Echoes of the Orient – Katie Yao Morgan

Posted By ARC Music | Tags: Katie Yao Morgan, Artist, Malaysia, Piano, erhu, East Asia

Echoes of the Orient – the debut album from pianist Katie Yao Morgan – releases on Naxos World on July 25th, 2025. Echoes of the Orient is a musical reminiscence composed by Morgan’s onetime tutor and longtime friend, Angeline Bell. The album draws inspiration from various elements that evoke a sense of belonging and nostalgia. These recollections and reflections of Angeline’s homeland, Malaysia, and East Asia in general, drive the music of the album.

Read more | May 27, 2025

---

Toña – Kadialy Kouyate

Posted By ARC Music | Tags: Kadialy Kouyate, Toña, Truth, Artist, Senegal, Mandinka people, Griot

Toña, the 9th album from Senegalese kora virtuoso Kadialy Kouyate, releases worldwide on June 27th, 2025. Kadialy Kouyate’s Toña, meaning ‘Truth,’ explores the concept that understanding and reflecting on the past allows us to fully embrace future opportunities. Our experiences, both personal and collective, shape our beliefs, values, and decisions. By revisiting past events with honesty and introspection, we gain insight into behaviour, learn from previous mistakes, and acknowledge the lessons that brought us growth. When we take time to reflect, we can let go of what no longer serves us and carry forward what strengthens us. Contemplation allows us to make sense of the journey, fostering self-awareness and emotional intelligence—qualities that ground us in the present and guide us toward a more intentional future.

Read more | May 09, 2025

---

16 Sri Lankan Piano Isles - Tanya Ekanayaka

Posted By ARC Music | Tags: Tanya Ekanayaka, Artist, Sri Lanka, pianist, composer, composerpianist

16 Sri Lankan Piano Isles is the latest album from internationally renowned composer-pianist Dr Tanya Ekanayaka and will be released on May 23rd, 2025. Sri Lanka consists of a beautiful main island and over a hundred small tropical isles spread around her coast and inland. These isles are rich in natural beauty and home to diverse wildlife, plants, and unique ecosystems. Small communities inhabit some, while many remain untouched.

Read more | Mar 19, 2025

---

Tel ve Ten – Ozan Baysal

Posted By ARC Music | Tags: Ozan Baysal, artist, Middle East, Central Asia, şelpe, baglama

Tel ve Ten translates to "String and Skin," a simple term that encapsulates the complex art of şelpe—an ancient Anatolian baglama playing style that takes centre stage in this album.

Read more | Feb 20, 2025

---

Prelude to the Divine Realm – Gao Hong and Zhao Xiaoxia

Posted By ARC Music | Tags: Gao Hong, Zhao Xiaoxia, Artist, Pipa, guqin, China

Prelude to the Divine Realm, a collaboration between renowned pipa master Gao Hong and guqin virtuoso Zhao Xiaoxia, is released on January 24th, 2025. Since the dawn of civilisation, China has warmly embraced spiritual ideas. A country with a venerable and mythical history awash with the magical and teeming with transcendental tales of deities and mortals living together in an ancient harmony. Some believe the arts that greatly enrich society today – calligraphy, poetry, dance and music, to name a few – are gifts from the very gods of these age-old stories. These enigmatic offerings evoke eternal gratitude in our artists and serve as the inspiration for Prelude to the Divine Realm – an album created as an expression of thanks for the beauty left behind by these divine beings.

Read more | Nov 25, 2024

---