Musical Images for Piano: Reflections & Recollections, Vol. 3 Van-Anh Nguyen

• Mark John McEncroe (b. 1947):
• 1 Images of Times Past 06:18
• 2 Movements in the Night (Version for Piano) 08:51
• 3 Echoes from a Haunted Past (Version for Piano) 08:45
• 4 The Pendulum No. 2 05:12
• Natalie's Suite (3 Faces of Addiction):
• 5 Natalie's Suite (3 Faces of Addiction): III. Moving Into the Light [Version for Piano] 05:29
• Mark John McEncroe:
• 6 A Celtic Pagan's Pilgrimage 06:37
• 7 A Parting of Ways 07:59
• 8 Storm Clouds Approaching (Version for Piano) 06:17
• 9 Natalie's Dilemma 11:26
• 10 Balmy Summer Nights 05:10
• Total Runtime 01:12:04

Info for Musical Images for Piano: Reflections & Recollections, Vol. 3

Musical Images for Piano: Reflections & Recollections, Vol. 3 is the latest continuation of McEncroe’s Reflections & Recollections series with Navona Records. Many of the pieces featured on this album are reductions of McEncroe’s orchestral works, granting the listener fascinating insight into the mind of the composer.

McEncroe presents the raw ingredients used to concoct some of his greatest orchestral pieces—this time, in their most raw, unmitigated forms. Movements In The Night and Echoes From A Haunted Past, for example, were both previously released on McEncroe’s 2018 orchestral release, MY SYMPHONIC POEMS.

Somehow, these pieces retain their towering grandeur despite now being performed on solo piano. As is so often the case with recordings of this caliber, the dynamic arrangements and superlative performances on all of the pieces on this album create cavernous spaces which free the listener’s mind to hear the music beyond the piano itself. This album also features a movement from Natalie’s Suite, a three-movement work for piano and orchestra originally performed by the Janáček Philharmonic for McEncroe’s DARK CLOUDS IN LIFE. The music—arranged this time for solo piano—portrays the relationship between McEncroe and his daughter, Natalie. “Moving to the Light” is at once tumultuous and hopeful, a striking and beautiful representation of the complexities of the human experience.

Performed by pianist Van-Anh Nguyen, REFLECTIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS VOL. 3 captures in high fidelity the stark power of McEncroe’s compositions in their most naked, unadulterated forms. The music we hear not only provides a glimpse into the creative process that has led to so many powerful orchestral works; each piece stands wholly on its own, making for a powerful and memorable listening experience.

Van-Anh Nguyen, piano

Van-Anh Nguyen
Fresh off hitting the No.1 spot on the Australian iTunes Classical charts (2018, 2017, 2016), and becoming the first Australian-Vietnamese to ever in history enter the US iTunes Classical Charts in 2017, concert pianist and composer Van-Anh Nguyen has become a worldwide sensation and in-demand artist, leading an intense touring career across the globe and is the newest Artist addition to the Universal Music/Decca Records family.

Van-Anh Nguyen is a passionate Australian-Vietnamese versatile pianist, producer and composer amidst teacher & fashionista. Incorporating music, fashion, lighting, DJs and her contagious personality, any concert experience with Van-Anh will leave you wanting to know more, to hear more and to feel more. ​

Born in Sydney, 1987 to Vietnamese refugee parents, Van-Anh started learning the piano at the tender and astounding age of 15 months with both of her parents (of whom are both professional musicians). By the age of 4, she was accepted into the Young Artists Program for gifted & talented musicians at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. By the age of 9, she had obtained her Associate Diploma in Music (Australia), and at aged 12, received her Licentiate Diploma in Music (Australia), making history as one of the youngest in her generation. She has given numerous media performances across all major Australian TV channels as well as on radio 2MBS-FM and the ABC since the age of 5. ​

She has won several awards and prizes during her piano studies across Australia, having taken out the Kawai Piano Award (Australia) and the Audience Prize in the 13th Sommerklavierfest, Bad-Bertrich (Germany) and won the 2011 Excellence in Youth Awards for Arts & Culture, NSW. ​

She currently has 7 albums released on all major digital music outlets. 2016 saw her complete a successful 15-city concert tour through China performing at sold out venues such as the Forbidden City Concert Hall and the Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre. features in L’Officiel Magazine, Elle Magazine Vietnam and Harpers Bazaar Magazine as a music icon and has hosted her own TV show on Discovery Channel Asia. She currently resides between Sydney and Los Angeles. ​

Her bubbly personality and emotive playing has graced the stages Australia including the Sydney Opera House, City Recital Hall, Segerstrom Center of the Arts (California USA), Jones Hall (Houston, Texas) and many more. ​

She has also performed overseas in such countries as Italy, Germany, Austria, USA and Taiwan. She frequently features as soloist with the Ho Chi Minh City Symphony Orchestra (Vietnam) and the Vietnamese-American Philharmonic Orchestra (USA).

Mark John McEncroe
Born in Sydney, Australia, Mark John McEncroe commenced music studies in his adulthood. He had a varied interest in many kinds of music, not just classical, which led him to working in the music/record business for EMI Records in his early 20s and 30s. For much of that time he was a Label Manager, first with EMI Australia and then with EMI Sweden.

At age 37 McEncroe studied piano in earnest under Will Scarlett in Sydney. Later he continued with Valerie Fawcett and then Helen Kennedy, after Will Scarlett's death. During this time McEncroe developed an interest in composition that was to become his all consuming passion and main focus. To this end, in 2003 he began his study of music theory and composition with Margaret Brandman in Sydney, which continued until 2012.

In 2006 he collaborated with Mark J Saliba who orchestrated a piano work from McEncroe's "Symphonic Poem - The Passing". This work was later recorded and performed by The Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO) in The Czech Republic. Since then Saliba has orchestrated much of McEncroe's material from his piano works and piano reductions.

To date McEncroe has recorded and released 12 CDs of piano and orchestral works. Pianists on his recorded piano works include Australia's Van-Anh Nguyen, John Martin and Helen Kennedy, and Japanese-American pianist Yoko Hagino.

All McEncroe’s Symphonic Suites and Poems have been recorded in the Czech Republic, with the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Anthony Armore.

In 2016 McEncroe signed up with Parma Recordings in the USA. In March 2017 Parma released his album Dark Clouds In Life which features his work for piano and orchestra "Natalie’s Suite - Three Faces of Addiction", along with "Symphonic Poem - Echoes from A Haunted Past", and companion pieces from his piano volumes. Parma have since released 7 more albums, and future releases are in the works.

In September 2017 all the pieces from both volumes of “Reflections & Recollections - musical Images for piano” were recorded in Rockport MA at the Shalin Liu Performance Centre with Japanese /American pianist Yoko Hagino. The album was produced by Brad Michel. ​

Live concert performances of McEncroe's orchestral works to date include “Symphonic Poem - The Passing” performed by The JPO with conductor Anthony Armore; “Symphonic Suite No. 1” under conductor Heiko Mathias Foerster and “Symphonic Suites No. 1 and No. 2” featuring The Rousse Philharmonic conducted by Nayden Todorov. ​

In February 2020, "Dance of The Pagans" and "Storm Clouds Approaching" were specially orchestrated and performed at Carnegie Hall, New York.

All McEncroe's compositions to date have been published by Wirripang.

His CDs are available through iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Wirripang, Naxos Direct, ArkivMusic and streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and whereever you listen to your music.

This album contains no booklet.