The American West has long been a source of inspiration for new music, from the arid soundscapes of frontier folk songs to the cool-tinged melodies of the California coast. This month, new classical music brought the PARMA production team to the west for recording sessions in the desert metropolis of Las Vegas, and the sprawling Beartooth mountains and Great Plains of Montana.
New Chamber Music at Tippet Rise
Founded by Peter and Cathy Halstead, “Tippet Rise is an enlightened compound where serious music and art and a vast stretch of nature meet blissfully” (The Independent). Set on 12,000 acres of Montana ranchland, the picturesque landscape was the focal point of PARMA’s recent Featured Recording Opportunity for solo piano with pianist Anna Kislitsyna.
1. Anna Kislitsyna | credit: Alexey Alexandrov, 2. Kislitsyna and PARMA Senior Producer Brad Michel, 3. Landscape at Tippet Rise
The team and Kislitsyna recorded several new classical works in Tippet Rise’s Olivier Music Barn, a warmly lit, timber‑lined “jewel‑box” hall inspired by Haydn’s Esterházy Music Room, crafted for acoustic intimacy and enveloping sonic clarity.
Kislitsyna’s performances were recorded and filmed by PARMA, with audio and video to be commercially released on a visual compilation album from the GRAMMY®-winning Navona Records label.
Explore past visual albums from PARMA/Navona Records.
“It’s going to be something really special,” said Kislitsyna via Instagram.
“I had the joy of performing music by eight amazing composers in a stunning concert hall in the mountains, and also participated in filming outdoors among the breathtaking sculptures and landscapes. I truly can’t wait to see the final result!”
Over the course of several days, Kislitsyna recorded and filmed the works of composers Ivar Lunde Jr., Sean Hickey, Alan Terricciano, Ferdinando DeSena, Jeremy Cullen, Armando Torres, James Paul Sain, and Matthew Hetz.
“Today’s recording session with Anna was very satisfying, she is such a wonderful artist,” said Hetz.
“When this call went out, it was mentioned that there would be some type of visual concert, but what I saw with today’s set-up exceeded my expectations. Very impressive. Very professional.”
Kislitsyna is a pianist and harpsichordist rooted in the Russian tradition, who debuted with the Omsk Symphony Orchestra at the age of 10. Her global career includes performances at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Kimmel Center, Moscow Conservatory, and Paris’s Cortot Hall.
She balances her performance career with significant recording work. Witness Kislitsyna’s stunning interpretation of new music with composer Peter Dickson Lopez’s Pieces From A Distant Land.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Wind Orchestra
Recording sessions continued just under a thousand miles away in Las Vegas, where The UNLV Wind Orchestra was prepped to record several works by contemporary composers.
PARMA’s last recording session with the ensemble dates back to 2023, where the team recorded the world premiere of Chick Corea’s Concerto for Trombone, featuring trombonist Joseph Alessi.
photo: UNLV Wind Orchestra
Alessi and the orchestra, under the direction of Thomas G. Leslie, returned for these 2026 sessions, now navigating new music by composers Jorge Machain, Michael-Thomas Foumai, and Giancarlo Castro D’Addona.
“I enjoy working with PARMA Recordings and I feel it was the best decision I ever made for the wind orchestra!”
– Tom Leslie
The UNLV Wind Orchestra has received international acclaim for its fresh and creative approach to music making. Performing contemporary repertoire in addition to classical masterworks, the Wind Orchestra at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas has been responsible for commissioning and premiering numerous significant new works by America’s finest contemporary composers.