George Walker’s international reputation as a composer and pianist was recognized with numerous commissions and awards, including a Pulitzer Prize in 1996. His piano music is colorful and brings to life unique musical soundscapes as heard in the cyclical Fourth Piano Sonata which alternates between sections of virtuoso muscularity and lyrical repose. The Piano Concerto integrates expansive Classical forms with inspiration derived from songs by Duke Ellington, something also cleverly hidden in Guido’s Hand . Walker concluded his impressive contribution to the modern repertoire with his passionate Fifth Piano Sonata – a work that packs monumental expressive range into an extremely concise span. Volume 1 of this two-volume complete edition can be heard on Naxos 8.55991.