For those not in the classical know, Elizabeth Joy Roe is the recipient of the prestigious William Petschek Piano Debut Recital Award. Roe made her New York solo recital debut at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in April 2007. She made her New York concerto debut in 2005 under the baton of James Conlon, performing the Britten Piano Concerto at Alice TullyHall. In 2003 she stepped in on short notice to replace the late John Browning for subscription performances of the Barber Piano Concerto.

This brand new solo release, Britten & Barber: Piano Concertos & Nocturnes is a unique coupling of two of the 20th Century's greatest piano concertos marks Decca's first-ever recording of the Barber concerto and the first of the Britten since the classic Richter account conducted by the composer in 1970.

Britten & Barber: Piano Concertos & Nocturnes is completed with two solo piano nocturnes by each composer: Britten's Night Piece and Barber's Nocturne - Homage to John Field, widely-considered the father of the nocturne. In truth, the works are urgent and occasionally dark, and yet a perfect, to my mind's eye, reflection of the timeframe when the pieces were written. In what couldn't have been an easy undertaking, Roe has succeeding in bringing to the fore an incredible work of musical art; and one that should be more widely appreciated - and hopefully will be.

1. I. Toccata. Allegro molto e con brio
2. II. Waltz. Allegretto
3. III. Impromptu. Andante lento
4. IV. March. Allegro moderato sempre alla marcia
5. I. Allegro appassionato
6. II. Canzone. Moderato
7. III. Allegro molto
8. Barber: Nocturne for Piano (Homage to John Field), Op. 33
9. Britten: Night Piece (Notturno)

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