Violist Georgina Rossi and Pianist Silvie Cheng’s New Album, “CHORINHO”

Released on Navona Records, CHORINHO features the work of Brazilian composers for viola and piano

 

Celebrating Brazil’s rich musical heritage, violist Georgina Rossi and pianist Silvie Cheng’s new album, “CHORINHO,” is a glimpse into Brazilian contemporary music and features under-recognized works for viola.

The album features the world premiere recordings of João de Souza Lima’s Chorinho for viola and piano; Lindembergue Cardoso’s Pequeno Estudio, Op. 78 for solo piano; and Ernani Aguair’s Meloritmias No. 5 for solo viola.

Other tracks include Osvaldo Lacerda’s Appassionato, Cantilena, e Toccata for viola and piano; Heitor Villa-Lobos’ Valsa da dor for solo piano; Brenno Blauth’s Sonata for viola and piano; plus Chiquinha Gonzaga’s “Lua branca,” from the operetta O Forrobodó — arranged by Cheng and Rossi.

“Violists can be guilty of relying too much on a short list of tried-and-true pieces,” the duo explained. “Here is just a slice of the viola repertoire from one of the world's most musically wealthy countries — all highly playable, terrifically rewarding, and much of it pointed out to us already in recordings by Barbara Westphal and Brazil's own Perez Dworecki. 

“It is an honor and pleasure for us to offer first recordings of the rest. We do so with utmost care and in full awareness of the difference an accessible, quality recording can make to the story of a piece of music and its composer,” they continued. “We hope this album will inspire many more interpretations. The repertoire is certainly deserving.”

To purchase and listen to the album, click here.

 

A soloist and chamber musician in North and South America, Chilean-American violist Georgina Isabel Rossi has performed with Orquesta Sinfónica Universidad La Serena, Orquesta Sinfónica Uncuyo, and Orquestade Cámara de Chile. 

Her debut album with Cheng, “MOBILI: Music for Viola and Piano from Chile,” released on New Focus Recordings in 2020, was praised by WQXR as “expertly played” and named one of the “Favorite Albums of the Year” on Classical California KUSC. 

A Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music graduate, Rossi’s mentors included Roger Tapping, Karen Dreyfus, and Daniel Avshalomov. She currently serves on the music faculty of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile as a member of the resident string quartet and contemporary ensemble. 

Rossi plays on a 2014 viola made by Leonardo Anderi in Buenos Aires and a bow by Carl Wilhelm Knopf.

 

The Tokyo-born Chinese-Canadian pianist Silvie Cheng made her solo debut in 2011 in Carnegie Hall. Since then, she has played solo with Symphony Nova Scotia and the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra, plus appeared at Steinway Hall, Merkin Hall, Flagey Hall, Poly Theatre, and the Alpensia Concert Hall, among others.

Cheng’s accolades include top prizes at the Thousand Islands and Heida Hermanns International Piano Competition, Canadian Music Competition National Finals, Ontario Music Federation Association Competition, and the Lillian Fuchs Chamber Music Competition.