The Year of Silence

The Louisville Orchestra with Music Director Teddy Abrams, Dashon Burton, and Jeffrey Kahane present The Year of Silence, featuring commissioned works by Christopher Cerrone and Andrew Norman. This is a Digital Only Release, Not Available on CD, SACD or BluRay Disc. Cerrone’s The Year of Silence is inspired by Kevin Brockmeier’s short story about a city that mysteriously falls silent, a text the composer first encountered in 2010 but only returned to during the early months of the pandemic. What once felt like a self-contained, almost mythic narrative suddenly seemed prophetic, as Cerrone wandered the unusually quiet streets of Brooklyn and rediscovered the story amid the stillness and uncertainty of that time. Choosing to preserve as much of the text as possible, Cerrone shapes the work around a narrator who moves between speech and song – written with Burton’s voice in mind – while the orchestra evokes a world where silence is not emptiness but a warm, enveloping presence. Under Abrams’ direction, the Louisville Orchestra brings this sound world to life through unconventional textures and gestures. In contrast, Split – composed by Norman and performed by Kahane – offers a sharply kinetic counterpoint, its restless energy exploring fragmentation and duality. Christopher Cerrone previously appeared on PENTATONE with the GRAMMY Award-winning album Don’t Look Down, performed with Sandbox Percussion. All other artists make their PENTATONE debut. The Louisville Orchestra Teddy Abrams – conductor & music director Dashon Burton – vocals & narration Jeffrey Kahane – piano