Albany Records Releases IN TRUTH: LUCAS RICHMAN

Three works for soloists and orchestra by composer and conductor Lucas Richman are featured in a recent release, "IN TRUTH: Lucas Richman," from Albany Records. The recording went on sale September 1.

The recording features the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performing in their home venue, Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, under the baton of Richman in a performance from February 2015. "IN TRUTH" includes Concerto for Piano and Orchestra: In Truth with Jeffrey Biegel; Three Pieces for Cello and Orchestra with Inbal Segev; and Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra: The Clearing with Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida, principal oboe of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

"When I first auditioned for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in February 1998, I could never have foreseen the evolution of a 17-year relationship with this incredible organization leading to the creation of a full album comprised of my own compositions," said Richman, who is currently the music director of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra in Maine. "The three concerti featured on the album each represent phases of my own evolution as a musician, husband and father with each soloist portraying aspects of personal discovery, conflict and resolution. Over the years it has been my honor to conduct, compose, arrange and tour for concerts with the extraordinary musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony so it was especially heartwarming to return for this project and find the orchestra fully committed and invested in bringing my music to life in such a magnificent fashion."

"The Clearing" is a piece commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony for DeAlmeida who gave the premiere performance in 2006 with Sir Andrew Davis conducting. Three Pieces for Cello and Orchestra premiered in May 2013 with Richman leading the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. The premiere of Concerto for Piano and Orchestra: In Truth took place in October 2013 with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, which had commissioned the piece during Richman's tenure as music director with the orchestra (2003-2015).

This recording was made possible through the generous support of Tom and Evelyn Shaw and Thermal Label Warehouse.

"IN TRUTH Lucas Richman" is available at fine record stores, as well as online at albanyrecords.com;amazon.com, arkivmusic.com and hbdirect.com.

Lucas Richman has served as music director for the Bangor Symphony Orchestra since 2010 and recently completed a 12-year tenure as music director for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra from 2003 to 2015. Richman received a Grammy Award (2011) in the category of Best Classical Crossover Album for having conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on Christopher Tin's classical/world fusion album, "Calling All Dawns." He has appeared as guest conductor with orchestras worldwide including the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Oslo Philharmonic among numerous others. Richman served as assistant and resident conductor for Mariss Jansons and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra between 1998 and 2004 and, from 1988 to 1991, he was the assistant conductor for the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. Richman has collaborated with numerous film composers as their conductor, recording scores for such films as the Academy Award-nominated "The Village" (with violinist Hilary Hahn), "As Good As It Gets," "Face/Off," "Se7en," "Breakdown" and "The Manchurian Candidate." Recent recordings he has led from the podium include Symphony of Hope: The Haiti Project (a project from within the film music community that has generated more than $200,000 in donations), Noel Paul Stookey's recent solo release "One & Many," and Marvin Hamlisch's final score, written for the Emmy Award-winning HBO movie, "Behind the Candelabra." Also an accomplished composer, Richman has had his music performed by more than 200 orchestras and ensembles across the United States, fulfilling composition commissions most recently for the San Diego Symphony, the Knoxville Symphony, the Johnstown Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Seattle Chamber Music Society and the American Guild of Organists. Recordings of Richman's music include those featuring Giora Feidman (Variations for Clarinet and Cello), the Tiroler Kammerorchester InnStrumenti of Innsbruck (The Seven Circles of Life), the San Diego Symphony (Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant) and members of the Pittsburgh Symphony (Day is Done); a listing of Richman's compositions can be found through LeDor Group, Inc. at ledorgroup.com.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, known for its artistic excellence for more than 119 years, is credited with a rich history of the world's finest conductors and musicians, and a strong commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Past music directors have included Fritz Reiner (1938-1948), William Steinberg (1952-1976), Andre Previn (1976-1984), Lorin Maazel (1984-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1995-2004). This tradition of outstanding international music directors was furthered in fall 2008, when Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck became music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony. The orchestra has been at the forefront of championing new American works, and gave the first performance of Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah" in 1944 and John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine in 1986. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and radio concerts. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony broadcast on the airwaves coast-to-coast and in the late 1970s it made the ground breaking PBS series "Previn and the Pittsburgh." The orchestra has received increased national attention since 1982 through network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International, produced by Classical WQED-FM 89.3, made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With a long and distinguished history of touring both domestically and overseas since 1900-including 36 international tours to Europe, the Far East and South America-the Pittsburgh Symphony continues to be critically acclaimed as one of the world's greatest orchestras.

Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Symphony, Inc., a non-profit organization, and is the year-round home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The cornerstone of Pittsburgh's Cultural District, Heinz Hall also hosts many other events that do not feature its world-renowned orchestra, including Broadway shows, comedians, speakers and much more. For a full calendar of upcoming non-symphony events at the hall, visit heinzhall.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.