George Walker: Five Sinfonias National Symphony Orchestra, Kennedy Center & Gianandrea Noseda

• George Walker (1922 - 2018): Sinfonia No. 1:
• 1Walker: Sinfonia No. 1: I. Quarter note = 9206:19
• 2Walker: Sinfonia No. 1: II. Quarter note = 6005:07
• Sinfonia No. 2:
• 3Walker: Sinfonia No. 2: I. Quarter note = 7606:43
• 4Walker: Sinfonia No. 2: II. Lamentoso e quasi senza misura. Eighth note = 6303:15
• 5Walker: Sinfonia No. 2: III. Eighth note = 11605:55
• Sinfonia No. 3:
• 6Walker: Sinfonia No. 3: I. Quarter note = 7605:20
• 7Walker: Sinfonia No. 3: II. Quarter note = 5404:34
• 8Walker: Sinfonia No. 3: III. Quarter note = 72-8804:04
• Sinfonia No. 4 "Strands":
• 9Walker: Sinfonia No. 4 "Strands"09:41
• Sinfonia No. 5 "Visions":
• 10Walker: Sinfonia No. 5 "Visions"14:12
• Total Runtime01:05:10

Info for George Walker: Five Sinfonias

The culmination of five digital releases, the National Symphony Orchestra will presents the complete sinfonias of George Walker. "The National Symphony Orchestra's unprecedented digital recording cycle offers an opportunity to experience my father's compositional evolution in context for the first time. Peter Laki's text, Frank Schramm's photography, and, of course, the committed artistry of Maestro Noseda and the musicians make a compelling argument for this music's enduring significance." (Gregory Walker, son of George Walker)

“The sinfonias of George Walker have been an extraordinary musical discovery for me,” said Music Director Gianandrea Noseda. “They are concise in expression, rigorous in structure, and they have their own unique sound world. I am certain that these performances confirm that George Walker is one of the great composers of recent times.”

A native of Washington, D.C., George Walker was a child prodigy. He enrolled in Oberlin Conservatory at age 14 and received his Bachelor of Music degree with highest honors at the age of 18. He subsequently studied piano with Rudolf Serkin and composition with Rosario Scalero at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he became the first Black student to receive the Artist Diploma (in both piano and composition) in 1945. This accomplishment marked the beginning of a steady procession of “firsts” that has followed Walker throughout his career, including the first African American composer to receive a Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1996. Walker published over 80 works, which comprise music for orchestra, chamber ensembles, chorus, piano, string quartet, voice, and organ. He composed his first sinfonia in 1984 (revised in 1996), and his last in 2016, two years before his death. Although short in duration (all under 16 minutes), they use the full force of the modern orchestra, including voices in No. 5. Dr. Mickey Terry, who edited a critically-acclaimed, multi-volume African American Organ Music Anthology, said, “George Walker is an American composer of genius, one who repeatedly reveals his affinity for elegant structures. We now have the opportunity to experience this quality and deepen our appreciation for Walker’s writing through this very special recording cycle of his five sinfonias.”

The Walker album continues the legacy of the NSO’s rich recording history, which began in the 1970s. In recent NSO history the orchestra released two recordings on its new label, starting in 2020 with a pairing of Copland’s Suite from Billy the Kid and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.” Walker Sinfonias Nos. 1 and 4 were previously released digitally in October and June of 2022. The NSO plans to release the complete set of Beethoven symphonies in February, 2024. For its achievement in performances and recordings, the NSO was nominated for the 2023 Gramophone Orchestra of the Year Award.

National Symphony Orchestra
Gianandrea Noseda, conductor

Gianandrea Noseda
is one of the world’s most sought-after conductors, equally recognized for his artistry in both the concert hall and opera house. The 2021 – 2022 season marks his fifth as Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra.

Noseda’s artistic leadership has inspired the NSO and in 2019, he and the National Symphony Orchestra earned rave reviews for their first concerts together at New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. The 2019–2020 season saw their artistic partnership continue to flourish with the launch of a new NSO recording label distributed by LSO Live for which Noseda also records as principal guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. The first recording on the label featured Dvořák’s Symphony No 9 and Copland’s Billy the Kid.

Noseda became General Music Director of the Zurich Opera House in September 2021 and will lead multiple productions each season. The centerpiece of his tenure will be a new production of the Ring Cycle, marking his first performances of Wagner’s tetralogy. From 2007 to 2018, Noseda served as Music Director of the Teatro Regio Torino, where his leadership and his initiatives propelled the company’s global reputation resulting in a golden era for this opera house.

National Symphony Orchestra
Founded in Washington, D.C. in 1931 by Hans Kindler, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) has always been committed to artistic excellence and music education. Now, nearly 90 years later, the NSO continues to thrive in this capital city. In 1986, the Orchestra became an artistic affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where it has performed a full season of subscription concerts since the Center opened in 1971. In addition, the 98-member NSO regularly participates in events of national and international importance, including official holiday celebrations for Memorial and Independence Days through its regularly televised appearances on PBS on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol for Capital Concerts, live-streamed performances from the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on medici.tv, and local radio broadcasts on Classical WETA 90.9FM, making the NSO one of the most-heard orchestras in the country.

Gianandrea Noseda serves as the National Symphony Orchestra’s seventh music director, joining the NSO’s legacy of such distinguished leaders as Christoph Eschenbach, Leonard Slatkin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Antal Doráti, Howard Mitchell, and Hans Kindler. Its artistic leadership also includes Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke and Artistic Advisor Ben Folds.

Since assuming the leadership of the NSO, Gianandrea Noseda has brought a renewed sense of energy and focus to the orchestra, which has resulted in wide-ranging recognition from local, national, and international publications, increases in subscription and single ticket sales, and the expansion of the Orchestra’s reach through livestreamed concerts and recordings. The New York Times called the NSO and Noseda’s recent Carnegie Hall appearance 'spectacular', while the Washington Post wrote that 'there’s a certain flair going on at the National Symphony Orchestra', consistently reinforcing that this artistic partnership continues to gain momentum.

Additionally, the NSO’s community engagement projects are nationally recognized, including NSO In Your Neighborhood, which annually comprises a week of performances in schools, churches, community centers, and other unexpected venues; Notes of Honor, which offers free performances for active, veteran, prior service, and retired members of the military and their families; and Sound Health, a collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its affiliated organizations. Career development opportunities for young musicians include the NSO Youth Fellowship Program and its acclaimed, tuition-free Summer Music Institute.

Booklet for George Walker: Five Sinfonias