Various Composers - Voices from the Homefront (Jacob Adams; Paul Lee)

Information

• Frederick Block - Sonata for Viola and Piano, op. 78
• Jeanne Behrend - Lamentation
• Carl Fuerstner - Two Pieces for Viola and Piano
• Ulysses Kay - Sonatine for Viola and Piano
• Ulysses Kay - Sonata for Viola and Piano
• Halsey Stevens - Serenade
• Miriam Gideon - Sonata for Viola and Piano

Jacob Adams, viola

Paul Lee, piano

Date: 2025

Label: Blue Griffin Recording

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This recording features music composed between 1939 and 1948, a transformative period in American history marked by the end of the Great Depression, World War II, and the post-war boom. Though the composers are of the same generation, the works vary greatly—some among their earliest, others their final pieces—ranging from Baroque and Romantic influences to modern trends. Despite achieving success in their lifetimes, many of these composers are now overlooked. This disc highlights a rich and diverse array of American voices, both native-born and immigrant, expressed through the intimate medium of viola and piano.

Jacob Adams is Associate Professor of Viola at the University of Alabama and an accomplished performer, educator, and recording artist. He made his solo debut with the Cincinnati Symphony at 17 and has since performed across the U.S. and four continents. His recordings appear on Centaur and Blue Griffin, and he has premiered works by composers like William Bolcom and Caroline Shaw. He regularly performs with ensembles such as A Far Cry, Camerata Pacifica, and the Alabama Symphony, and serves as principal violist for the Mobile and Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestras. A committed teacher and scholar, Adams holds degrees from Oberlin, Yale, and UC Santa Barbara.

Paul Lee is a pianist and vocal coach who joined the University of Alabama’s voice and opera faculty in 2024. Active throughout the Southeast, his recent performances include recitals in Arizona, chamber music in Alabama and Mississippi, Schubert’s Winterreise, and appearances in New York with the Litha Symphony Orchestra. He frequently collaborates with Dr. Alex Lapins in performances across the South and Southwest. In addition to performing, Dr. Lee serves on the editorial board of On Collaborating, the journal of the International Keyboard Collaborative Arts Society. He holds degrees from Virginia Tech, the University of Tennessee, and Arizona State University.