Classical guitarist Émilie Fend and clarinettist Andreas Hermanski share an ambitious artistic vision to promote their relatively unusual instrumental combination through the commissioning of new repertoire. Including world-premiere recordings, this programme presents neo-Classical dark and light contrasts in Giacomo Susani’s Sonata, and striking evocations of nature in Antonio Giacometti’s The Prideful Cry of Amazonian Forest. Psychological landscapes can be found in Jan Freidlin’s Kafka Sonata alongside Roberto Sierra’s Duo-Sonata, with all works exploring the diverse expressive potential of this exciting ensemble.

Clarinettist Andreas Hermanski’s international performing career as a soloist and chamber musician has taken him to Italy, France and the US, including concerts at New York University and Rutgers University in New Jersey. With activities including radio recordings and recordings for WDR, Andreas Hermanski is also highly respected as a teacher and as a performance artist for the clarinet company Buffet Crampon Paris on whose instruments he plays.

Guitarist Émilie Fend has won First Prize at the HASPA Guitar Cup at the Hamburg Guitar Festival in 2022 and the NRW Guitar Prize – Stephen Goss in 2023, as well as prizes at the Iserlohn Guitar Festival, Nürtingen Guitar Festival and Harmonia Cordis in Romania in the same year. The world premieres of the three original works for guitar and clarinet on this disc commissioned by Émilie Fend and her duet partner Andreas Hermanski led to a world-premiere concert at the internationally renowned Koblenz International Guitar Festival and a recital at the 2nd International Guitar Festival Wuppertal.