Suspensions by Chelsea Lane

Chelsea Lane’s debut album Suspensions, released through Better Company Records, draws on contemporary, minimalist-inspired works to explore the theme of “suspensions,” both literal and figurative. Pairing newly commissioned works (by Ellis Ludwig-Leone and Molly Joyce) with Lane’s new transcriptions of existing works by contemporary composers (Thomas Adès, Nico Muhly, and Chris Cerrone), and a few staples of the solo harp repertory (by John Cage and Kate Moore), Suspensions is a delicately balanced, thoughtful debut. The album is a result of Lane’s interest in broadening the harp’s contemporary image: “I sought out new works for this album in order to cast the harp in a new light as a modern, versatile instrument capable of myriad colors, which I hope will ultimately increase its representation in both mainstream and more experimental performance spaces,” says Lane. She emphasizes that this requires a change in emphasis and interpretation as a performer: “I aim through releasing this album to contribute to the redefinition of ‘virtuosic’ pieces by shifting listeners’ attention to the smaller subtleties of musical phrasing and timbre.” While primarily a solo harp album, Lane is joined on piano by Ludwig-Leone (of San Fermin) for his work “Processional,” as well as Nathan Schram (of the Grammy-winning Attacca Quartet) on viola for Ludwig-Leone’s eponymous “Suspensions.”

Brooklyn-based harpist Chelsea Lane endeavors to bridge the ever-widening division between classical and popular music through her innovative programming of contemporary compositions. Chelsea is passionate about collaborating with other musicians, visual artists, and dancers to help achieve this goal.

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