Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of two classical works by eminent banjoist Béla Fleck, The Impostor and Night Flight Over Water, to its catalog. Upon signing, Fleck's existing and future classical compositions will now be represented by Boosey & Hawkes.
Says Zizi Mueller, President, Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.: "It is an honor to welcome Béla Fleck into the Boosey & Hawkes family. As an artist who knows no bounds, he approaches disparate musical genres with an informed sense of style while creating something that is truly his own. We are thrilled to add his classical works to our catalog and look forward to a fruitful relationship for years to come."
Banjoist and composer Béla Fleck is the winner of 15 Grammy Awards and has been nominated in more categories than any other artist in Grammy history. As the New York Times observes: "Mr. Fleck can lay claim to the title of the most popular living banjoist, having done much to push the instrument beyond bluegrass terra firma into jazz, classical, and beyond."
Fleck makes his Deutsche Grammophon/Mercury Classics debut as composer-performer with The Impostor, which includes the eponymous concerto for banjo and orchestra, as well as his Night Flight Over Water for banjo and string quartet, releasing August 13.
Born in 1958 in New York City, Fleck seemed destined to be a world-class musician from the start, having been named for three great composers: Béla (for Bartók), Anton (for Webern), and Leos (for Janácek). Already a powerfully creative force in bluegrass, jazz, pop, rock and world beat, Fleck made the classical connection with Perpetual Motion, his 2001 Sony Classical recording that went on to win a pair of Grammy Awards, including Best Classical Crossover Album. Collaborating with the banjoist on Perpetual Motion was his longtime friend, double bass virtuoso and composer Edgar Meyer. Fleck and Meyer went on to co-write and perform a double concerto for banjo, bass and orchestra, which they debuted with the Nashville Symphony in 2003. They also co-wrote a triple concerto for banjo, bass and tabla titled The Melody of Rhythm with world-renowned tabla player Zakir Hussain.
Fleck has recently collaborated with a host of artists including jazz keyboardist Chick Corea, singer-songwriter Alison Krauss, the string quartet Brooklyn Rider, and Fleck's wife and fellow banjoist, Abigail Washburn. Other recent artistic partnerships have featured African artists Oumou Sangaré and Toumani Diabaté, jazz with the Marcus Roberts Trio, and bluegrass with old friends. Béla Fleck and the Flecktones still perform together, 25 years after the band's inception.
For more information about Béla Fleck, please visit www.belafleck.com.
