Richard Stöhr (1874–1967) was another Austrian composer driven into American exile by the Nazis – like Korngold, Toch, Schoenberg, Zeisl, Zemlinsky and so many others. In the USA, at the Curtis Institute and at a college in Vermont, he became a prominent teacher, with Leonard Bernstein only one of his many students who went on to become famous. His generous output of music – ripe for rediscovery – includes seven symphonies, fifteen violin sonatas among much other chamber music, songs, and choral and piano pieces.

His expansive E flat Piano Trio of 1905 sits firmly in the Viennese Romantic tradition downstream from Schubert and Brahms, with one lovely tune following another, whereas the Three Songs, written only four years after the Trio, look forward to the lyrical intensity of Korngold.

This release marks the 50th anniversary of Stöhr’s death.

Violinist Laura Roelofs is currently Assistant Concertmaster of the Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra and director of the string performance area at Wayne State University in Detroit. Stefan Koch is a frequent performer with the Kalamazoo Symphony, West Michigan Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Michigan Opera Theatre and Grand Rapids Symphony orchestras. His recordings of Richard Stöhr’s music for cello and piano by Richard Stöhr were released on Toccata Classics TOCC0210 in August 2014. Mary Siciliano has a successful private studio and gives pedagogy workshops throughout the USA. The bass-baritone Seth Keeton is an Assistant Professor of Voice at the University of Utah School of Music.