This disc begins a new series of recordings devoted to the music of the German-American composer, Ursula Mamlok. Ursula Mamlok was born in Berlin in 1923. She began her musical studies at an early age, studying piano, theory and composition with Gustav Ernest. In 1939, she fled with her parents from Nazi Germany to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Mamlok came to America in 1940 to study composition with George Szell at the Mannes School of Music. In the summer of 1944, she took a master class with Ernst Krenek, later studying with Vittorio Giannini, Roger Sessions, Erich Itor Kahn, Eduard Steuermann (piano), Stefan Wolpe, and Ralph Shapey. Mamlok has written more than sixty works, which include pieces for both small and large ensembles, vocal music, music for children, and three major works for orchestra. Most of the works on this new recording are being recorded for the first time.
