Pianist Jeremy Denk’s New Album, “Ives Denk”

Released on Nonesuch Records, the album features Denk alongside VC Artist Stefan Jackiw to celebrate Ives’ 150th birthday anniversary  

The American classical pianist Jeremy Denk has released his latest album “Ives Denk” in celebration of the composer’s 150th birthday anniversary. A champion of Charles Ives’ music, Denk is acclaimed for his performances of the American composer’s works. 

Featured works on the album include Ives’ four violin sonatas, recorded with VC Artist Stefan Jackiw — the duo performs Ives’ Violin Sonata Nos. 1, 2, and 3, and No. 4, which is titled “Children's Day at the Camp Meeting.”

The album concludes with remastered versions of the Sonatas No. 1 and 2 for piano, from Denk’s 2010 debut recording, “Jeremy Denk Plays Ives.” 

To purchase and listen to the album, click here. 

“[Ives’] deepest dream was to create an original musical style, a fresh and uniquely American voice,” Denk said in the press release. “He achieved this. But it was a voice most didn’t want to hear, and still don’t. He is one of history’s least popular populists ... Ives’ writings—especially the later ones, when he was in terrible physical decline—are ... often unhinged with anger, full of mean-spirited nicknames and simplistic binaries, they reflect some of the worst angles of America. One thing that saves Ives’ music from these dangers is his sense of humor, and his willingness to embrace failure.

“If there is one piece that sums up for me Ives’ difficult virtues, it is the slow movement of the first violin sonata, a jagged musical reflection on the Civil War, so eerily relevant now, with America split into red-blue madness,” he continued. “It is interesting to compare this kind of piece, profound yet unloved, with the far more identifiably American voice of Aaron Copland ... Ives is optimistic but always messy, always falling apart at the seams. His music suggests America will just have to muddle through, and wrestle with its own failure. At this particular historical moment, Ives seems to be more right than ever.” 

Denk is the recipient of the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and the Avery Fisher Prize and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also a New York Times bestselling author with his book “Every Good Boy Does Fine.” In the current season, he continues his collaboration with longtime musical partners Joshua Bell and Steven Isserlis in a trio that recently released an album of Mendelssohn’s piano trios. Denk also returns to the Lammermuir Festival in multiple performances, including the complete Ives violin sonatas with Maria Wloszczowska, and a solo recital featuring historic and current female composers. 

Stefan Jackiw has appeared as a soloist with the Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco symphony orchestras, among others. Highlights of his 2024/25 season include joining the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland with conductor Hans Graf and a debut with the Suwon Philharmonic. Other concerts include those with the Erie Philharmonic and Jacksonville Symphony. He is also a member of the acclaimed ensemble, The Junction Trio.