Duo 2 (Peter H. Bloom flute; Mary Jane Rupert harp) new recording, Richard Nelson's Play of Light

BOSTON - May 29, 2020 - PRLog -- Duo "2" (Peter H. Bloom, multiple flutes; Mary Jane Rupert, harp) performs Richard Nelson's Play of Light in a studio recording just released.  Praised for "beautiful phrasing, consummate duet passages, superb technical facility" (St. Andrews Performing Arts), the duo has toured the U.S. and abroad, and will mark its 30^th season in 2020-2021.  Composer Richard Nelson has received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, the Charles Ives Center, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and others.  His music has been praised as "bold and highly satisfying" (The Portland Press Herald).

Play of Light was written for the Duo 2, received its premiere at Church of the Advent Boston in 2011, and has been featured in concerts nationwide. The piece for concert flute, bass flute, piccolo and harp is built around spaciousness and multi-hued shadings, and incorporates inventive improvisation.

The Duo 2's recording of Play of Light (Noah Cole, engineer) is available free of charge on SoundCloud:  https://soundcloud.com/richardnelsonsounds/play-of-light-1    Scores and parts can be purchased by digital download from Noteworthy Sheet Music.
https://www.noteworthysheetmusic.com/sheet-music/ensemble-tags/flute-wmixed-ensembles/106-nelson-play-of-light-flute-a-harp

Founded in 1990, the Duo "2" (flutist Peter H. Bloom and harpist/pianist Mary Jane Rupert) have concertized in the United States, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. Their music has been called "stunningly beautiful (Cinemusical), and they've been hailed as "the very best players, playing at the height of their powers" (University of Canberra).  Compositions written for "2" include works by Richard Nelson, Elizabeth Vercoe, Narong Prangcharoen, Karl Henning, Pamela Marshall, others.  The Duo "2" can be heard on Navona, Ravello, and North Star Records, and is managed by Americas Musicworks.

Composer/guitarist Richard Nelson is recognized for his skillful integration of contemporary classical and jazz composition.  His works have been performed by the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, the Duo "2", the Portland Piano Trio, and his own Makrokosmos Orchestra at Piccolo Spoleto, Miller Theatre at Columbia University, ShapeShifter Lab (Brooklyn), the University of Cape Town (South Africa), other venues.  Nelson has released four albums and received commissions from Duo 2, the Resinosa Ensemble, and the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, among others. He is Professor of Music and head of Sonic Arts and Composition studies at the University of Maine at Augusta.