01/16/07   Premiere broadcast for
newly-recorded Saxophone Concerto

On January 16th 2008, during the 8am hour (US Eastern Time) the WPRB radio show Classical Discoveries will present the premiere broadcast of the newly-recorded Hovhaness Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Strings.

Dating from 1980, the three-movement Saxophone Concerto is about 25 minutes long, and this release is its premiere commercial recording. It is one of several works from 'Romances for Saxophone and Orchestra', a 2-CD set from the enterprising Centaur label (which last year released an all-Hovhaness CD). American saxophonist Greg Banaszak is the soloist on this release.

Additionally, on January 30th, the same WPRB program will present the world-premiere broadcast of Shambala, for violin, sitar and orchestra. Details on this exciting premiere can be found here.

Classical Discoveries, produced and hosted by Marvin Rosen, celebrated its first decade on air in May 2007 and has championed Hovhaness perhaps more than any other broadcast program. Its mission statement is "a radio program devoted to little known repertoire of all musical periods with an emphasis on the old (Baroque and before) and the New Classical Music". The show airs on WPRB out of Princeton, NJ (103.3 fm) and can be listened to online at www.wprb.com.