Garrop’s Invictus Joins Cedille’s Acclaimed Catalog of Career-Defining Recordings

For composers, a live premiere is a milestone, but a recording is what gives a new work a lasting future. A performance in the concert hall may last only one night, but once professionally recorded and distributed, the music can be shared globally, broadcast on radio, streamed online, and passed along from one performer or industry professional to another. Recordings open doors, allowing a composer’s voice to travel far beyond their own city and into the ears of musicians and audiences worldwide.

Chicago composer Stacy Garrop offers living proof of this impact. With each recording release, her career has blossomed, bringing her bold, story-driven music to listeners across the country and abroad. This fall, Garrop reaches another major milestone with the world premiere of her first piano concerto, Invictus, written for acclaimed local pianist Marta Aznavoorian. The work will debut at the Harris Theater on Saturday, October 18 at 7:30 pm with the Chicago Philharmonic, conducted by Scott Speck, during the Ear Taxi Festival. Thanks to Cedille Records, the concerto will be recorded two days later, ensuring that the piece enjoys a life well beyond its Chicago premiere.

For Garrop, and for so many of the artists who Cedille supports, recordings have become catalysts for opportunity. A conductor may discover her music through a broadcast and choose to program it. A pianist across the globe might stream her concerto and be inspired to perform it. Each recording becomes both a testament to Chicago’s vibrant musical community and a springboard for an artist’s career.

This cycle — from premiere, to recording, to worldwide reach — is at the heart of Cedille’s mission. And it’s the generous support Cedille receives that makes it possible for composers like Stacy Garrop to share their voices not just once, but again and again, as their music finds new audiences and gains new life around the world.