Alumnus Matthew McCright's Releases New Album "What is Left Behind"

Matthew McCright (DMA, 2004, piano, student of Lydia Artymiw) has released his latest album, "What is Left Behind," on the Proper Canary label. The new full-length release features pieces by Reinaldo Moya, Amy Williams, Linda Buckley, Stephen Andrew Taylor, and Andrea Mazzariello and showcases piano music that defines, reshapes, and narrates the composers’ experiences by way of migration, passing, and journey.

The album theme of “What is Left Behind” came together by happy accident. McCright had been performing a few of the pieces, Amy Williams’ “Falling” and “Brigid’s Flame” as well as Stephen Taylor’s “The Dove is Sad” for several years. The theme of departures in those works inspired McCright to commission a piece by Linda Buckley, which is also included on the release. “Siar,” (Gaelic for “West”) takes its inspiration from Buckley’s grandfather’s immigration from Ireland to New York City, where he worked on the construction of the Empire State Building, and then back home again. The final track on the album, Andrea Mazzariello’s “Flight School,” continues the theme of journey and adventure.

Modern-day immigration is the theme of the largest work on the album, “The Way North,” an epic 40- minute tour de force by Venezuelan-American composer Reinaldo Moya. The piece tells the story of a Central American migrant who makes the perilous journey through Mexico to the United States, leaving behind everything he has known.

This fall, McCright will perform concerts across the U.S. to promote the new release:

Friday, October 5, 8 pm
Carleton College, Northfield, MN         

Thursday, November 5, 7 pm
Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA

Wednesday, December 5, 12 pm
Old Church Series, Portland, OR   

For more information please visit: www.matthewmccright.org.