New album of works for string quartet by Korine Fujiwara is released November 20 on Azica Records
"Love Letters to Friends" is inspired by Fujiwara's 21 year tenure with the Carpe Diem String Quartet
Performed by Carpe Diem with guests Peter Cooper, oboe and Yoshiyuki Ishikawa, bassoon
The new album of Korine Fujiwara's music, "Love Letters to Friends" is released on November 20, 2026 on Azica Records (ACD-71399). The collection of world premiere recordings highlights Fujiwara's 21 year history as violist with the Carpe Diem String Quartet.
"The compositions on this album were inspired by the members of Carpe Diem," explains Fujiwara. "Each work was commissioned by a friend, and/or written for a friend in multiple corners of my life." In the liner notes Fujiwara sends her “love letter” to CDSQ violinists Sam Weiser and Marisa Ishikawa and cellist Ariana Nelson: "Playing with you is so much more than performing great concerts. It's about the hard work in rehearsal - the spirited debates, laughter, and that sensation that steals over us while playing - the moment we understand the same musical emotions, feelings, and phrases, without words."
From the bluegrass-infused May Basket, to jazz-inflected works and conventional concert music, Fujiwara's range of compositional styles are on full display throughout the album. Mosey takes inspiration from a long wait at the airport and captures the essence of how people move through their personal space, in parallel to how they move through life. Out of the Depths, which features guest artists Peter Cooper, oboe, and Yoshiyuki Ishikawa, bassoon, is inspired by the psalm De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine, a Josquin des Prez motet, and a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The three movements of Through a 2020 Lens (a digital-only track) references the effects of figurative and literal masks; commemorates the tinderbox of the explosive events of 2020; and pays homage to those who have lost their lives to systemic oppression.
Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD of "Love Letters to Friends," music by Korine Fujiwara performed by the Carpe Diem String Quartet.