Pianist Matthew McCright and Centaur Records are pleased to announce the release of Mr. McCright’s latest solo album, Piano Music of Gene Gutchë. The CD features five varied compositions showcasing the work of this accomplished composer. The recording of these major works for piano by German-born Gutchë (1907- 2000) shows the broad expanse of this Guggenheim Prize-winning composer’s output, championed by one of the most sought-after pianists in contemporary music.

Championed by many soloists and orchestras throughout his lifetime his music was performed across the country and he was awarded the prestigious Guggenheim Prize. With a compositional style that defies classification his music often appears to use elements of the German-Romantic tradition mixed with modernist elements; using intense dissonance, driving rhythms, register shifts, and tempo flux.

Compositions on Piano Music of Gene Gutchë:
1. Theme and Variations
2. C Minor Fugue
3. Utilitarian Fugue
4. Sonata, Op. 32, No. 1
5. Sonata, Op. 32, No. 2

GENE GUTCHË (1907- 2000) was a German composer who immigrated to the United States to study composition at the Universities of Iowa and Minnesota. He finally settled in White Bear Lake, MN (a northern suburb of St. Paul) and began an accomplished career in composition with his works performed across the United States and winning the prestigious Guggenheim Prize. He was able to make his career strictly through composing. He was not affiliated with any music schools or taught privately. Despite being able to focus on his craft exclusively, he saw very little of his work recorded in his lifetime. The piano works featured on this disc represent the broad expanse of his compositional output.

American pianist MATTHEW McCRIGHT has performed extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific as piano soloist and chamber musician. He has thrilled audiences and critics alike with an imaginative repertoire that spans both the traditional and a wide range of contemporary works. He has premiered numerous new pieces, many written for him, and has collaborated with such composers as Pauline Oliveros, Terry Riley, Augusta Read Thomas, Paul Dresher, Michael Gordon, Mary Ellen Childs, Julia Wolfe, Evan Ziporyn, Mark Anthony Turnage, Kirsten Broberg, Kamran Ince, Alvin Lucier, and Judith Lang Zaimont among many others.

McCright currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is a member of the piano faculty of Carleton College while maintaining an active freelance schedule as one of the most sought after pianists in contemporary music. Recent projects include the 2009 CD release of Second Childhood and the present recording. He is curator of the Open Doors music series, partnering performing artists with charitable causes and is housed at Saints Martha and Mary Episcopal Church in Minnesota, where he is pianist-in-residence for the series. He created The Composer’s Project, a nationwide program featuring emerging composers. His complete biography and information about upcoming performances are available at www.matthewmccright.org