Angelo Monroy - Pas de Deux (2023)

Tchaikovsky’s works burst with well-loved, well-known melodies – which is precisely what renders them a challenge for any young musician. How does one perform a cherished classic without resorting to cliché or to musical blasphemy? Talented violinist and arranger Sarah Coyl has found her personal answer to this dilemma on PAS DE DEUX: by re-setting the Russian composer’s works for unprecedented setups – in this case, the violin-guitar duo and the violin-guitar-piano trio.

This audacious endeavor is strengthened not only by Coyl’s undeniable talent as a multi-genre arranger, but also by her two skillful colleagues, the keen-minded, quick-fingered guitarist Max Case and emotive, empathetic pianist Angelo Monroy. The result is an album that is still very reverently Tchaikovsky – but seen from a fresher, more youthful angle.