Arthur Foote - The Complete Cello Works (Julian Schwarz)

Information

Composer: Arthur Foote

• 3 Pieces for Cello and Piano, Op. 1
• Aubade, Op. 77
• Scherzo, Op. 22
• Cello Sonata in E Minor, Op. 78
• Cello Concerto in G Minor, Op. 33

Julian Schwarz, cello

Marika Bournaki, piano

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

Gerard Schwarz, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Delos

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Cellist Julian Schwarz makes his Delos debut with a pioneering album showcasing Arthur Foote’s complete cello works, highlighted by the world-premiere commercial recording of Foote’s Cello Concerto. As the sole member of the "Boston Six" trained entirely within the United States, Foote stands as the nation's premier homegrown classical talent, celebrated for his lush harmonic language and refined melodic sensibility. Joining Schwarz on this landmark project are pianist Marika Bournaki, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and conductor Gerard Schwarz. Together, they bring Foote's undeservedly overlooked solo and chamber repertoire to life with vibrant, authoritative performances.

American classical composer Arthur Foote (1853–1937) was a pivotal figure in early American music education and organ performance, serving 32 years as organist at Boston’s First Church and co-founding the American Guild of Organists. A Harvard graduate, musicologists recognize him as the first major American classical composer educated entirely within the United States. Foote authored several influential pedagogical texts, including Modern Harmony, and advocated for European contemporaries like Brahms and Wagner. Though modern scholars often classify his music as Romantic and European-influenced, his extensive chamber music output, including his praised Piano Quintet and Piano Quartet, is widely acclaimed for its melodic craftsmanship and structural excellence.

American cellist Julian Schwarz (b. 1991) is an acclaimed soloist, chamber musician, and educator trained at the Colburn School and Juilliard under Joel Krosnick. Performing on a 1743 Gennaro Gagliano cello, he has toured extensively across the United States, Latin America, Australia, and Asia as a concerto soloist and member of chamber groups such as Frisson and the duo Schwarz & Bournaki. A dedicated champion of American and Jewish repertoire, he has premiered and recorded works by composers including Jennifer Higdon, Arthur Foote, and Ernest Bloch, earning a Grammy nomination. Schwarz serves as Associate Professor at Shenandoah Conservatory and holds faculty appointments at Lynn Conservatory and NYU Steinhardt.

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