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Preserving Voices, Sharing Legacies
Cedille Records is delighted to share a meaningful new release supported by the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Fund for Vocal Recordings: the digital single, On the Joys of Recorded Music, by Chicago composer Patrice Michaels. Performed by soprano Alisa Jordheim and pianist Kuang-Hao Huang, the work sets a witty and heartfelt 1999 letter from Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter to Cedille founder and President (and son of Justice Ginsburg) Jim Ginsburg.
In his letter, Justice Souter reflects on the power of recorded music to capture artistic expression and preserve it beyond the fleeting moment of live performance. Michaels’ setting brings warmth and lyricism to his words, creating a tribute not only to the art of recording, but to its profound cultural importance. Michaels composed the song in 2017 and originally planned it for inclusion in her THE LONG VIEW song cycle — the centerpiece of her Notorious RBG in Song album, inspired by the life and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The “new” song now serves as an addendum to that landmark recording.
In less than four years, the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Fund has already supported nine Cedille releases preserving the artistry of extraordinary singers.
The impact of this work is especially significant for singers. Unlike instrumentalists, whose instruments may endure for centuries, vocalists carry their artistry within their own bodies. Their careers are shaped by time and the natural evolution of the voice. Recordings, therefore, are essential: they preserve the unique beauty, individuality, and interpretive insight of a singer at particular moments in their artistic life.
Through the RBG Fund, Cedille continues to ensure that these voices are not lost, but instead shared widely and preserved for future generations. We are deeply grateful to the donors whose generosity sustains this work and invite you to experience these sparkling new additions to Cedille’s catalog. For more information or to support the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Fund for Vocal Recordings, visit this page.
Recommended
From Chicago-based composter Stacy Garrop comes INVICTUS, Latin for “unconquered.” The work unfolds across four movements and an interlude, moving between lyrical introspection, fierce determination, and triumphant resolve, with Grammy-nominated pianist Marta Aznavoorian and the Chicago Philharmonic under the direction of Artistic Director Scott Speck. Available 5/8.
Haymarket Opera Company presents early-18th-century master Leonardo Vinci’s rare operatic gem, Artaserse (1730). A prominent figure of the Neapolitan School of opera, whose work influenced composers such as Johann Adolph Hasse and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Vinci’s three-act opera seria centers on the Persian prince, Artaserse, who must bring his father’s murderer to justice amidst betrayal, deceit, and mistaken identity.
To celebrate Stacy Garrop‘s piano concerto, INVICTUS (5/8 release), based on a poem about perseverance and resilience in adversity, a playlist of Cedille tracks that represent struggle against prohibitive odds — explicitly in words or as program music, or inherently in their musical nature.
Enjoy Cedille’s Weekly Featured Release.