Karen Lefrak with Sharon Isbin

ROMANTICO

Karen Lefrak, composer; Sharon Isbin, guitar; Orchestra of St. Lukes w/Enrico Lopez-Yanez, conductor.

Sharon Isbin has been hailed as one of the best guitarists in the world by the Boston Globe. The Los Angeles Times describes her guitar brilliance as “superb artistry.” She has been asked to be the soloist with over 200 orchestras.  Her extraordinary talent has been sought out, with nearly 100 works written expressly for her to interpret by some of the world’s finest composers.  She had performed in celebrated halls across forty countries, all to sold-out audiences.  Isbin has received the 2023 “Guitar Foundation of America Hall of Fame Artistic Achievement Award.”  She was also heralded as the 2020 “Musical America Instrumentalist of the Year.”

Although the guitarist leans heavily towards performing classical music, Isbin is also a respected jazz player, having made a 21-city ‘Guitar Passions’ tour with jazz greats Stanley Jordan and Romero Lubambo.  As a musician of diverse talents, she also has collaborated with the iconic artist, Sting. Isbin’s catalogue of over 40 albums has been streamed more than 30 million times.  Her versatility is remarkable. Her 2024 album, “Live in Aspen” with the East Indian legendary sarod master, Amjad Ali Khan was recorded “Live” at the sold-out Aspen Music Festival. It became an Amazon #2 bestseller, reaching Billboard’s Top Ten Chart.

Karen Lefrak is known for her lyrical and dynamic composing talents.  Her Career highlights include 17 studio albums and 45 million streams of her original music, including a catalog of over 300 works and worldwide performances by prominent organizations including the New York Philharmonic, the National Symphony, and the Shanghai Symphony. Lefrak is a true Renaissance woman, not only in the music field, but also is an author of children’s books that have been published by Random House, Bloomsbury and Crown Books.

This “Romantico” album promises to reward the listener with the composing talents of Karen Lefrak and the guitar mastery of Grammy winner, Sharon Isbin.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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