Divine Art Records

Instrument: Piano

  • Nicholas Scott-Burt: 24 Preludes for Piano

    Nicholas Scott-Burt: 24 Preludes for Piano

    In March 2026, Divine Art Records presents the premiere recording of 24 Preludes for Piano by Nicholas Scott-Burt, performed by Da-Hee Kim, marking the Divine Art debut for both composer and pianist.

    In his 24 Preludes for Piano, composed between 2019-2020, Scott-Burt takes a post-modern approach to the long-standing tradition of presenting a cycle of works in all 24 major and minor keys. He follows in the footsteps of J.S. Bach, Chopin, and Shostakovich, among others, aiming to represent the innate expressive qualities associated with each key, while bringing a unique approach to the work’s architecture. Each prelude is treated as a miniature, yet is also combined to create a seamless, integrated structure – a giant ‘symphony’ for the piano.

    The works are arranged in a sequence of alternate major and minor Preludes, and are grouped into four suites (books) of six movements each, equivalent to the four movements of a symphony. Each has its own character: Book 1 is neat and neo-classical; Book 2 more extravagant and romantic; Book 3 somewhat more introspective; and Book 4 bright and sunny, though with its darker moments. In addition to the cycle of Preludes, the album includes Scott-Burt’s Minimalis I and Love Song.

    Scott-Burt’s writing embraces a broad range of styles, referencing music of the past which has led to this point, with echoes of Bach, Chopin, Shostakovich, but also Handel, Purcell, Schumann, Liszt, Prokofiev, Bartók, Messiaen, and jazz. All the colours in his sound world combine to produce a consistent and individual musical language. Scott-Burt is convinced that if there exists a music of the age in the twenty-first century, then it is one which embraces all music of the past.

    Award-winning Korean pianist Da-Hee Kim trained at the Paris Conservatoire before studying at the University of the Performing Arts in Munich, and completing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance at the Peabody Conservatory in the U.S. Da-Hee has performed at leading venues and festivals in South Korea, Europe and the UK including Salle Colonne and Salle Cortot in Paris, Palazzetto Bru Zane in Venice, Steinway Hall in London, St George’s Bristol, and the July Festival in Seoul.

    Composer Nicholas Scott-Burt studied music at the University of Bristol, gaining the degrees of BA, MMus, and PhD, and is an organist, pianist, and conductor. His compositions range from pop songs to symphonic scores, choral and sacred music, a violin concerto, a chamber concerto for flute and harp, and a Sinfonietta: The Western Cape, composed in 2024 for the Cape Town and Stellenbosch Youth Orchestras.

  • Cocteau

    Cocteau

    Isabelle O’Connell – Meet the Artist Interview

    In March 2026, Divine Art Records presents Cocteau from pianist Isabelle O’Connell exploring the musical connections and artistic spirit of the multi-talented and influential French artist, filmmaker, novelist, and poet Jean Cocteau (1889–1963). Throughout his life, Cocteau worked with the legendary Ballets Russes, was involved with major art movements like Cubism and Surrealism, and was one of the most important avant-garde directors in cinema.

    Isabelle O’Connell’s Cocteau is anchored by Irish composer Rhona Clarke’s brand-new work ‘Cocteau’ written especially for O’Connell, and heard after the listener moves through Cocteau’s contemporaries and collaborators in Paris a century ago: Erik Satie, Igor Stravinsky, and members of ‘Le Groupe des Six’ for whom Cocteau was a figurehead (Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, Germaine Tailleferre).

    The initial spark for this revealing new album came from conversations between Isabelle O’Connell and Rhona Clarke during the COVID pandemic. Rhona had developed a fascination with the work of “this complete artist” and ‘Cocteau’ is a set of six short pieces inspired by his drawings, paying tribute to his “overall aesthetic and personality, his quirkiness, modernism, sense of freedom, his mix of the sublime and the ridiculous”.

    The works by Satie include his Trois Gnossiennes and Trois Gymnopédies (available as digital-only tracks), epitomising qualities that Cocteau so admired – clarity, refinement, with minimal and spare textures. We also hear the Ragtime Parade from the surrealist ballet Parade conceived by Cocteau for The Ballets Russes, and Rêverie de l’enfance de Pantagruelfrom his orchestrated work Trois petites pièces montées, originally composed for a concert Cocteau organised.

    The album also includes Stravinsky’s Ragtime and Les Cinq Doigts, Darius Milhaud’s Le Boeuf sur le Toit from Cocteau’s ballet, and three works by Germaine Tailleferre, the only female in ‘Le Groupe des Six’. Though the composers of the group had differing styles, their music followed Cocteau’s artistic principles, sometimes with elements of American jazz and café music, often with a hint of humour or parody. L’Album des Six was the only work on which all six collaborated.

    Since her Carnegie Hall debut recital in 2002, Franco-Irish pianist Isabelle O’Connell has developed an international career as a soloist and chamber musician. She is co-founder of Grand Band, a piano sextet described by the New York Times as: “six of the finest, busiest pianists active in New York’s contemporary-classical scene”. She has worked with composers John Adams, Meredith Monk, Donnacha Dennehy, Georg Friedrich Haas, Missy Mazzoli, Joan Tower, Kevin Volans and Julia Wolfe. A Fulbright scholar, Isabelle currently serves on the piano faculty as Artist-in-Residence at Bard College and Conservatory of Music, New York.

  • Robert Schumann: Fantasies – Vinyl Edition

    Robert Schumann: Fantasies – Vinyl Edition

    Burkard Schliessmann interview in Pianist Magazine.

    Listen to Burkard Schliessmann’s interview on WQED “Voice of the Arts”

    Divine Art proudly presents the first vinyl edition of Fantasies, Burkard Schliessmann’s wonderful interpretation of the solo piano works of Robert Schumann. Now issued as a gold triple-LP, this deluxe package follows the album’s acclaimed release on SACD and Dolby Atmos digital, which drew widespread praise for both its sonic fidelity and interpretative depth.

    Recorded at Berlin’s renowned Teldex Studios with producer Julian Schwenkner and engineer Jupp Wegner, the album uses a 14-microphone setup to capture the full breadth of Schliessmann’s artistry – revealing the intricate emotional architecture and expression of Schumann’s writing.

    Schliessmann draws out the music’s structural sophistication, making bold connections to Wagner’s Tristan, while interpreting with spacious, poetic lyricism. The result is a revelatory journey through Schumann’s psyche – one that Schumann Journal described as “completely new, surprising and unexpected… a MUST!” (Irmgard Knechtges-Obrecht), while the American Record Guide hailed the album’s “perfect” sound as “one of the most beautiful-sounding recordings I’ve heard recently” (Rob Haskins).

    Pressed on triple heavyweight gold vinyl, this edition delivers analogue warmth and detail that will reward the most discerning listener. A vital collector’s release, Fantasies continues Burkard Schliessmann’s legacy of uncompromising interpretations and outstanding recorded sound.

  • Kapustin: Between the Lines

    Kapustin: Between the Lines

    Ophelia Gordon & Kapustin: It’s about the balance of respect and personal creativity – Pizzicato

    Electrifying debut album from a bold new voice in classical piano.

    British pianist Ophelia Gordon makes a striking debut with this album of works by Nikolai Kapustin, the Soviet composer whose music fuses the harmonic language and rhythmic drive of jazz with the formal precision of classical composition. Though Kapustin’s music sounds improvised, every note is meticulously written – jazz in spirit, but classical in structure.

    Gordon brings rare authenticity to this repertoire, having tracked down long out-of-print vinyl recordings of Kapustin’s own performances in a personal search for the composer’s true voice. The programme is carefully curated to offer a compelling listening arc, capturing Kapustin’s wit, lyricism, and fire with both intimacy and flair.

    Recorded on a characterful 1961 Steinway D, the album’s sound is warm, immediate, and rich in detail – engineered with a microphone setup designed to balance the immediacy of a jazz trio with the depth and clarity of classical solo piano.

    This release marks two milestones: the first full Kapustin album by a British female pianist, and the first classical album by a BRIT School alum. With a growing reputation for fearless artistry and cross-genre fluency, Gordon offers a vital new perspective on one of the most original piano voices of the 20th century.

    https://youtu.be/nMM7MastvBM&w=720

  • Malcolm Williamson: Chamber Music for Wind & Piano

    Malcolm Williamson: Chamber Music for Wind & Piano

    MALCOLM WILLIAMSON: The uncompromising and divisive Master of the Queen’s Music

    Once one of the most widely performed composers of his generation, Malcolm Williamson’s music has since fallen into obscurity. This new recording – featuring 16 world premieres — seeks to redress that balance, offering a fresh perspective on a composer whose work defied easy categorization.

    Williamson’s output ranged from bold serial explorations to tuneful lyricism, often within the same piece. His music was lauded for its ingenuity yet suffered from the composer’s refusal to conform to prevailing academic tastes. As Master of the Queen’s Music, he occupied a prestigious position but remained a divisive figure—uncompromising in his artistic voice and unpredictable in both temperament and style.

    Drawn from recently uncovered archives, this collection spans nearly five decades of Williamson’s career, from early student works to some of his final compositions. The album includes the Clarinet Trio (1958), a strikingly assured work praised for its “forthright tunefulness” and loose application of serial technique, and the Concerto for Wind Quintet and Two Pianos, Eight Hands (1966), an intricate, often densely chromatic score performed by an extraordinary ensemble of composer-pianists. Other highlights include the ballet-inspired Pas de Quatre (1967), the haunting Pietà (1973) for mezzo-soprano and ensemble—setting texts by Swedish poet Pär Lagerkvist—and the enigmatic Gallery (1966), a set of miniature pieces likely composed for an unknown television project.

    These performances, led by pianist and producer Antony Gray, bring Williamson’s music vividly to life, illuminating its rhythmic dynamism, harmonic inventiveness, and sheer expressive range. With the discovery of the Williamson archive in 2023, this recording marks an important step in reintroducing a composer whose legacy deserves reappraisal.

  • In the Mirror

    In the Mirror

    A Profound Tribute to Reflection and Resilience

    In the Mirror is an exquisite collection of works by contemporary women composers, masterfully interpreted by cellist Heather Tuach and pianist Yoko Misumi, both members of the celebrated Greenwich Trio. This album is not just a recording—it is an emotional journey born of reflection, healing, and hope. The title piece, composed by Liz Dilnot Johnson, was commissioned specifically for this project, setting the tone for an album steeped in introspection and serenity.

    The repertoire features original works and new arrangements by renowned composers including Dobrinka Tabakova and Jessie Montgomery, whose contributions enhance the album’s contemplative spirit. Each piece carries its own story, from Jocelyn Morlock’s bird-inspired Halcyon to Jennifer Higdon’s nocturnal reverie Nocturne. These works are tied together by a shared exploration of human resilience and the quiet strength found in moments of introspection.

    The project began during the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic and became deeply personal for pianist Yoko Misumi, who underwent successful cancer treatment during its recording. Returning to the piano after her recovery, Misumi found solace and renewal in these compositions, describing the experience as “an emotional and musical healing.”

    Highlights include:

    • Liz Dilnot Johnson’s In the Mirror, a poignant four-movement work dedicated to personal loss and renewal.
    • Jessie Montgomery’s Peace, composed during the pandemic and adapted for cello and piano with the composer’s blessing.
    • Dobrinka Tabakova’s Whispered Lullaby, an evocative piece inspired by Goethe’s Faust.
    • Margaret Hubicki’s lyrical Lonely Mere, a tribute to the serene landscapes of the Malvern Hills.

    The album is both a celebration of female creativity and a testament to music’s power to comfort and inspire. Listening to  In the Mirror is an opportunity to pause, reflect and take in moments of profound calm amidst life’s turbulence.

    This is a must for admirers of contemporary chamber music, fans of women composers, and anyone seeking solace and beauty in music