tracklist
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
1. Morceaux de Fantasie, Op. 3, No. 1 Elégie - Moderato [5:33]
2. 12 Romances, Op. 21 No. 7, Zdes Khorosho "How fair this spot" [2:17]
3. 6 Songs, Op. 4 No. 4, Ne poy krasavitsa pri mne "Oh never sing to me again" [4:35]
4. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, Var XVII - Andante Cantabile [3:26]
5-8. Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, Op.19
I. Lento - Allegro Moderato [13:08]
II. Allegro scherzando [6:39]
III. Andante [6:49]
IV. Allegro Mosso [11:48]
9. Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14 [6:39]
10. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op 18 "Preghiera" - II. (Arr. Fritz Kreisler & Shelbie Rassler) [6:52]

Total Time - 67:48

John-Henry Crawford, cello
Victor Santiago Asunción, piano

ORC100241
Producer & Engineer: Adam Abeshouse
Recorded at Abeshouse Productions on December 1 and 2, 2022
Cover Photography: Jiyang Chen