The Boulder Symphony and Colorado-based composer John Clay Allen have released a new album, The Stone Harp, featuring two original concertos recorded with the Boulder Symphony under the direction of Devin Patrick Hughes.
The album showcases pianist Er-Hsuan Li and Boulder Symphony principal oboist Ingrid Anderson, presenting two substantial works for soloist and string orchestra that explore themes of memory, grief, faith, and transformation.
Running approximately 42 minutes, The Stone Harp reflects a close creative partnership between the composer and the orchestra, developed through years of collaboration and performance.
“I began from a place of tension,” writes Allen. “Tension between spirituality and religion; grief and celebration; tradition and artistic invention. These two concertos do not resolve these contradictions — they inhabit them, reaching toward something larger than ourselves.”
The Music
The album’s title work, The Stone Harp, is a single-movement piano concerto dedicated to pianist Er-Hsuan Li. A concert artist known for her work in contemporary music and a faculty member at Montana State University, Li brings both clarity and expressive depth to Allen’s expansive musical language.
Inspired by a poem by John Haines, the concerto reflects Allen’s personal relationship with the piano and with a tradition of piano concertos spanning more than two centuries. The work balances introspection with forward-looking vitality, creating a sound world that is both reflective and dramatic.
The second work on the album, Sky Psalms, is a two-movement concerto for oboe and string orchestra written for Ingrid Anderson and the Boulder Symphony. Composed in memory of Anderson’s mother, the piece reflects on grief while ultimately celebrating life and remembrance.
The two movements—What Calls to Us in the Quiet and Everything Preserved—move from intimate reflection toward luminous affirmation.
Championing New Music
The Stone Harp highlights the Boulder Symphony’s ongoing commitment to championing new orchestral music and fostering meaningful artistic relationships between composers, performers, and audiences.
Under the direction of Devin Patrick Hughes, the orchestra has become known for presenting new works alongside masterworks of the classical repertoire, creating programs that connect tradition with contemporary creativity.
About Boulder Symphony & Music Academy
Boulder Symphony & Music Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding meaningful access to high-quality music education and performance across Colorado’s Front Range. Rooted in Boulder’s culture of curiosity, inclusivity, and innovation, the organization connects audiences of all ages with symphonic music as a living, relevant art form.
About the Composer
John Clay Allen is a Denver-based composer, pianist, and educator. He serves on the faculty of the University of Colorado Boulder, where he teaches composition and electronic music. His work spans orchestral, chamber, and electroacoustic music, with a focus on lyricism, texture, and long-form musical narrative.