This album is a love letter to a great city. Each piece of music in the collection expresses in its own way the unique energy which is New York, that maddening and marvelous place with no equal anywhere in the world: excerpts from Leonard Bernstein's "West Side Story", Michael Tilson Thomas' "Notturno" in its premiere recording, and music by other composers who have lived and worked in New York, including Zez Confrey's zany masterpiece "Dizzy Fingers" in Paula's arrangement for flute and piano, Robert Muczynski's swinging Sonata for flute and piano, Griffes' treasured "Poem", Howard Hanson's "Serenade", and Eldin Burton's Sonatina. “American Treasure” Paula Robison was born in Tennessee to a family of actors, writers, dancers, and musicians. She spent her childhood in Southern California, learned to play the flute in her school orchestra, and studied dance with Bella Lewitsky and theater with Jeff Corey. When she was twelve years old music claimed her heart and she knew she wanted to be a flutist. At the age of seventeen Ms Robison played for Julius Baker, who remarked to her parents: “Now I know how Jascha Heifetz’s teacher must have felt...she is flawless.” He insisted that she move to New York to study with him at the Juilliard School. This began her many years of life in New York City and her many international adventures as a groundbreaking flute soloist and chamber music artist. When Ms Robison was twenty years old, Leonard Bernstein invited her to solo with the New York Philharmonic. Her historic recording of “Volière” by Saint-Saens is still available on CD and was featured in the recent film “Moonrise Kingdom”. She gave her Carnegie recital debut under the auspices of Young Concert Artists, and the New York Times wrote: “Music bursts from her as naturally as leaves from trees”. Study with Marcel Moyse followed and in 1966 Paula Robison won First Prize at the Geneva International Competition, the first American to receive this honor. Paula Robison has commissioned works for flute and orchestra by Leon Kirchner, Toru Takemitsu, Oliver Knussen, Robert Beaser, and Kenneth Frazelle, premiered music by Lowell Liebermann, Michael Tilson Thomas, Pierre Boulez, Thea Musgrave, Alberto Ginastera, Elliott Carter, William Schuman, Keith Jarrett, and Carla Bley, performed Leonard Bernstein’s “Hålil” in Vienna and Carl Nielsen’s Concerto in Copenhagen, presented a rich spectrum of music from Mozart Concerti to Brazilian Samba in her many appearances at New York’s Carnegie Hall, and for over twenty years celebrated the music of Vivaldi, Handel, and Mozart in her annual series with Chamber Orchestra in the Temple of Dendur at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ms Robison was a founding Artist Member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, performing with them for twenty seasons. During the same time she was co-director with Scott Nickrenz of the famed Noontime Concerts at the Spoleto Festivals, presenting many great artists early in their careers. For her contributions to American and Italian cultural life she was awarded the Adelaide Ristori Prize, the Premio Pegaso, and honorary citizenship for life of the City of Charleston, South Carolina. In 2006 Paula Robison founded Pergola Recordings. Critically acclaimed releases have included collaborations with pianists Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Yefim Bronfman, Timothy Hester, and Samuel Sanders, harpsichordist John Gibbons, violinists Krista Bennion Feeney and Calvin Wiersma, bassist John Feeney, percussionists Cyro Baptista and Ayano Kataoka, and guitarists Romero Lubambo and Sergio Brandao. Paula Robison has taught at the Juilliard School and given classes all over the world. She now occupies the Donna Hieken Flute Chair at New England Conservatory in Boston. American pianist Steven Beck continues to garner acclaim for his impressive performances and recordings worldwide. Praised by the New Yorker as “one of the city’s finest young pianists”, Mr. Beck and his playing in a recent concert were described as “exemplary” and “deeply satisfying” by Anthony Tommasini in the New York Times. Current highlights include the American premiere of a piano etude by Charles Wuorinen, recordings of Elliott Carter’s late piano works for Bridge Records’ Carter series, and an appearance as soloist on the New YorkPhilharmonic’s “Symphonic Sondheim” concert in the spring of 2013. In addition, he has performed regularly in the New York Philharmonic Ensembles series. Steven Beck’s annual performance of Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” on Christmas Eve at The Barge has become a New York institution. In the words of New York Times critic Allan Kozinn, Mr. Beck is “an eloquent and persuasive performer of contemporary works”. He has worked with Elliott Carter, Pierre Boulez, Henri Dutilleux, Charles Wuorinen, George Crumb, George Perle, and Poul Ruders, and performed with ensembles such as Speculum Musicae, the Metropolis Ensemble, the New York New Music Ensemble, and the Da Capo Chamber Players. He is a member of the Talea Ensemble and the Knights. He is also a member of Quattro Mani, a piano duo specializing in contemporary music. An eminent recording artist, Mr. Beck’s discography includes world premiere recordings of newly discovered works by Beethoven on Monument Records and a recording of Elliott Carter’s “Double Concerto” on Albany Records (this was described as “impressive” by Gramophone), as well as solo works by Louis Karchin and Andy Laster. The debut CD of his chamber ensemble “Pleasure is the Law” was released on Boston Records in 2009. Mr. Beck made his debut with the National Symphony Orchestra, and has toured Japan as soloist with the New York Symphonic Ensemble. Other orchestras with which he has appeared include the New Juilliard Ensemble (under David Robertson) and the Virginia Symphony. He has performed as soloist and chamber musician at Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, and Miller Theater, as well as on WNYC; summer appearances have been at the Aspen Music Festival and Lincoln Center Out of Doors. He has performed as an onstage musician with the New York City Ballet and the Mark Morris Dance Group,appeared as an orchestral musician with the New York Philharmonic and the Mariinsky Orchestra, and performed as a chamber musician with the Pacifica and Manhattan string quartets. “Playing New York” is his first recording for Pergola.