Various Composers - Toward the Sea (Emi Ferguson; Michael Poll)

Information

• Astor Piazzolla - Histoire du Tango
• Elizabeth Ogonek - Altair
• Tōru Takemitsu - Toward the Sea

Emi Ferguson, flute

Michael Poll, guitar

Date: 2026

Label: Orchid Classics

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Toward the Sea features flutist Emi Ferguson and guitarist Michael Poll in a thoughtful exploration of memory, place, and transformation through works for flute and guitar. Recorded at Massachusetts' Stone Church, the album captures the duo’s evolving partnership, which originated online during the pandemic. The program bridges Astor Piazzolla’s vibrant, rhythmic Histoire du Tango and Toru Takemitsu’s meditative, atmospheric title work with the duo's own intimate arrangement of Elizabeth Ogonek’s luminous Altair. Performed by Avery Fisher Grant recipient Ferguson and acclaimed guitarist-conductor Poll as equal partners, the release highlights the enduring vitality and expressive breadth of the flute and guitar repertoire.

Emi Ferguson is an Avery Fisher Career Grant-winning flutist, composer, director, and broadcaster known for bridging classical traditions with modern innovation. Holding dual degrees from The Juilliard School in flute performance and epidemiology, she serves as principal flute for the Handel and Haydn Society, music director of Camerata Pacifica Baroque, and artistic director of Exquisite Corpse. Ferguson has earned critical acclaim for genre-crossing Billboard-charting albums like Fly the Coop and host work on New York’s WQXR. A globally recognized educator, author, and collaborator across media, her career spans historic global broadcasts, cross-disciplinary partnerships, and dedicated advocacy for music education.

Michael Poll is an acclaimed conductor, guitarist, and educator currently serving as acting Head of Orchestras at the Baltic Opera. A Marshall and Fulbright Scholar with a Doctorate from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Poll has earned broad critical acclaim, including Gramophone praise for his debut guitar album 7-String Bach and a Gold Medal in the World Music Awards for his 2026 collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. His conducting career spans opera and symphonic repertoire across Europe and the Americas. Currently Classical Music Programmer for Lancaster Arts, Poll also leads educational initiatives through SoundingLab.

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