Double Rainbow album
DOUBLE RAINBOW is a progression of piano music performed by Jessica Chow Shinn and Michael Shinn. It moves from solo piano to piano four-hands to two pianos to a double piano concerto, all by composer Thomas Cabaniss, created especially for this gifted (married) duo.
The collaboration among these three artists began as a Cupid’s arrow. Early in Jessica and Michael’s relationship, Thomas suggested to Michael that one obvious way to amp up the romantic temperature would be for them to play piano four-hands together, and so he wrote Mechanicals (2009), a propulsive set of pieces based on music originally written for dance. The arrow struck home, and the two played together more and more. The immediate musical result was what they call their first child: pianoSonoma, the music festival they run each year that brings together dynamic professional musicians and music-lovers of all backgrounds for inspiring collaborative experiences. (On the personal front, they are now married and have two actual children.)
Jessica and Michael have continued to champion Thomas’ piano music. In 2012 they premiered Tiny Bits of Outrageous Love (piano four-hands, written for Thomas’ wife Deborah); in 2017, they debuted Double Rainbow (a double piano concerto), a commission from the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra; and in 2021 they performed Trinity Pass (for two pianos), a pianoSonoma commission. This album is a celebration of their decade-long collaboration.
DOUBLE RAINBOW would not have been possible without the support of two other cupids: Jun and Sandy Lee, whose love for music and generosity helped to bring this album into being.
About the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra
Founded in 1960, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra (WCO) is one of the elite chamber ensembles in the United States and is dedicated to advancing Wisconsin communities through the transformative power of music. Under the direction of Maestro Andrew Sewell for 22 years, the WCO leverages the unique characteristics of chamber music to bring a wide variety of repertoire to audiences in settings that range from the formality of the concert hall to the intimacy of smaller community venues and the open accessibility of parks and other public spaces. Through collaborations with regional performing arts groups and touring performances, the WCO extends its artistic programming to broader audiences and communities across Dane, Columbia, Jefferson, Waukesha, and Sauk counties.
The WCO is nationally known for its summer series Concerts on the Square®, drawing over 200,000 patrons annually to downtown Madison. Via its annual education programs including the Family Series, Young Artist Concerto Competition, and Super Strings program, the WCO provides artistic development opportunities for young musicians.
THE MUSIC – notes by the composer
Tracks 1- 5 SKETCHES OF VENASQUE
Tracks 6-12 TINY BITS OF OUTRAGEOUS LOVE
Tracks 13- 16 TRINITY PASS
Tracks 17-19 DOUBLE RAINBOW
CREDITS
Album partners: Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra (wcoconcerts.org), pianoSonoma, Thomas Ray Cabaniss Music, Musicreate Publications. All music © 2012-2021 by Thomas Cabaniss.
Project manager: Ashley Baier
Audio and video producer: Anthony Barfield
Cover art: Harun Zankel
Thanks to: Jun and Sandy Lee; Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra: Joe Loehnis, Andrew Sewell, Scott Foss; The Green Music Center at Sonoma State University: Jacob Yarrow; Yamaha Artist Services: Bonnie Barrett, Hilary Jansen, Makia Matsumura; Rami Kim, Michael Dahlberg, Kara Dugan, Peter Dugan, Emi Ferguson, Doori Na, Tristan Teo, Katsuya Yuasa, Angie Zhang, Philip Rothman.
