Shattered Glass, a self-operated New York City string ensemble, presents three new works, all immortalized on the new album: Transition Behavior by Pascal Le Boeuf, Entr’acte by Pulitzer-Prize winner Caroline Shaw, and Chaâbi by Tarik O’Regan followed by Mendelssohn’s 7th String Symphony. This pairing of canonical and contemporary celebrates where we’ve been and where we’re going.

Transition Behavior by jazz keyboardist and composer Pascal Le Boeuf was commissioned by Shattered Glass and premiered in 2016. A high energy, hard-hitting virtuoso showpiece influenced by the rhythms of progressive jazz and heavy metal, Transition Behavior is described by the composer as “the rich sound of many simultaneous amorphous gestures that combine to reflect a musical representation of Shattered Glass. To add to this work, Transition Behavior created a music video that captures and accentuates all of the intensity and rhythmic intricacies contained in the piece.

In her own words, Caroline Shaw’s Ent’racte “uses classical forms and structures as an inspiration and departure point.” From the haunting harmonies of the first bar to the pianissimo cello solo closing, Caroline Shaw’s background as a violinist is shown to great effect in Entr’acte, as her intimate understanding of string instrument playing techniques allows her to create unique textures and sound effects, some of which are completely original to her work. Caroline Shaw is the youngest ever Pulitzer Prize winner for music.

By way of contrast, Grammy-nominated composer Tarik O’Regan’s Chaâbi is a subtle, elegant and atmospheric piece where slow, lyrical sections inspired by North African folk music gradually build into rhythmic grooves with hints of Irish fiddle tunes. Chaâbi also features many moments where members of Shattered Glass perform as soloists, resulting in unexpected musical dialogues between the members of the ensemble.

Felix Mendelssohn‘s String Symphony No. 7 in d minor was written when he was only 13 years old. The work is a testament to one the of the greatest musical prodigies the Western World has ever known.