Elizabeth Sombart Singing the Nocturnes

Elizabeth Sombart is an artist as prolific as the music she plays, and those that know her extensive discography will know how major of a statement this is — clocking in with just around three dozen musical releases, Sombart is an artist that has never been known to rest on her laurels. Performing and studying piano from the mere age of seven will certainly do that, but that’s still not something most people can just manage to accomplish after sticking with it for years. The seasoned, well-oiled machine that is Elizabeth Sombart’s musical oeuvre is uncontested in the modern classical music realm, and her latest LP release, Singing the Nocturnes, stands as a testament to the fact.

WEBSITE: https://www.elizabethsombart.com/en/home-english/

Compositionally indebted to Frédéric Chopin, Singing the Nocturnes is a knockout collection of the composer’s iconic works, all played to absolute perfection by Elizabeth Sombart. Any piano aficionado or novice could instantly tell you what a feat it is to pull off two hours of Chopin, but for even those unfamiliar with classical music such as myself, there’s something truly special to behold with this project. There’s a sharp and refined lifetime of musical proficiency above all else on display front and center, and the variety of material put into the album gives both experts and novices several handfuls of tracks to cling onto. For every Chopin classic tossed out, there are bound to be double the tracks that hit you square in the jaw and become new personal favorites.

The deft quality of Sombart’s piano prowess is something never lost on the listener and it’s something that tracks and has undeniably only grown in power throughout her illustrious discography. Chopin is only the most recent with his Nocturnes, but Sombart has been known to put her spin on Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, and countless other iconic names in classical music. There’s seemingly nothing too daunting, nothing too trodden for Sombart’s musical eye, and for that listeners across the globe are grateful.

In addition to her stellar music work, Elizabeth Sombart has been a major voice for the disenfranchised when it comes to music accessibility. In 1998, Sombart founded the Foundation Résonnance, which helped bring classical music to outreach venues such as hospitals, orphanages, and prisons — in addition to the accessibility of listening to classical music, Sombart’s gaze reaches even further by bringing accessibility of actually playing piano to anyone wanting to learn, free of restrictions against age, and without competitions or exams.

APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/mu/artist/elizabeth-sombart/20763218

There’s simply no denying the sheer willpower Sombart embodies and the way she has kept a tight grasp on her legacy and artistic presence — be it with her latest Singing the Nocturnes or her several other dances with Chopin, Beethoven, or whichever classical composer you’d like to name, there’s no denying that first and foremost it is Elizabeth Sombart behind that instrument, humbly blending into her work as the music takes over. She’s as selfless as they come, and more talented in a pinky than most are in their entire bodies; instead of reveling in it, she continues traveling the world to bring music to those less fortunate to this day.

Nicole Killian