Viennese harpist Elisabeth Plank is releasing her new album Chimaera on June 6 on the Genuin label. The digital release will be available on all streaming and download platforms.
According to a press release, Chimaera consists entirely of world premiere recordings of new works, flowing from Plank’s recent collaborations with composers from around the world: Konstantia Gourzi (Greece/Germany), Wolfram Wagner (Austria), Pier Damiano Peretti (Italy), Arturo Fuentes (Mexico/Austria), Carolina Noguera (Colombia), and Monika Stadler (Austria).
In the album booklet, Plank explains, “Inspired by the multifaceted mythical creature Chimaera, each piece explores and seeks to help us understand our own unique facets. The composers examine both aspects of their personal identity as well as the role of the harp in contemporary music.” In lieu of traditional booklet notes, the album comes with a series of videos in which Plank interviews the composer about each work.
Learn more on Plank’s website. Check out our cover interview with Plank in the January-February 2025 issue of Harp Column. Read Harp Column’s recording review of her previous Genuin album, Musings.
