Produced by multiple Grammy-award winning Recording Engineer Brad Michel, and superbly performed by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Miguel Harth-Bedoya, this album includes Jimmy López’s Symphony No. 1 and the suite from his opera “Bel Canto”. Available on all major digital outlets, it was officially released on August 23rd, 2019 on MSR Classics.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE! Nothing could be truer of this album, which constitutes a milestone on many fronts, not only because composers only get to write one first symphony and one first opera, but also because it practically takes for the stars to be aligned to see two works of this scale come to life, all the way from their inception, commissioning, and programming, to their being performed and recorded by such an outstanding group of musicians. This has been a labor of love, and everyone involved in this project–from our sponsors, orchestra musicians, conductor, recording engineer, designers, photographers, videographers, administration team, record label and production team–knows this. It is not enough for music to be commissioned; it must be performed. It is not enough for it to be performed; for it to be alive it must make its way to the repertoire; but we can't stop there. Music must be available at all times, and the only way to ensure this is by recording it and making it available on multiple platforms, so that anyone anywhere may have access to it. It is this unshakeable conviction that kept driving us forward at the times of greatest difficulty and doubt. We are now proud to present “Symphonic Canvas”, a testament to our faith in the power of music, especially new music, and its ability to establish a direct channel of communications to new generations thirsty for change, new challenges, and innovation. The Epiphany Foundation, which Heleno Leitao and I established in 2016, has been a catalyst through which all the generous, self-raised donations made this ambitious album a reality. My sincere thanks to every single person involved in this project. No contribution has been too small and no voice has remained unheard. And now, may the music speak for itself.
Jimmy López