Carrie Frey – Seagrass: Works for Solo Viola

released December 8th, 2023 on CD & digital

Seagrass is the debut solo album from violist, composer, and vocalist Carrie Frey. In an effort to expand the solo viola repertoire, Carrie has commissioned, composed, and adapted the collected seven pieces over the past half decade.

As a member of The Rhythm Method string quartet, Carrie has an impressive track record of composing, improvising, and creating new work with major composers such as Anaïs Maviel, Paul Pinto, and inti figgis-vizueta. A sought-after performer of contemporary music, Carrie is also a mainstay of string trio Chartreuse and flexible chamber ensemble Desdemona, and she is also a frequent guest artist with Wet Ink and AMOC*. Through the extensive musical network she’s part of in these groups and beyond, she has had a front row seat in the world of contemporary string music.

The pieces collected on this album did not always begin as solo compositions for viola, but by rearranging them and presenting them here together, Carrie has curated a family of sounds and textures she feels expand the instrument’s possibilities. Carrie adds, “It’s almost a cliche to talk about expanding the viola repertoire, but I really do feel that we are always finding new ways to write for viola, and violists need more music just for us!”

Carrie has commissioned these and a number of other pieces over the years, and hopes this album serves as a calling card not only for her unique approach to the instrument, but also for the work of these composers and the solo viola’s increased place in contemporary music in general. “I like that while these pieces occasionally nod to the classic sad, slow viola thing, they are also spacey, peppy, aggressive, profound, groovy, ecstatic, and transcendent.”

ALSO check out an interview from summer 2023 between Carrie Frey and Adrianne Munden-Dixon on their collaborations, their albums, and more