PressRelease:9July2019

FANTASYINMINDANDBLUEGRASSINHERBLOOD

KENTUCKYVIOLINISTTESSALARK’SFIRSTSOLOALBUMFIRSTHANDRECORDS

FHR86ReleaseDate:27September2019WorldwidereleaseonCDandalldigitalplatforms

GeorgPhilippTelemannFantasieNo.1inB-flatMajorFranzSchubertFantasieinCMajor,D.934*

TessaLarkAppalachianFantasyGeorgPhilippTelemannFantasieNo.4inDMajorFritzKreislerVienneseRhapsodicFantasietta*

GeorgPhilippTelemannFantasieNo.5inAMajorMauriceRavelTzigane*

AmericanviolinistTessaLarkhaschosenaselectionofsomeofhermostcherishedFantasiesandRhapsodiesforviolinfortherecordingofherdebutsoloalbum,releasedonFirstHandRecordsinSeptember2019.*FortheSchubert,KreislerandRavelsheisjoinedbyacclaimedpianistAmyYang.BornandraisedinKentucky,herfirstmusicalinfluencescamefromBluegrass,AppalachianandotherAmericanFolkstylesandhavesubsequentlyinspiredherclassicaltraining,careerandrecitalprogramming.The‘fantasy’genreinclassicalmusic,withitsfree-formcompositionunboundbytraditionalstructures,immediatelyappealedtoherfiddler’ssoulandimprovisationalleanings.

Conjuringupaworldofmake-believeandfreedom,themusicalformof‘fantasy’hasexistedforcenturies.TheearliestonthisalbumarebyTelemann(1681-1767)andthemostrecentisTessa’sownAppalachianFantasyinwhichechoesofpopularhomestatemelodiessuchasCumberlandGapandBonaparte’sRetreatminglewithahomagetoSchubert’sFantasieinCMajorfeaturedonthisdisc.Theseworksareoftenmercurial,spirited,paceyandhighlyvirtuosic.ThethreeofTelemann’sarealldifferentlyconceivedandtestifytothecomposer’swide-ranginginfluences;Schubert’seffectivelyrepresentshislongestsinglemovement,playedwithoutbreakalthoughtherearesevensections;Ravel’sdancingTziganewascomposedafterstudyingLiszt’sHungarianRhapsodiesandPaganini’s24Caprices;andKreisler’sVienneseRhapsodicFantasiettasetsupanostalgichoney-tonedwaltzrhythmthatescalatestoabravurafinale.TherecordingwasmadepossiblebyaFellowshipfromtheLeonoreAnnenbergArtsFellowshipFundandreleasedbyFirstHandRecordswiththeassistanceoftheBorletti-BuitoniTrust.ForthisrecordingTessaplayeda1683ex-GingoldStradivariuscourtesyoftheInternationalViolinCompetitionofIndianapolis.Arapidlyrisinginternationalstarintheclassicalrealm,TessaLarkisalsoahighlyacclaimedfiddlerinthetraditionofhernativeKentuckyand,withBBTsupport,isalsodevelopingaproject,Stradgrass,withmulti-genremusicianssuchaslegendaryinstrumentalist/composerJonBatisteandtheremarkableblindfiddlerMichaelCleveland.Furtherpressinformation:DebraBorastonatBorletti-BuitoniTrustT.+44(0)1424883307M.+44(0)7989434388E.debra@henrymoorestudio.co.ukwww.bbtrust.comAudioexcerptsandFirstHandRecordspromo:https://youtu.be/fual9IgsajsPromotionalfilmofFantasyrecordingsessionsfeaturingcommentaryfromTessaLark,AmyYangandproducerJudithSherman:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQfHD1RowRc

TESSALARKviolinhttps://www.tessalark.com

• Recipientofa2018Borletti-BuitoniTrustFellowshipanda2016AveryFisherCareerGrant,SilverMedalistintheInternationalViolinCompetitionofIndianapolis,winnerofthe2012NaumburgInternationalViolinCompetition,FellowshipfromtheLeonoreAnnenbergArtsFellowshipFund.

• SincemakingherconcertodebutwiththeCincinnatiSymphonyOrchestraat16,hasappearedwithdozensoforchestras,festivals,andrecitalvenuesincludingCarnegieHall,Ravinia,SanFranciscoPerformances,Amsterdam'sConcertgebouw,BuffaloPhilharmonic,MarlboroMusic,Australia’sMusicaVivafestivalandSeattleandIndianapolisSymphonyorchestras.ScheduledforMay2020isaLincolnCenterrecitaldebutonitsprestigiousGreatPerformersSeries.

• WorkswrittenforherincludeLoveLetterbybassist-composerMichaelThurberandSky,abluegrass-inspiredconcertobyMichaelTorkepremieredandrecordedwiththeAlbany(NY)SymphonyOrchestrathatisreleasedinAugust2019.

• OtherrecordingsincludeInvention,adebutalbumoftheviolin-bassduoTessaLark&MichaelThurberthatcomprisesmusicofJ.S.Bachalongwithnon-classicaloriginalcompositions.

• GraduateofNewEnglandConservatorywithanArtistDiplomafromTheJuilliardSchool.• Playsaca.1600G.P.MagginiviolinonloanfromananonymousdonorthroughtheStradivari

SocietyofChicago.