New videos on YouTube!

CSU Summer Arts: AlmaNova's Amazing Review!

For some reason we seem to travel to the city of Fresno, CA about once a year! This particular trip was especially nice....although it was about 105 degrees!!! We were invited as guest artists and master teachers along with other flute legends like Jim Walker and William Bennett. We were so happy to hear the extremely high levels of the students who participated in the master classes and were honored to teach them!

The highlight for us was the great concert we played...and the review the next day by Donald Munro from the Fresno Bee Newspaper!

Please read:

Flute, guitar a beautiful Pair at Fresno State by Donald Munro

Thanks to Summer Arts, I now am in love with the sound of flute and guitar together.

All it took was one concert earlier this week by the AlmaNova duo, whose two players, Almer Imamovic and Jessica Pierce, are instructors in the flute and guitar workshop at the California State University Summer Arts program at Fresno State.

So, what was it about Imamovic and Pierce's performance that opened my ears to this wonderful combination of instruments?

On fresnobeehive.com, I wrote that as I listened to them play I kept thinking of two swallows hurling through the sky -- diving, soaring, swooping, with first one and then the other taking the lead, the two of them sometimes exploding with energy but more often quietly flitting here and there in a graceful, intuitively choreographed display of seamless connection.

The pair is married in real life, and they have a stage relationship that is touching to watch. Imamovic strums his guitar so smoothly at times it's as if he's caressing a stone, and Pierce's flute lyrically fills the hall with a gentle, effortless swell. Watching Imamovic watch his wife as they play is particularly sweet. He stands when he plays, and he periodically turns to gaze at her, his shoulders pulsing with the beat almost as if the two are dancing.

There's a strong Eastern European influence in AlmaNova's songs, which is not surprising considering Imamovic's Bosnian roots. (He writes much of the group's material.) Slightly exotic yet with a velvety finish, the duo's sound never delves into meditative Windham Hill territory, but it also projects a mellow, accomplished mood. Many of the songs have direct ethnic connections: "Sarajevo Nights" seems to twinkle with the vitality of a city, and "Moj Golube," an arrangement of a Macedonian folk song, captures the age-old story of love and loss.

I was entranced, and I'm going to track their CDs down for a further listen. I know I'm looking forward to hearing their colleagues play, as well.

AlmaNova NOMINATED!!!!

We are very excited and honored to learn that we've been nominated to receive an award from Just Plain Folks...the world's largest Independent Music Awards Organization! We were chosen from over 42,000 albums from 160 countries!

We have been nominated in two categories:

2009 Best Instrumental Album for 'Debut' by AlmaNova

AND

2009 Best Instrumental Song for Sarajevo Nights by Almer Imamovic

TO VOTE PLEASE CLICK HERE!

Special thanks to whom ever nominated us!

FREE music-just press play!

Debut by AlmaNova

Dr. Jessica Pierce!

At last Jessica finished her Doctorate of Musical Arts from USC! Now she just needs the job to go along with the degree.....

'After Hours' on iTunes

Hello Friends...

Many of you have inquired about when our latest CD will be available on iTunes.....well, wait no longer!  

Click here....it will take you to our website.  Once you're there, click on the iTunes button just below the 'After Hours' album cover and it will take you directly to iTunes.  

We've had some really great response to this release so far and would like to thank everyone for their support and kind words!

Cheers!

Jessica and Almer

NEW CD: "After Hours"

We are happy to announce that our new CD, "After Hours" has been released!  This latest project pays tribute to some of the most beautiful and haunting melodies from Macedonia.  We also have included some exciting new original works that reflect this part of the world.  Hope you enjoy!

If you'd like to purchase your copy of "After Hours", please click here.

Click on each of the tracks below for sample sound bytes:

Bosna Nova

Jovano, Jovanke

Massimo Dancing

Rain

Almer students performed at Loyola Marymont University Guitar Festival!

Almer was very proud of three of his 'star' students...Eric, Sierra and Sofiane were all chosen by audition to perform in the LMU Young Artist's Showcase during their big guitar festival week.  They all were professional and played beautifully.  There is nothing better for a teacher than to see their students succeed!  Bravo to you all and now we will look to the next big challenge together!

Almer Imamovic and Scott Tennant in Santa Barbara

We had a great time with Maestro Scott Tennant in Santa Barbara during the Santa Barbara Symphony 2nd International Guitar Festival. Off course we meet at Peet's coffee for a little break. Aside from playing a great concert as part of the festival, we were so happy to hear a new concerto for the LAGQ by Sergio Assad called Interchange.  It was a very exciting piece and well played by the quartet and the orchestra.  The LAGQ is always an amazing group to hear.  Bravo, guys!

AlmaNova World Music Collective Feat. Jim Walker!

Hi All!

For those of you who missed our recent performance, here is a taste of what went on!  We played with a fabulous group of musicians and had a very warm and generous audience.  The highlight of the night was when my flute professor from USC, Maestro Jim Walker, joined us on stage to help us premier one of our new tunes "Massimo Dancing".  Please enjoy this clip of a true master flutist and unparalleled musician...we feel so honored to have had this experience!  

Thank you, Jim!!!!

ps...to see more of this great evening of music click here

Tapkalica

Review of the "Debut" by Carla Rees

AlmaNova is a flute and guitar duo comprising Jessica Pierce and Almer Imamovic.  It was formed during their studies at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris.  The folk-influences music on this disc includes Imamovic's arrangements of the traditional Bosnian works and his own compositions.  It is not clear from the sleeve-notes which are which, as there is no individual information about each track other than the listing on the back.  

Sarajevo Nights is an upbeat track, with percussive definition and a florid flute melody.  This track gives the disc a strong opening, well-written for the instruments and allows both players to shine.  The playing from both of those performers is idiomatic and immediately demands attention.  Moj Golube is a moderately paced ballad with a lyrical melody given well-chosen ornamentation.  The opening of Uzeh Djugum i Mastrafu is haunting beautiful, with rich, dark flute tones heard over tremolo guitar.  The mood lightens, and a poised dance follows.  Theme for Carolyn moves through several changes of mood, with a simple melody line varied through the use of different accompaniment style on the guitar.  Scott's Guitar is a beautifully performed solo for guitar, while Tapkalica is another fast, rhythmic track, with repeated melodic patterns building the momentum to a frenzy.  La Nuit avec P.K. is another languid guitar solo which develops into a toccata-like dance with a punchy groove.  The exotic Jamilla's Dance has a Dance of the Seven Veils quality to it, with Pierce's seductive pitch bends demanding attention.  Dinner with J.D. features multi-tracked flutes in a piece which has a more western-pop style - parts of this track reminded me of Kenny G - than the rest of the disc.  The Bosnian roots return for the final track, Song for Marcus, in a fast paced dance, which also features some multi-tracking.

This is an enjoyable disc which adds an interesting dimension to flute and guitar repertoire.  Those players are clearly passionate about their choices of repertoire, and Pierce makes excellent use of ornamentation in her playing to give a sense of drama to otherwise simple melodic lines.  Both players have excellent technical control and they have a wonderful report as a duo.  

-Carla Rees, MusicWeb-International.com

Te Amo

It was nice to see some good friends in our recent visit to Chicago!  We were invited back to two encore performances with the Chamber Opera Chicago's Te Amo from last year.  As it was last year, both shows were sold out!  We can't wait to come back and play with this innovative and original opera company!  See you there next year!  

CRITIC'S CHOICE, 2008!

AlmaNova "Classic Giuliani"

CRITIC'S CHOICE, 2008

American Record Guide 

More exciting news has come from the American Record Guide!!!  In November we received a very good review in their Nov./Dec. '08 edition and now have learned we were chosen as Critic's Choice, 2008!  We look forward to more successes in 2009!  

After the Holidays!

We are so happy to announce that we will be recording our third album this month! Over our winter break from concertizing and teaching, we were able to work on this exciting project. This new release will be along the same lines as our first CD, "Debut". We have returned back to Almer's Balkan roots, this time exploring the music of Macedonia. It is a mix of our arrangements of these beautiful traditional folk melodies as well as Almer's original works. Please check back...it should be ready to go by this spring!