Glass: Concerto For Cello And Orchestra No. 1

Wendy Sutter, Dante Anzolini, orchestra of The Americas

Philip Glass
Cello Concerto No.1

Having written his first concerto for the concert hall back in 1987, Philip Glass has since created a large catalog of concert works including ten symphonies and eleven concertos. Among these, his 2001 Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (No.1) is unique in its story.
Following the terror attacks in New York in September 2001, Glass was discouraged from traveling in the immediate aftermath and consequently missed the world premiere of the work in Beijing in October with cellist and commissioner Julian Lloyd Webber. The work was recorded by Orange Mountain Music shortly thereafter Glass had the chance to hear the work on CD. However, it was not until 2007 that Glass had the chance to hear the work live in the concert hall when Wendy Sutter performed the US premiere of the work in California.
Pleased that the work had new life and now two excellent advocates, Glass encouraged Sutter to perform the work extensively which she has including country premieres in Holland and Belgium, at the grand finale concert of the 2010 Carbillo Festival under Marin Alsop, and on tour with the Orchestra of the Americas. It was on this tour that the current recording was made.