Yale School of Music and Naxos Records announce new collaborative venture

The Yale School of Music and Naxos are pleased to announce a new collaborative recording project. Robert Blocker, Dean of the Yale School of Music, and Klaus Heymann, CEO of Naxos, have agreed to co-produce 20 compact discs of piano music in the next few years. The recordings will encompass piano music by Domenico Scarlatti, Muzio Clementi, Franz Lizst, and other Romantic-period composers, performed by the piano students of the School. 

The School of Music is one of several renowned professional music programs engaged with Naxos in this project, which will culminate in approximately 200 new recordings. The objective, according to Mr. Heymann, “is to record a wide range of piano literature that is not frequently performed or recorded. The partnership between Naxos and several elite institutions makes this literature more accessible and commercially viable.”

Dean Blocker and Mr. Heymann are committed to providing these recording opportunities to outstanding students in the Yale piano program. “The selection of YSM pianists recognizes the extraordinary talents of our pianists and the distinguished faculty who mentor these young artists,” said Dean Blocker. “Professor Boris Berman, chair of the piano area, will make recommendations for the three or four pianists who will have the opportunity to record each of the CDs. We hope to record a minimum of three programs and possibly four over the next five years.”

The School of Music and Naxos have enjoyed a collaborative partnership for many years, with numerous YSM faculty, alumni, and students featured on the Naxos roster. Their most recent project was the recording and release of all the Charles Ives songs, an endeavor that combined the artistry of Yale Opera students and alumni with the resources of Ives archives in Yale's renowned libraries.