Classi Academy, GRAMMY, and Golden Globe winning composer Howard Shore is best known for his rich and densely orchestrated scores for Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings films. This disc features a more intimate - and classical - side of Shore's music. The title work, A Palace Upon The Ruins, is a song-cycle, sung here by mezzo-soprano Jennifer
Johnson Cano. The texts were inspired by a story from the past that speaks of the healing of an unresolved trauma. Other works on the program include Six Pieces for chamber orchestra (featuring the Kronos Quartet) and Catania, a work for solo piano played by the superstar pianist Lang Lang.