George Walker: Five Sinfonias

George Walker: Five Sinfonias completes the cycle of George Walker’s music from the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.  In January 2022, the National Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Gianandrea Noseda began performing and recording the complete cycle of George Walker’s five sinfonias, in celebration of the composer’s 100th birthday. Remembering and honoring the music of George Walker is particularly special for the National Symphony Orchestra given the mutual connection to Washington, D.C. and its unique history of collaboration and commissions.

These recordings were taken during the live performances in January 2022, and May and June of 2023 in the Concert Hall of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The physical booklet also contains portraits taken by Frank Schramm during the last 14 years of the composer’s life. On the release of this CD, the first that encompasses all five of Walker’s sinfonias, Gregory Walker, George Walker’s son, said, “The National Symphony Orchestra’s unprecedented recording offers an opportunity to experience my father’s compositional evolution in context for the first time. Peter Laki’s text, Frank Schramm’s photography, and, of course, the committed artistry of Maestro Nosed and the musicians make a compelling argument for this music’s enduring significance.