New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Los Angeles-based composer Dan Redfeld announces the June 10 release of his first classical CD, A Hopeful Place, by Navona Records (NV6045). The recording, with music composed by Dan Redfeld and text by John Gabriel Koladziej, was performed by The Hollywood Studio Symphony, conducted by the composer, and features soprano Kristi Holden, to whom the work is dedicated.
A Hopeful Place is a song cycle in 9 movements for soprano & chamber orchestra, and was written between August 2009 and July 2010. It runs approximately 65 minutes and follows one woman�s life journey from birth to death. Along the way we encounter experiences from her childhood, adolescence, romantic pursuits, true love, earthly pleasures, and the wisdom learned throughout a lifetime in a world filled with so much turmoil. The overall thematic idea of the piece is that although we are mortal, we leave an everlasting mark in the world through the love we impart to family and friends. The movements are as follows: 1. Introduction/Ruminations; 2. Childhood; 3. Words They Never Say; 4. No Longer A Child/Somehow; 5. Vocalise; 6. Bacchanal; 7. A Hopeful Place; 8. Evensong and 9. Finale: Moments/I Wish You Music.
A Hopeful Place was premiered in October 2010 in Pasadena, CA. Ms.
Holden was the soloist, with members of Ensemble Green conducted by the composer.
Kristi
Holden began her professional career in Los Angeles after studying opera and jazz vocal performance and receiving her Bachelor of
Music degree from Cornish College for the Arts in Seattle, WA. She has performed as a solo artist with the California Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. For over 5 years Ms.
Holden starred as Christine Daa� in the Las
Vegas production of The Phantom of the Opera, directed by legendary Broadway director Hal Prince. Soon after the production closed Kristi was given the opportunity to reprise her role with The Phantom World Tour, performing across Asia and Europe. More about her at www.kristiholden.com.
American composer, conductor, orchestrator, and producer Dan Redfeld has had his music and arrangements performed internationally from the concert hall to the musical theatre stage to the recording studio. He received his training at Boston�s New England Conservatory before transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he graduated with a degree in composition with an emphasis in conducting. Instructors include composers
William Thomas McKinley, Irwin Kostal, and
David Raksin, and conductors Jon Robertson, Sir
Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta, and
Roger Norrington.
In May 2015, Mr. Redfeld�s Arioso for Oboe, Percussion and
Strings premiered with the
Santa Barbara Symphony under the direction of Maestro Nir Kabaretti and oboe soloist Lara Wickes. January 15, 1947 - An Impromptu for Solo Harp, Mr. Redfeld�s latest opus, was commissioned and premiered by harpist Alison Bjorkedal. The piece took Third Place in the American Harp Society Los Angeles Chapter Composition Competition and was recorded in 2014 for a release in 2016. His Fantasy for Violin & Piano was written for and premiered by violinist
Elizabeth Hedman and pianist Robert Thies in 2009. Mr. Redfeld�s Travels for Piano Quartet was premiered in June of 2011 by Central4. In 2013, he and Central4 were featured at the Festival Internacional Bravissimo in Guatemala City. Travels received its international premiere to great acclaim along with Les Miserables Fantasy, a new 12-minute suite arranged for piano sextet by Mr. Redfeld based on material from the hit musical. Additional concert works include A Heart�s
Journey for Piano & Orchestra, Fanfare & Theme for Orchestra, Dance Sketches, Vineyards for octet, Serenade for Piano Trio and the celebratory string quartet, Jubilation Fanfare.
Among Redfeld�s twenty-five film scores are the AFI-produced Clinic E and film noir Moustache, which garnered him several awards. He has also composed music for more than twenty silent classic films and in 2013, participated in a five-city West Coast tour for the Library of Congress premiering his work for the restored Mary Pickford classics, Sparrows and
Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall. Visit him at www.danredfeld.com.
John Gabriel Koladziej is a New York-based writer. A Hopeful Place marks John's second collaboration with composer Dan Redfeld after co-writing the lyrics for
Little Women � An American Musical (with lyricist
Christina Harding). He is currently writing the libretto for Shoot the Moon. John is also currently working on a musical piece with Redfeld and Harding, soon to be announced. John trained at the
Stella Adler Conservatory in New York City and holds a BFA in
Drama and an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing, both from New York University.
