Pianist Merrill Collins releases a stunningly original album that seamlessly fuses contemporary classical and New Age influences into a colorful tapestry rich with musical wonderment and emotional depth. For Ethereal Escapes (subtitled Echappées Ethériques II), the sequel to 2016's Echappées Ethériques, pianist Merrill Collins reunited with her collaborators from that previous release, flutist Laura Halladay and cellist Maksim Velichkin. Once again the three consummate musicians bravely explore the intersection point of contemporary classical and New Age music, forming a fusion that shows influences from both genres, but also creates something altogether original and daring while also being instantly approachable and accessible. Traversing a wide landscape of styles and moods, from delicate to dramatic and from warmly optimistic to mournfully somber, the music on Ethereal Escapes captivates the listener from the first few cello notes of "The Fountain of Jewels Activated" to the neo-chamber beauty of the album closer, "Triumphant Upon Arrival." What stands out first and foremost is how unselfish Collins is with the spotlight, sharing it almost throughout the album's entirety with both Halladay and Velichkin. Per the artist, "My players often interact with each other like a musical conversation, where each person's intuition guides their commentaries and input." Of Ethereal Escapes, noted music reviewer Bill Binkelman (Zone Music Reporter and Retailing Insight magazine) stated: "Seldom do three musicians work together to such a degree that it almost seems as if they are of the same mind and same body, operating in unison to express a singular musical vision – and the vision represented on this album is daring and beautiful." Note: 10% of the proceeds from album sales go to the Institute of Individual and World Peace (www.IIWP.org)