NEW TO YOUTUBE | Time For Three Performs “Contact” by Kevin Puts

This new work is part of the string trio’s latest album released on Deutsche Grammophon which includes concertos from Pulitzer-winning composers

Time For Three (TF3) is a classically-trained multi-genre string trio comprising violinist Nick Kendall, double-bassist Ranaan Meyer, and VC Artist violinist Charles Yang. All three are vocalists in their performances, the latter being the lead singer.

Titled “Letters for the Future” the trio’s new album is their debut collaboration with German record label Deutsche Grammophon. The disc includes world premiere recordings of Jennifer Higdon’s 2007 Concerto 4-3 and Kevin Puts’s newly composed Contact. Both pieces were recorded with the Philadelphia Orchestra and conductor Xian Zhang.

Commissioned for TF3 by a group of orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony, Put’s Contact was inspired by the unknown. “The word ‘contact’ has gained new resonance during these years of isolation,” Puts said in the press release.

Kevin Puts (Photo credit: David White)

“It is my hope that this concerto might be heard as an expression of yearning for this fundamental human need,” Puts added. “I am deeply grateful to TF3 for their belief in my work and for the tireless collaborative spirit which allowed us to develop this showcase for their immense talents.”

Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for his debut opera Silent Night, Puts’s works — including two operas, four symphonies, and several concertos — have been commissioned, performed, and recorded by leading orchestras, ensembles, and soloists globally.

Below are excerpts from Contact: 

KEVIN PUTS | CONTACT | MVT 1. THE CALL | TIME FOR THREE | PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA | XIAN ZHANG | 2022

KEVIN PUTS | CONTACT | MVT 2. CODES (SCHERZO) | TIME FOR THREE | PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA | XIAN ZHANG | 2022