Come Closer / Various - Come Closer (Various Artists) [CD]

Bassoonist Mike Harley releases an album of premieres demonstrating the range of aesthetics present in the growing repertoire for the instrument. Including works by Carl Schimmel, John Fitz Rogers, Fang Man, and Caleb Burhans, the recording highlights Harley's versatility and instrumental command in solo, electro-acoustic, and layered settings, while reasserting the bassoon's presence in contemporary music as a featured instrument. Michael Harley teaches bassoon, coaches chamber music, and is artistic director of the Southern Exposure New Music Series at the University of South Carolina. His performances have been called "spectacular" (Washington Post) and "exquisite" (Columbus Dispatch). A founding member of the contemporary music chamber orchestra Alarm Will Sound, called "one of the most vital and original ensembles on the American musical scene" by the New York Times, Harley has worked with and premiered pieces by many of today's most distinguished composers, including John Adams, John Luther Adams, Michael Gordon, David Lang, Nico Muhly, Steve Reich, and Augusta Read Thomas. This is his first solo album.