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| Click here to watch a video of Cedille Records recording artists talk about the impact Cedille has on their careers. |
At this
precarious moment in the music industry in which CD sales are globally
declining, Chicago-based Cedille
Records has not only beat the odds but is flourishing. From the
expansion of the number of CDs produced each year, a growing roster of
recording artists, and four Grammies for their eighth
blackbird recordings, Cedille Records has proven itself a
vibrant entity in the classical music world. This year, they celebrate their 25th anniversary
with an assortment of concerts and special events scattered throughout the
2014–2015 concert season.
Cedille has
recorded my works on seven CDs with a host of talented ensembles and
individuals including the Lincoln Trio, Chicago a
cappella, Grant Park Chorus, Gaudete Brass, mezzo-soprano Buffy Baggott, pianist Kuang-Hao Huang, and
the (now defunct) Biava Quartet. Cedille recorded the first ever all-Garrop
chamber CD titled In Eleanor’s Words: Music of Stacy Garrop. Cedille
is currently recording my fourth string quartet with the Avalon Quartet (who
are new to the label), as well as producing an all-Garrop orchestral CD
featuring the Chicago College of Performing Arts Orchestra (also
new to the label).
What makes
Cedille so special? I find there are several aspects:
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With
flutist and fellow Cedille recording artist
Eugenia Moliner at Soirée Cedille
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• Cedille helps
artists develop their careers over time. Some artists are regulars on the label –
violinists Rachel Barton Pine and Jennifer Koh, eighth
blackbird, and the Pacifica Quartet are all in this category –
and have created an assortment of CDs that explore an astoundingly diverse
range. For instance, when Ms. Pine was pregnant, she was inspired to research
and record lullabies; when the Pacifica Quartet proposed to record Shostakovich’s
fifteen string quartets, they wanted to add a piece of Shostakovich’s
contemporaries onto every CD in this multi-CD project. While Mr. Ginsburg
doesn’t accept all projects that artists propose, he carefully chooses those
that have something unique to offer both the label and its audiences. Cedille
furthers its commitment to artists by never removing recordings from its
catalog.
• Cedille
allows its artists to be extremely involved in just about every aspect of a
project. Suggesting repertoire, actively participating in the recording
sessions (while this is obvious for performers, it isn’t necessarily so for
composers), proofing the recordings before they go on the market, even ideas
for covers and liner notes – Cedille is open to it all. This, for me, is
unprecedented access to the shaping of the project that allows me to be an
essential part of the process.
• The company
actively promotes its products. Cedille’s distribution is
handled by Naxos
of America in
the Western Hemisphere and by major independent distributors in international
markets elsewhere. Cedille regularly purchases advertising in Fanfare magazine
(on the back cover, which gives their products a lot of exposure), as well as
sends information about new releases, plus the CDs
themselves, to hundreds of music critics, writers, press outlets, and
classical radio stations in the U.S. and internationally. As a result
of these strong promotional efforts, new CDs are regularly reviewed by a
number of publications and critics (I received seven for my In
Eleanor’s Words CD) and aired coast-to-coast on classical radio.
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Rachel
Barton Pine and Wendy Warner
perform
at Soirée Cedille
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Without Cedille
Records, my career wouldn’t be nearly as far along as it is. Cedille has given
me a voice and a market to hear it. Their amazing producers and engineers craft
high-quality products, which provides the classical music world with fantastic representations
of how my music sounds in the hands and voices of talented performers. These
CDs have led to numerous performances of my music around the country, as well
as commissions for new works and the expansion of my fan base. Thank you
Cedille Records for everything you do on behalf of Chicago artists! Happy
25th Anniversary, and may the next twenty-five years be just as
fruitful as your first.
