Top Albums by Global Music Awards Winners
Top Albums of the Year 2023
Global Music Awards is an international showcase for original music, unique voices and emerging artists from around the world. We are honored to share some highly anticipated albums by our award-winning artists. Whittling down to albums was no easy task, but without further ado, we present Global Music Awards’ Top Albums of the Year.
Anna Kijanowska, Ryterband: The Journey, Poland. Pianist Kijanowska excels on this compilation of works by composer Roman Ryterband. Composed in majority during World War 2, these compositions reflect the turmoil of the time and touches every emotion by the end of the album. LINK
Gao Hong & Ignacio Lusardi Monteverde, Alondra (Skylark), Argentina, United States. This collaboration between two exceptional musicians from divergent traditions, this album finds a wonderful fusion between the Chinese pipa and acoustic guitar. LINK
Michail Travlos, Iwona Glinka, NeoQuartet, Patch Works, Greece. Featuring four different works, composer Travlos combines modern technique with traditional instrumentation, layering rich textures and harmonies upon a minimalist soundscape. Each composition features sharp, incisive performances by flautist Glinka and chamber ensemble NeoQuartet. LINK
Quynh Nguyen, The Flower of France. Talented pianist Quynh Nguyen brings underappreciated compositions by Germaine Tailleferre to vivid life. Nguyen’s talent is on full display with the grace and precision of her performance. LINK
Rae Howell and Sunwrae, Bee-Sharp Honeybee. A brief and inventive project, Bee-Sharp Honeybee creates unique textures and timbres reminiscent of electronica but with a string orchestra. It features lively rhythms and complex harmonies reflective of its subject, a beehive. LINK
Meriem Ben Amor, Tunisian Tale, Tunisia, Canada. Meriem Ben Amor brings a new vision to traditional Tunisian melodies with modern arrangements. Her powerful vocals add a dynamic and fresh perspective to North African music. LINK
Stanley Grill, Die Erste Elegie. This evocative record opens with Symphony of Sighs, a richly reflective piece continuing Grill’s previous work about the ongoing war in Ukraine. This is followed by 5 movements placing Rainer Rilke’s elegies to music, featuring a beautiful vocal performance by Lisa Rombach. LINK
Charu Suri, Rags & Ragas. Bringing an Indian perspective to New Orleans jazz, Charu Suri creates a playful atmosphere that unites a wide variety of traditions into a wonderful listening experience. LINK
Joanna Estelle, Transmutation, Canada. This deeply emotional album features beautiful and haunting compositions that stay with the listener beyond its length. In addition to five excellent orchestral compositions, the album includes the Songs From Heaven choral cycle. LINK
Marco Sinopoli Extradiction, Chromatic Landscape, Italy. This adventurous jazz album takes listeners on a sonic journey through shifting and daring tonal landscapes, moving rapidly and effortlessly with the guide of expert musicians. LINK
Top Albums of the Year 2022
Global Music Awards is an international showcase for original music, unique voices and emerging artists from around the world. We are honored to share some highly anticipated albums by our award-winning artists. Whittling down to albums was no easy task, but without further ado, we present Global Music Awards’ Top Albums of the Year.
Jacopo Ferrazza, Fantasia, Italy. Deeply emotive and nuanced, Ferrazza's "Fantasia" is a captivating journey through jazz fusion that consistently impresses. Ferrazza’s melodies are intricately woven into a lush tapestry of sound, showcasing the depth of his creative prowess. The instrumental complexity combined with the album's ethereal atmosphere makes it a standout. LINK
Dom Salvador Trio, Samborium. Drawing deeply from Brazilian roots, "Samborium" is an effervescent mix of jazz and samba, delivering rhythmically complex yet highly accessible music. The Trio’s effortless rapport shines throughout, making this album as technically impressive as it is energetically engaging. LINK
Nora Lee Garcia & Rene Izquierdo, Cubatina. With a blend of Cuban folk and classical guitar, "Cubatina" offers a unique fusion that is both stirring and enchanting. Garcia's vibrant flute melodies pair exceptionally with Izquierdo's delicate guitar work, resulting in an album filled with passionate performances and compelling compositions. LINK
Sira Hernandez, Tre Impressioni Sulla Divina Commedia, Spain. This album presents a striking interpretation of Dante's "Divine Comedy" through classical piano. Its grand scale and dramatic musical narratives make for a profoundly moving listening experience, showcasing Hernandez's exceptional interpretative skills. LINK
Miao Miao Flow, Szu Chien Lu, Taiwan. This electronic album is a fascinating journey into the soundscapes of experimental pop and synth-wave. Miao Miao Flow's "Szu Chien Lu" exhibits the fusion of the violin with innovative production techniques, offering a delightful sonic experience that continually surprises and delights. LINK
Heidi Breyer, Amor Aeternus: A Requiem For The Common Man. In the form of a Requiem Mass, Breyer's "Amor Aeternus" is tribute to our world’s perseverance and transformation through recent troubled times. The album's haunting melodies and poignant themes resonate deeply, offering a stirring exploration of the human condition. LINK
Eleazar Mora, Javier Solis una Orquestra y una Voz, Vol.2. This tribute to Javier Solis is a lush orchestral journey through his greatest hits, complemented by Mora's rich vocals. The album strikes a careful balance between reverence and originality, making it a must-listen for fans of traditional Latin music. LINK
Davide Caprelli, Libera Nos. A haunting exploration of ambient and orchestral music, Caprelli's "Libera Nos" presents a compelling blend of tension, release, and catharsis. Its masterful sound design and emotional heft leave a powerful and lasting impression. LINK
Nati Baldominos, Mi Mundo Interior, Spain. A journey into the soulful world of flamenco fusion, Baldominos' "Mi Mundo Interior" stands out for its passionate performances and innovative arrangements. Baldominos skillfully blends traditional flamenco elements with modern influences, creating a unique sound that feels both timeless and contemporary. LINK
Top Albums of the Year 2021
Global Music Awards is an international showcase for original music, unique voices and emerging artists from around the world. We are honored to share some highly anticipated albums by our award-winning artists. Whittling down to albums was no easy task, but without further ado, we present Global Music Awards’ Top Albums of the Year.
Farhad Harati – Zang Records, The Sacred Earth, Iran. With great breadth and scope, this project innovates upon a traditional score. This excellent work utilizes new and unique orchestrations, evocative composition, and the talents of the Naamira Choir, to execute on this epic score. LINK
Hsiao Yu-Ting – StreetVoice 街聲, Coastline Memories and Images – Ripples from the East Route of Taiwan, Taiwan. Featuring nostalgic and original production techniques, this record captures a feeling and a time perfectly suited to the intricate and fresh melodies. Just listening to these works conjures the setting sun and its orange glow on the water. LINK
Carpe Diem String Quartet – Erberk Eryilmaz, Dances of the Yogurt Maker – New Music for String Quartet and Turkish Folk Percussion. These passionate performances imbue Erylimaz’s compositions with a flash of energy and wit. An exhilarating listen front to back, this album is “a whirlwind ride”. LINK
Junichiro Mataga, Sketches. This piano jazz album highlights Mataga’s excellent harmonic skill and floaty, jovial melodies. The nostalgic production lends a calming timbre to the work, making it a very pleasing listen. LINK
George Voukanos, Areton Anotera – The High of Virtues. With much pomp and pride, this work is a celebratory anthem. Bringing the listener straight to the Olympic games, the inspiration for this work, you will feel the epic proportion of this undertaking. LINK
Frank Wallace – Ravello Records, Wallace Plays Wallace: A Guitar Legacy. This encompassing work combines work from across late guitarist Frank A. Wallace’s career. With beautiful classical melodies and a minimal soundscape, this project immortalizes Wallace and his mastery of the guitar. LINK
Gary Muszynski – One World Music, Roots & Wings, World. This album was created in collaboration with two dozen artists from all across the world, including previous Gold Medal awardee Omar Sosa. Over the past years crafting this album, Muszynski linked a unique blend of techniques and traditions fitting perfectly into a stylized whole. LINK
Monica Cardenas, 10 Preludes and Fugues of Latin America, Peru, Germany. Combining her experiences from Latin America and Europe, Cardenas has synthesized an evocative and original instrumental album. The pieces are not just moving but also technical, building to memorable emotional peaks. LINK
Kobi Arad – Greenpath Musical Productions, Makams – Places. This trio, led by Kobi Arad, utilizes techniques from across the world to create a unique atmosphere with inspirations not just from world music but jazz and contemporary classical. These influences come together into a unique synthesis and an excellent listening experience. LINK
Top Albums of the Year 2020
Global Music Awards is an international showcase for original music, unique voices and emerging artists from around the world. We are honored to share some highly anticipated albums by our award-winning artists. Whittling down to albums was no easy task, but without further ado, we present Global Music Awards’ Top Albums of the Year.
Mary Elizabeth Bowden and the Kassia Ensemble – Summit Records, Rêverie, United States. Yamaha Performing Artist Mary Bowden and an all-female ensemble present works from Debussy, Bach and Mozart as well as less familiar works arranged for trumpet and string ensemble by contemporary composers James Stephenson and Catherine McMichael. LINK
Shudong Luo Braamse - Navona, Sueños de España, United States/China. Braamse is a bright lyrical coloratura soprano who maintains tonal beauty through the registers. This work is a treasury of songs with stories of passionate love and broken promises that honor the rich Spanish culture and its 19th century romantic poetry. LINK
Peter Calandra - pecamusic, Carpe Noctem, United States. Sacred orchestral music is rare in the new age and ambient genres. This fascinating and remarkable collection of orchestral music with choir is inspired by liturgical texts from Latin Mass. This album is most engaging. LINK
Gustavo Casenave – Fula Records, Balance, Uruguay/United States. Balance is as much a journey as it is a destination. Casenave has been balancing the musical traditions of classical, jazz, and tango. What’s more, he has had to find an equilibrium between his Uruguayan roots and American home. LINK
Pacho Flores - Gramophone, Fractales, Spain. This master work includes trumpet compositions such as Haydn and Arutunian concertos, the astonishing contemporary composition Akban Bunka by Christian Lindberg and Flores’ own transcription of Sarasate’s Gypsy Airs. LINK
Paco Fralick - Debash Music, Letting Go, United States. This contemporary Native American Objiwe singer/songwriter excels with lyrics and vocals that are original, authentic and speak of the world of everyday people. He is a profound artist in the tradition of Guthrie & Dylan. LINK
Ralf Yusuf Gawlick – Musica Omnia, Imagined Memories (Bîranînên Xeyalî), Germany/United States. This is an intensely personal work: a musical offering to the composer's biological mother he never knew. This new piece, commissioned and performed by the Vienna-based Hugo Wolf Quartett, is a major essay of haunting and evocative beauty, representing the intersection of memories, both real and imagined, of three personalities whose paths crossed only briefly. LINK
Kerani, Small Treasures, Netherlands. This is an intensive, personal collection of sensitive and delicate compositions that reflect the experiences that have greatly influenced the composer’s life. Her sophisticated musical prose has classical overtones and is based on themes of exceptional eloquence and emotive power. LINK
George Kontogiorgos – Naxos, Dancing with Centaurs: Stories for Saxophone, Greece. This composer’s work contains melodic elements found in fragments of ancient Hellenic music and traditional songs from Asia Minor, interwoven with the pentatonic scale. Highly original works for saxophone. LINK
Michail Travlos - Phasma Music, Night Visions, Greece. Throughout the album, the common element is the composer’s meticulous exploration of intervallic qualities in terms of texture and time. This is elegant, original music with a fragile balance between rationality and emotional sentiment. LINK
YK Band – Wind Music, Arcaron - Under Twin Moons : The Rise of a Myth, Taiwan. This highly original work by the international duo band Yerko Lorca & Kuan Yin, combines vocals with aspects of myths and fantasy using ancient world instruments including kora, lyre and tar. LINK
Top Albums Fall 2019
Global Music Awards is an international showcase for original music, unique voices and emerging artists from around the world. We are honored to share some highly anticipated new albums by our award-winning artists. Whittling down to ten albums was no easy task, but without further ado, we present Global Music Awards’ Top Albums of Fall 2019.
Chyna Nicole - Nico Star Music, Queens in the Arena - Kemet Riddim, United States. This all female reggae infused album, inspired by Africa, demonstrates a circle of love and sisterhood. Riddim, a term from Jamaican patios, translates to rhythm. The album includes 14 tracks from an international array of artists including Nadine Sutherland, Pam Hall, Lady Ann, Chyna Nicole and more. LINK
Cynthia Haring and Katia Valdeos with the Sue Sue Sisters & World Nation Children's Choir - World Nation Records, School of Fish, United States. This album has energetic, fun, playful music in the pop vocal, Americana style for kids of all ages. The central message of the ten songs on this children’s album is that a united world, like a school of fish, is a stronger, more productive and peaceful world. LINK LINK
Joseph T. Spaniola – Parma Big Round Records, Escapade: Music for Large and Small Ensembles, United States. The album contains six works mostly for winds. This collection of his works provides some great contrast of ensembles that show off his compositional abilities and voice. LINK
Lannie Battistini – Hands In Motion, Moving On, United States. George Harris of Jazz Weekly said of this album, “music that slides down easy like a cool drink on a warm day”. The album consists of eight original jazz fusion compositions and one jazz standard as a tribute to Duke Ellington with a score arranged by Battistini. LINK
Magdalena Kling-Fender, Elzbieta Mrozek-Loska and Robert Fender – Dux Recording, Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, Poland. The Goldberg Variations are among Bach’s best known and admired compositions. These exceptionally talented instrumentalists perform with emotional and deep understanding. Arranged for string trio by Dmitry Sitkovetsky. LINK
Michail Travlos - Phasma Music, Night Visions, Greece. Throughout the album, the common element is the composer’s meticulous exploration of intervallic qualities in terms of texture and time. This is elegant, original music with a fragile balance between rationality and emotional sentiment. LINK LINK
Seay - Tuscan Sun Music Label, Winter Blessing - The Gift, United States. This special recording celebrates the sacredness of the winter for people all over the world and the beauty of the season. Special guest performances by several Grammy winning musicians and sound experts. LINK
Skyline Jazz Band, City Explorations, Taiwan. This magical album is a blending of jazz, classical symphony and world music. It takes listeners on a musical adventure across five continents with elements such as traditional Chinese, Japanese, Indian, African, European, flamingo, tango, Latin, chill-out, and avant-garde rock. LINK
Steve Eulberg, Between the Tracks, United States. This beautiful album is an all instrumental featuring fingerstyle guitar and light percussion with style including acoustic folk, blues and Americana. Eulberg has a thoughtful, melodic, rich palette of chords and moods. LINK
Zhihua Hu, From China, Asia to the West, United States/China. This is an album of ten original compositions each representing a different music style from the East to the West. Most compositions feature Ms. Hu’s music theories and composing techniques: "Compression Rhythm" and "Chinese Nine Tone Scale". In addition, as a pianist, Zhihua Hu had performed and recorded all the compositions with piano parts on this album. LINK
Top Albums Summer 2019
Global Music Awards is an international showcase for original music, unique voices and emerging artists from around the world. We are honored to share some highly anticipated new albums by our award-winning artists. Whittling down to ten albums was no easy task, but without further ado, we present Global Music Awards’ Top Albums of Summer 2019.
Gustavo Casenave – Fula Records, Balance, Uruguay/United States. Balance is as much a journey as it is a destination. Casenave has been balancing the musical traditions of classical, jazz, and tango. What’s more, he has had to find an equilibrium between his Uruguayan roots and American home. LINK
Marta Szlubowska and Svetlana Belsky - Sheridan Studios, Myth and Romance: Works for Violin and Piano by Polish Composers, United States. The works are performed by master instrumentalists, Szlubowska: concertmaster of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, and Belsky: coordinator of Piano Studies at the University of Chicago. LINK
Matej Meštrović - Parma/Navona, 3 Rhapsodies for Piano and Orchestra, Croatia. This album presents a collection of three rhapsodies: Danube Rhapsody, Chinese Rhapsody and New England Rhapsody. An unexpected treat is the Chinese Rhapsody with pipa, zheng, erhu and violin. LINK
Nadia Shpachenko-Gottesman – Reference Recordings, The Poetry of Places, United States. These rich recordings feature world premiere works for solo piano, for two pianos, percussion, electronics, voice, and toy piano in a fascinating mélange inspired by great architecture and places. LINK
Nick Dukas, One and Forever Love, United States. The highlights of this album are two original pieces Mr. Moon and One & Forever Love which perfectly exemplify the passion that Dukas puts into his art; carefully crafted, soulful lyrics and artistic charm warms listeners. LINK
Pacho Flores - Gramophone, Fractales, Spain. This master work includes trumpet compositions such as Haydn and Arutunian concertos, the astonishing contemporary composition Akban Bunka by Christian Lindberg and key works in Flores’ repertoire such as his own transcription of Sarasate’s Gypsy Airs. LINK
Paco Fralick - Debash Music, Letting Go, United States. This contemporary Native American Objiwe singer/songwriter excels with lyrics and vocals that are original, authentic and speak of the world of everyday people. He is a profound artist in the tradition of Guthrie & Dylan. LINK
Peter Calandra - pecamusic, Carpe Noctem, United States. Sacred orchestral music is rare in the new age and ambient genres. This fascinating and remarkable collection of orchestral music with choir is inspired by liturgical texts from Latin Mass. This album is most engaging.LINK
Ralf Yusuf Gawlick - Musica Omnia, Imagined Memories (Bîranînên Xeyalî), Germany/United States. This is an intensely personal work: a musical offering to the biological mother he never knew. This new piece is a major essay of haunting and evocative beauty, representing the intersection of memories, both real and imagined, of three personalities whose paths crossed only briefly. LINK
Sihasin - Tacoho Records, Fight Like A Woman, United States. Brother and Sister, Jeneda and Clayson Benally from the Navajo Nation have created a unique explosive organic sound of music. The duo uses just bass and drums to intertwine songs and rhythms of their indigenous roots with their modern sound. Their music reflects hope for healthy and respectful communities along with social and environmental justice. LINK
Top Albums Spring 2019
Global Music Awards is an international showcase for original music, unique voices and emerging artists from around the world. We are honored to share some highly anticipated new albums by our award-winning artists. Whittling down to ten albums was no easy task, but without further ado, we present Global Music Awards’ Top Ten Albums of Spring 2019.
Dawn Avery, Beloved, United States. In her fifth solo album, this accomplished artist offers soaring, mystic cello and her soulful, passionate voice. Her music reflects deep devotion rooted in her Mohawk heritage and Sufi experiences. Here, music is regarded as a path to knowledge of the Divine and self-discovery. She is joined by Grammy winner, guitarist Larry Mitchell. LINK
Svetlana Belsky, Ferruccio Busoni: The Late Works, United States. Critically acclaimed as a passionate pianist and scholar, she performs the notoriously difficult, complex, unclassifiable-as-to-style music of this Italian-German composer. This is a stunning solo recital in which Belsky demonstrates a remarkable understanding of Busoni’s music. LINK
Mary Elizabeth Bowden, Rêverie, United States. This extraordinary trumpeter is highly regarded for her artistry and virtuosity as a soloist and has been praised for the clarity, purity and power of her sound. On Rêverie, Bowden fluidly displays grace and power as she is joined by the Kassia Ensemble for a far-reaching collection of arrangements and new compositions. LINK
Shudong Lou Braamse, Sueños de España, United States/China. In this album, a treasury of Spanish art song relates stories of passionate love, broken promises, and heartfelt prayers, soprano Braamse's blends vocal artistry with technical skills in this performance. She demonstrates both an understanding of the rich Spanish culture and its 19th-century romantic poetry. LINK
Tim Brady, Tim Brady: Music for Large Ensemble, Canada. This album presents the premiere recordings of two major works from this Canadian composer and electric guitar virtuoso. Désir is a concerto that marries electric guitar and large chamber ensemble. Brady’s Symphony No 7 imagines and celebrates the Leningrad premier of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 in 1942 during the 900-day siege of Leningrad by the Germany Army. LINK
Andree-Ann Deschenes, The Ovalle Project, United States. This comprehensive, two-disc album performed by French-Canadian masterful pianist Andree-Ann Deschenes revives the work of one of Brazil’s great composers, Jayme Ovalle. The album is a collection of 24 opuses ranging from short and melancholic to lengthy Ovalle showpieces. LINK
Kerani, Small Treasures, Netherlands. This is an intensive, personal collection of sensitive and delicate compositions that reflect the experiences that have greatly influenced the composer’s life. Her sophisticated musical prose has classical overtones and is based on themes of exceptional eloquence and emotive power. LINK
Renee Michele, The Space Within, United States. This artist’s sixth album is an inspiring compilation of ten of her most intimate compositions to date. The album is the soul of human emotion. She is joined by world-class instrumentalists including violinist Charlie Bisharat, who has recorded with Elton John, and six-time Grammy winning cellist Eugene Friesen. LINK
Jan Michael Looking Wolf, Beautiful, United States. Well-known Native American flutist, Jan Michael Looking Wolf, pays tribute to the mastery of the Native American flute with a diverse variety of custom flutes especially created for the project. The melodies express the beautiful connection we all share with Mother Earth, Father Sky, and each other. LINK
Saoirse, Encore, Australia. Saoirse is a Melbourne based Celtic folk band with a great reputation as world class entertainers. With soaring harmonies, beautiful ballads sung in English and Irish including original material, jigs and reels and even the odd step dance, this album engages and delights listeners. Two particularly memorable songs on this album are O’Reillys Lament and Dimming of the Day. LINK
Top Ten Albums of 2018
Global Music Awards is an international showcase for original music, unique voices and emerging artists. One of the great joys of our work is to discover the rich talent that comprises the Global Music Awards’ family. Even with the help of our Celebrated Judges, whittling down the albums was no easy task, but without further ado, we present Global Music Awards’ Top Albums of 2018.
Frank Gabriel Campos, Frank Gabriel Campos: Trumpet and Flugelhorn, United States. This album showcases the trumpet in duets with piano, guitar, double bass and features premieres of two new compositions. Campos is a renowned classical and jazz trumpet soloist and the author of Trumpet Techniques, widely regarded as the best single source and an important pedagogical voice to thousands of trumpeters around the world. LINK
Pablo Cohen, La Casa, classical guitar, United States. Cohen plays classical guitar with mellow tones and strongly shaped melody lines while performing the musical traditions of South America. This album includes world premier recordings of Buenos Aires artists Carlos Guastavino and Horacio Salgan. Cohen is establishing himself as a unique and valuable addition to the international community of top world classical guitarists. LINK
Nicholas DiEugenio & Mimi Solomon, Unraveling Beethoven, United States. In this brilliant album, the duo DiEugenio (violin) and Solomon (piano) commissioned the composers Allen Anderson, David Garner, Robert Honstein, Jesse Jones, and Tonia Ko to pull on loose threads of Beethoven’s violin sonatas and reweave them into new original classical compositions. The results display a range, from a mixture of direct references to Beethoven's work to more oblique reactions to the violin sonatas. LINK
Iwona Glinka, Aleph, classical flautist, Greece. This beautifully produced album presents ten world premiere recordings by seven contemporary Greek composers; a fascinating trip into the byways of contemporary Greek flute repertoire. Glinka’s performance is impeccably clean yet mightily expressive. She has gained a substantial reputation for her devotion to new and experimental music. LINK
The Grasslands Ensemble & Daniel Ho, Between the Sky & Prairie, world music
Inner Mongolia/China/United States. This re-imagined collection of Mongolian music from a millennium is the creation of six-time Grammy Award winner Daniel Hoe, director Judy Wu, and introduces The Grass Lands Ensemble from the Inner Mongolian prairies of Hulunbuir. The music is organic and an inimitably rich presentation of traditional, ethnic minority folk songs. LINK
Asako Hirabayashi, The Harpsichord in the New Millennium, United States/Japan. This composer’s debut album of twenty-four modern works for harpsichord breathes new life and vitality into this much-loved historical instrument. Hirabayashi delights listeners as she performs her original compositions with grace and a delicate touch. LINK
Lin Ma and Zhen Chen, On & Between, China/United States. Immigrants live in the dualities of cultures and identifies. This album is a musical exploration of their anticipation, agony, pride and compromise. Zhen Chen, composer and pianist, and Lin Ma, pipaist, weave traditionalist Chinese musical forms with Western style chamber music. This delightful, multilayered recording has affirming and wholly satisfying music. LINK
Elliot Mason, Before, Now & After, trombone, United States. This recording celebrates Mason’s musical influences, while adding fresh vision and insight to compositions by John Coltrane, Duke Ellington and other greats. He broadens soundscapes, sometimes borrowing key components from the original and in other cases writes entirely new melodies. Elliot’s sound is powerful and unique. LINK
Robert Neustadt, Voluntary Return: Songs of Solidarity with Migrants and Refugees, United States. These folk songs, Americana and blues, in the style of Cash and Dylan, attempt to raise awareness about the injustices affecting refugees around the globe and to raise funds for humanitarian relief. 100% of the proceeds from this album go to humanitarian efforts. LINK
Spirituosi, Spirituosi: Souvenir Latino, ensemble, Austria. This album features a dynamic group of young artists with a unique, engaging sound; an unusual combination of voices; soprano voice, flute, guitar and double bass. In this exotic repertoire, you will find essential aspects of the old, but spiced to create something new and fresh. It’s a joyful and pleasurable listening experience. LINK
Top Five Albums Spring 2018
Global Music Awards is an international showcase for original music, unique voices and emerging artists from around the world. 2018 saw some highly anticipated new albums by our Gold Medal winning artists. Whittling down to five albums was no easy task, but without further ado, we present Global Music Awards’ Top Five Albums of Spring 2018.
#5: Laura Usiskin, Reimagining Bach, United States, is a début album featuring solo cello music inspired by the great Johann Sebastian Bach. In addition to Bach compositions, the album includes Bach-inspired works by Patrick Greene and Peter Susser. Usiskin received her master's degree from The Juilliard School and doctorate from Yale University. LINK LINK
# 4: Nick Maclean Quartet, Rites of Ascension, Canada, is in the spirit of Herbie Hancock's primordial 60's quartet. Not to be confused with a tribute recording, this album has a character of its own. The depth of the synergistic connectivity between all four members of Maclean's quartet is the cornerstone to the ensemble's sound and group dynamic.
# 3: Viviana Guzmán, Song of the Whale, Chile/United States, internationally touring musician in 126 countries, Emmy nominated, Guzman’s new album features music of flute and vocalizations of humpback whales. The music mixes the calming and sometimes haunting sound of the Native American flute and evokes the mysterious, majestic and sometimes playful aspects of the largest creatures the world has ever known.
# 2: Charles Denler, Wild Mustang Suite, United States, is an orchestral suite recorded by Denler and the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra with solo piano variations. This album captures the spirit born of every living thing, longing to be free. With thousands of concerts to his credit, this Emmy winning composer has been heard all over the world.
# 1: Spirituosi, Souvenir Latino, Austria, is a dynamic group of young artists with unique, engaging sound. The unusual combination of soprano voice, flute and cello of the sisters Nathalie, Evelyn and Nicole Peña Comas with guitars played by Damien Lancelle and Gonzalo Manrique and the Double bass played by Rubén Sánchez. This ensemble of emerging artists offers inventive arrangements in various musical styles, mainly classical and folklore. You will listen to this album again and again; it’s a joyful and pleasurable listening experience.
Top Five Albums Fall 2017
Global Music Awards is an international showcase for original music, unique voices and emerging artists. One of the great joys of our work is to discover the rich talent that comprises the Global Music Awards’ family. Whittling down to five albums was no easy task, but without further ado, we present Global Music Awards’ Top Five Albums of Fall 2017.
#5: David Schlossberg, A Place Beyond Words, solo piano, Jewish music, United States. The album feels uplifting and celebratory; cherished liturgical music that can be enjoyed outside the synagogue walls. It’s good medicine for a conflicted world; bouncy and cheerful to the ear because of his unique use of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic variations. Schlossberg’s sound is rich, textured and authentic even though nouveau. The album helps listeners appreciate the beauty of Jewish liturgical music across religions and cultural boundaries. LINK
#4: Barbara Kortmann, Inner Lights, classical flautist, Germany. This debut album is a delightful collection of music composed by Antonio Vivaldi, Marin Marais, George Frederick Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Kortmann and her ensemble create their very own sound world featuring the virtuosity of this talented flutist. Listening to Kortmann is a rare pleasure because of her natural talent and well-honed performance skills. LINK
#3: Trio Rodin, Enrique Granados: Chamber Music with Piano, trio, Spain. The first album by this outstanding, young trio is based on a manuscript found at the Museu de la Música de Barcelona instead of the commonly played versions. It includes the world's first recording of Granados Trova, an arrangement by the composer himself of his most famous chamber orchestra piece, Elisenda. The sonata for violin and piano is another great surprise for listeners. LINK
#2: Amjad Ali Khan, Elmira Darvarova, Amaan Ali Bangash, Ayaan Ali Bangash, Anubrata Chatterjee, Peace Worshipers, world music, India/United States. This album represents a collaboration between Amjad Ali Khan, the titan of the sarod, and the distinguished American violinist Elmira Darvarova. This final volume in a trilogy features regional folk traditions in India and Europe. LINK
#1: Dorothy Hindman, Tightly Wound: Music for Strings, composer, United States. Fueled by a unique blend of punk, postmodern, and spectral techniques, Hindman’s music sings and screams, breathes and howls, leaving a lasting impression like none other. Her second solo release, Tightly Wound, a double album showcasing her music for strings, stakes a solid claim for her position as one of the more fearless voices in chamber music today. Hindman’s works have a raw power. LINK
Top Ten Albums Spring/Summer 2017
Global Music Awards is an international showcase for original music, unique voices and emerging artists. One of the great joys of our work is to discover the rich talent that comprises the Global Music Awards’ family. Whittling down to ten albums was no easy task, but without further ado, we present Global Music Awards’ Top Ten Albums of Spring/Summer 2017.
#10: Pacho Flores and Jesús González, Entropia, classical duo, Spain. This album is the fusion of two master artists, trumpet and guitar, sharing their Latin-American musical influences. This work contains a selection of the finest pieces of noted composers interpreted in an exquisite and conscious manner. Deutsche Grammophon label. LINK
#9: Luz Pinos, Mariposa Azul, female vocalist, Ecuador/United States. 'Blue Butterfly' has eleven original songs and lyrics, all up-beat, sweet and melodic. These joyful tunes feature her unique mezzo-soprano voice and are vehicles for turning her personal stories into compositions influenced by Ecuadorian and South American rhythms. LINK
#8 : Antonio Tinelli, Méditerranée Clarinet Ensemble Ebanthology, clarinet ensemble, Italy. The album is a tribute to the colors, sounds and possibilities of the clarinet including combination of solo and ensemble. It offers amazing arrangements of well-known pieces and original music by Italian contemporary composers. LINK
#7: Sophia Agranovich, Robert Schumann: Carnaval and Fantasie, piano solos, United States. Agranovich has been called “a tigress of the keyboard”, performing with “magnificent shading and superior musicianship”. For this release, she has chosen Schumann’s Carnaval and Fantasie, which are known as Schumann’s greatest works for solo piano and are among most important piano works of the early Romantic period. LINK
#6: Zhen Chen, Ergo, new music for piano and Chinese folk instruments, United States. Chen makes an impressive contribution to the legacy of composers blending Chinese and western instruments and musical materials. He places the piano alongside two of the most familiar traditional Chinese instruments to Western audiences: the pipa (Chinese lute) and erhu (a bowed string instrument). LINK
#5: Ramon Gallifa, The Morning Bridges, (pre-release) world music, Catalonia/Spain. This ambitious, independently produced album with original compositions is musically rich with beautiful cultural motifs, texture and timbre with many styles and genres: Mediterranean, Western cross-over, Chinese, Arab, American and African elements. LINK
#4: Lena Natalia, Second Youth, modern classical piano and album, United States. This delightful album is a collection of twelve enchanting pieces that feature Natalia’s fluid and expressive playing. Her beautiful melodies are in themselves her strongest asset, only further supported by her idiosyncratic compositional techniques. LINK
#3: Sean Hickey, A Pacifying Weapon, classical, United Sates. Imagine a weapon that brings irreversible peace; Hickey’s flight of fantasy grew from that image, as he contemplated the world in its present chaos, and imagined an instrument that would end violence. A dream brought to life in this three-movement concerto for recorder and wind ensemble. LINK
#2: Berta Moreno, Little Steps, tenor saxophone, United States/Spain. This album is a compilation of eight original compositions exploring different ways of using the blues over modern, more complex jazz harmonies and rhythms. Behind every composition there is an adventure with catchy melodies and flavors of Latin jazz and the blues. LINK
#1: Jose Gurria and the Gurrisonic Orchestra, Constant Deprivation, avant-garde band, United States. This 22-piece chamber orchestra brings together some of the most creative voices and instrumental improvisers in Los Angeles. The Orchestra performs genre-bending original music, pushing the boundaries of instrumentation and style that includes a mix of spoken word and singer/songwriter work. This playground of orchestral landscapes includes of avant-garde, jazz, and classical contemporary music. LINK
Top Ten Albums 2016
Global Music Awards is an international showcase for original music, unique voices and emerging artists. 2016 saw some highly anticipated new albums by our Gold Medal winning artists. Whittling down to ten albums was no easy task, but without further ado, we present Global Music Awards’ Top Ten Albums of 2016.
# 10: Anthony Branker, Beauty Within, eclectic jazz, United States. Dr. Branker, former longtime jazz studies guru at Princeton University, turns to his new Imagine quintet for his latest set of forward-looking acoustic-electric compositions. Each piece challenges the listener with an aural jigsaw of stubborn intensity, an entropic whirlwind, sensitively parsed by his star-studded ensemble. The virtuosity and mutual responsiveness of his five-piece super group grants a near overwhelming exuberance to music that crosses generations. LINK
# 9: Misha Quint & Svetlana Gorokhovich, Matryoshka Blues, classical, United States. It highlights the recording debut of the brilliant title track, Matryoshka Blues, composed for Russian-born virtuoso Misha Quint by American jazz musician and composer Nathan Davis. The work is comprised of different layers of sound in many variations. Internationally-known pianist Svetlana Gorokhovich adds polish and shine as Quint’s accompanist. LINK
# 8: Carmine Miranda, Schumann/Dvorak Concerti, cello & orchestra, United States. As always Venezuelan/American cellist Carmine Miranda delivers a stunning instrumental performance. He decodes and finds new secrets in these Schumann and Dvorak masterpieces. He interprets them as a series of internal conflicts between the solo cello and the orchestra. Miranda’s music is inventive and appealing. LINK
# 7: Ioanna & Areti Spanomarkou, Greece A Political Prisoner, world music/protest music, Greece. These two musical sisters write their own material which is performed by several brilliant and well-known vocalists. Their music is in the traditional Greek popular genre, but more contemporary style in line with today’s underground urban culture. One can think of their Greek folk music, Rebetiko, as Greek Blues. LINK
# 6: Lena Natalia, Sundays in Paris, minimalist piano melodies, United States. This American modern classical composer and pianist has been said to “convey the aesthetic quality of an impressionist painting, where melodious movement beneath the surface is constant like the currents of the sea.” Her emphasis on fluidity as opposed to bold strokes and clearly defined edges convey a gentle quality unique among contemporary pianists. LINK
# 5: Charles Denler, Moment at Dawn, new age classical fusion, United States. This album is a fusion of ambient new age and classical styles with rich orchestration and solo piano. This Emmy Award winning composer created every movement with distinct character and echoes of majestic and touching movie film scoring running through the entire album. It has an eighty-piece orchestra and a one hundred voice chorus. Denler is at the piano. LINK
# 4: Douglas Knehans, Concertos, composer, United States. The music in this album is rich and deep with the gift of color, beautiful melodic musical form and engaging dramatic works. This complex album contains Soar, that capitalizes on the cello’s expressiveness and ability to constantly evolve new and unique colorations; Drift, written for solo oboe and strings, is an experiment with slowly morphing musical shape and form. This sophisticated, wildly inventive album is a masterpiece. LINK
# 3: John Daversa, Kaleidoscope: Music of The Beatles, large jazz ensemble, United States. Imagine Beatles music through a kaleidoscope where the world seems to turn into many different colors and reality shifts. John Daversa's fearless exploration takes listeners off the beaten path as he creates bold and innovative big band music. His work is the definition of artistry and creativity. LINK
# 2: Sharif Awan, Indus Raag, collector’s boxed set Indo-Pak classical, Pakistan. This massive archive collection carries out preservation and archiving of classical music of a sub-continent. It is a treasure trove of human quest for rapture and ecstasy, devotion and dance. The collection explores the universality of music and rich classical tradition of the Indo-Pac subcontinent. It is a collection of soul stirring music. LINK
# 1: Esperanza Spalding, Emily's D+Evolution, pop, United States, is a markedly different sound for this three-time Grammy winner, bassist and singer whose recordings have been influenced by her jazz background. The album conceptually addresses the always exciting, sometimes messy process of reconciling aspects of one’s self. Original and unique, Emily's D+Evolution, is inspired by a muse who came to Spalding in a dream and provided insight into hidden parts of Spalding’s personality. These are exuberant, confrontational songs, amplified in the same sort of rock/funk hybrid style, that feel expansive and rich. Critic Marcus J. Moore of Pitchfork said, “The lyrics are elusive at first, darting behind fast-moving songs and delivered in impressionistic, conversational bursts that recall the delivery of Joni Mitchell. But the fearless generosity behind them communicates itself loud and clear, and it's a spirit that animates the entire album. With it, Spalding has once again redefined an already singular career, dictating a vision entirely on her own terms.” LINK
Top Five Albums Spring 2016
Global Music Awards is an international showcase for original music, unique voices and emerging artists. The beginning of 2016 saw some highly anticipated new albums by our Gold Medal winning artists. Whittling down to five albums was no easy task, but without further ado, we present Global Music Awards’ Top Five Albums of Spring 2016.
#5: Lori Bell Quartet, Brooklyn Dreaming, jazz, is composer and flutist Lori Bell’s ninth studio album and a return to her Big Apple roots for a nine-track program featuring six bold originals and three New York-centric interpretations. Admired for her technical skills and improvisational ease, Bell’s flute speaks with a distinctly “Brooklyn accent”. She is joined on this outing by a formidable ensemble: bassist Katie Theroux, drummer Matt Witek and pianist Tamir Hendelman. The quartet’s mesmerizing Brooklyn excursion includes the Monk classic 52nd Street Theme, Nostalgia in Times Square, A Dog on Coney, Streets of New York, 3 Deuce Blues and Harlem Nocturne. LINK LINK
#4: Vanaka, Gratitude, eclectic indie rock influenced by classic rock, country rock, reggae and rock ballads, founded by lyricist Stacey Fergusson, husband and bassist Don Fergusson and guitarist Jon Payne. With multiple lead singers and styles, inspiring lyrics, and rich harmonies, the music is catchy, upbeat, and soulful. The lyrics and feel of the album are heartfelt and personal as reflected in the song, Still Beautiful, written in the aftermath of the school shooting at Sandy Hook to serve as a reminder to not live in fear, to seek beauty and always lead from the heart. Another is Love Lets Go influenced by the passing of Stacey Fergusson’s father. Gratitude was produced by #1 Billboard recording artist J. R. Richards, with Sound Engineering and Mixing by Brian Scheuble (Elton John, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer), and guest percussionist Luis Conte (James Taylor, Percussionist of the Year since 2007).
#3: Misha Quint & Svetlana Gorokhovich, Matryoshka Blues, classical, highlights the recording debut of the brilliant title track, Matryoshka Blues, composed for Russian-born virtuoso Misha Quint by American jazz musician and composer Nathan Davis. Like the small Russian dolls that are embedded one within the other, Davis’s new work is comprised of different layers of sound in many variations. It showcases the range of musical possibilities for the cello within the jazz form, together with Quint's ability to use extremely high registers of the cello combined with an intensive and lush sound. The addition of Alfred Schnittke’s later work, Sonata No. 1 for Cello and Piano, which was given personally to Misha Quint by the composer, reflects the contemporary realm of music. Matryoshka Blues also features short gems and transcriptions by Fauré, Prokofiev, Handel, and Saint-Saens The Swan from Carnival of the Animals. Internationally recognized pianist Svetlana Gorokhovich adds polish and shine as Quint’s accompanist. LINK
#2: Daniel Ho Trio and Wu Hao-en, Legends of Passage, world music/islands, is a world-class collaboration that combines the powerful voice of Taiwanese Golden Melody Award winner vocalist and Puyuma tribesman Wu Hao-en with a team of exceptional musicians brought together by six-time Emmy Award winner Daniel Ho. With Randy Drake on the drums and Steve Billman on the bass, Legends of Passage, provides a refreshing seamless blend of indigenous melodies, and new tunes treated with a contemporary fusion of styles. LINK LINK
#1: Esperanza Spalding, Emily's D+Evolution, pop, is a markedly different sound for this three-time Grammy® winner, bassist and singer whose recordings have been influenced by her jazz background. The album conceptually addresses the always exciting, sometimes messy process of reconciling aspects of one’s self. Original and unique, Emily's D+Evolution, is inspired by a muse who came to Spalding in a dream and provided insight into hidden parts of Spalding’s personality. These are exuberant, confrontational songs, amplified in the same sort of rock/funk hybrid style, that feel expansive and rich. Critic Marcus J. Moore of Pitchfork said, “The lyrics are elusive at first, darting behind fast-moving songs and delivered in impressionistic, conversational bursts that recall the delivery of Joni Mitchell. But the fearless generosity behind them communicates itself loud and clear, and it's a spirit that animates the entire album. With it, Spalding has once again redefined an already singular career, dictating a vision entirely on her own terms.” LINK LINK
Top Ten Albums 2015
Global Music Awards is an international showcase for original music, unique voices and emerging artists. 2015 saw some highly anticipated new albums by our Gold Medal winning artists. Whittling down to ten albums was no easy task, but without further ado, we present Global Music Awards’ Top Ten Albums of 2015.
#10. Deus Ex Machina, Robert J. Bradshaw, composer/librettist, steampunk opera, USA. Opera companies around the country have been on a quest to breathe new life into opera and populate their theaters with fresh, younger audiences. Opera appears very dated to most young people who now thrive on fantasy and technology. This delightful album is a much needed antidote. LINK
#9. New World, Trevor Dick Band, world/jazz/folk fusion, Canada. Award-winning electric violinist Trevor Dick and his long-time bandmates have entered new territory with TDB's debut album, New World. This project takes you from Africa to Latin America to Europe and North America, erasing all borders. The music represents that sense of excitement, adventure, vision and sacrifice as our forefathers and mothers left the “Old World,” got on a ship and sailed into the unknown, in faith and discovered the New World. That’s what this album is all about, that longing for adventure, that sense of creativity, the drive to explore new territories with reckless abandon. LINK
#8. Eleutherios, Nic Nassuet, gothic rock band, USA. Review Fix captured the essence of this album well, "Nassuet is able to put a definable face on the Gothic Rock genre for anyone who either had no idea what it was or had prior predispositions. Eerily charming, soft and silky, yet powerful and dark.” This singer/songwriter creates lyrics from his heart which resulted in a stunning album. This is serious music for serious thought. LINK
#7. Trivolution, Gabriel Palatchi, Latin jazz & world music fusion, Argentina/Mexico. Trivolution is a vibrant and varied genre-bending eclectic and multi-cultural album that insures this talented young Argentinian pianist/composer a unique place in the ever-changing landscape of jazz. It is impossible to leave this album unsatisfied. Catchy and enjoyable from start to finish. LINK
#6. Asia Beauty, Ron Korb, flutist, Canada. Some albums capture pure allure and grace; Asian Beauty is one of those album. The Washington post said Ron Korb is a tour de force for bamboo flute. We agree. Asian Beauty sweeps the listener into a world of imagination from the sultry cafes of Vietnam to the spectacular terraces of China. The nineteen compositions in this album uplift, rejuvenate and inspire. LINK
#5. Consonnances, Tri Nguyen, composer & Vietnamese zither, Vietnam & France, USA. This album brings about the extraordinary fusion of Vietnamese ancestral music and Western classical music. The dialogue between zither and strings parallels the two cultures that have shaped the artist: classical pianist and zither player. Some of the thirteen melodies interweave in light and playful creations while others are invitations to a world of tranquility and meditation. LINK
#4. BLUE13, Frank Stemper (composer) & Junghwa Lee (classical pianist), USA/South Korea. This album brings the joy of intense virtuosity as well as sensitive interpretation of highly complex, yet curiously accessible compositions. It has been described as introspective, deeply personal music, with a sharp emotional trigger. The album whispers in your ears because the composer and classical pianist go to the heart and soul of what artistic communication is all about. LINK LINK
#3. El Conde Negro, Pete Rodriguez, composer, vocalist, & trumpeter, Afro-Cuban jazz, USA/ Puerto Rico. This most enjoyable of albums has music that is instrumentally ferocious and texturally rich. Rodriguez creates compositions rich in musical depth, tone and beauty, as well as rhythm and melody. His trumpet playing is colorful and hot-blooded. We think you will like every song on this album. Rodriguez, an exceptional singer, brings passion and longing in every phrase. LINK
#2. Traveler, Lawson Rollins, guitarist/composer, USA. Guitarist and composer Lawson Rollins takes listeners on a global musical journey on the multi-award winning album, Traveler. Bridging countries, cultures, and continents, the music features Lawson’s distinctive guitar-work backed by an eclectic, all-star ensemble. The expansive arc of the album reaches from the traditions of the Old World to the pulse of the modern metropolis with a boldly diverse, genre-defying mix of melody, rhythm, and improvisation. Acoustic Guitar Magazine wrote, "The sound is impeccable, the compositions dynamic, and the technique dazzling." LINK
#1. Requiem for The Living, Arthur Gottschalk, composer, USA. This album, with all original compositions, represents a full-scale masterwork more than ten years in the making. Grego Applegate Edwards's Classical-Modern Music Review provides an accurate review of this work: “It is based on the Latin Mass for the Dead in content, but then branches out with textual commentary by (Duke) Ellington, George Elliot, Mohammad, Judaic sacred text, and other sources. The idea is that this is music for those who are still here, in terms of dealing with life in the face of death. How should we live? Romantic, contrapuntal, post-romantic, and otherwise modern elements join together with some elements of jazz a la George Gershwin and his era, and more. The essentially eclectic approach manages to convey to us an Arthur Gottschalk of committed passion, a sense of urgency, a communicator who creates a broad swath of convincing choral-orchestral largess and dramatic flourish.” At Global Music Awards we stand in awe of this album and its composer, who is also the recipient of a Charles Ives Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. LINK LINK
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