Restless Nation

Navona Records is proud to present Restless Nation: The Music of Andy Teirstein. A student of Leonard Bernstein and Henry Brant, Teirstein's music has been described by The New York Times as "magically atmospheric" and "tumultuously exuberant," with "shifts from dark, earthy urgency to floating purity." Featuring master soloists Marco Ambrosini (nyckelharpa) and Yair Dalal (oud), this new collection takes inspiration from the composer's many travels directing the global initiative Translucent Borders, with musical influences from Bedouin singing, Scandinavian folk music, and his roots as a folk fiddle and banjo player. Letter from Woody is an orchestral reimagining of a letter the iconic folk balladeer Woody Guthrie wrote to his lover and future wife, the dancer Marjorie Mazia, in the 1940s, with hints of Guthrie's songs and an introduction for harmonica. Restless Nation for string quartet, reflective of an upended country with a powerful Appalachian roots tradition, recalls the year Teirstein's family embarked on a home-schooling expedition through America; it evokes the excitement, wonder, and challenges encountered on this journey. Restless Nation: The Music of Andy Teirstein celebrates Teirstein's diverse and compelling work.