Search - Merrill Collins :: Ethereal Escapes (Echappees Etheriques II)

For Ethereal Escapes (subtitled Echappe es Ethe riques II), the sequel to 2016's Echappe es Ethe riques, pianist Merrill Collins reunited with her collaborators from that previous release, flutist Laura Halladay and cellist Maksim Velichkin. Once again the three consummate musicians bravely explore the intersection point of contemporary classical and New Age music, forming a fusion that shows influences from both genres, but also creates something altogether original and daring while also being instantly approachable and accessible. Traversing a wide landscape of styles and moods, from delicate to dramatic and from warmly optimistic tomournfully somber, the music on Ethereal Escapes captivates the listener from the first few cello notes of "The Fountain of Jewels Activated" to the neo-chamber beauty of the album closer, "Triumphant Upon Arrival."