Introducing
KISS ON WOOD
Featured on BBC3’s In Tune, with Petroc Trelawney
“…it is the directness and depth of her playing that leave the strongest impression.” - GRAMOPHONE
“mesmerizing” - TEXTURA
KISS ON WOOD ALBUM PROMO (SONO LUMINUS) Rachel Yonan, viola and Kwan Yi, piano
For Your GRAMMY® Consideration
Submitted for consideration in the following categories:
“Solo Instrumental Album”
“Best Engineered Album”
KISS ON WOOD
Rachel Yonan, viola
Kwan Yi, piano
ON SONO LUMINUS
Revolving around the first recording of Sir James MacMillan’s Kiss on Wood for viola and piano arranged and performed by Rachel Yonan, this album explores the polarity of light and darkness. Minimalist composer Arvo Pärt’s beloved Fratres and Spiegel im Spiegel bookend the program. The concept of light infuses these pieces with their intense clarity and search for transcendent meaning.
Gramophone, October 2025
“Rachel Yonan’s new solo album, recorded at Sono Luminus Studios in Virginia, explores what the viola can uniquely bring to the shaping of musical line and colour. …it is the directness and depth of her playing that leave the strongest impression.
Kwan Yi’s splendid, responsive playing provides a steady foundation throughout and illuminates each work’s sense of form and fantasy.” © 2025 (Laurence Vittes) Gramophone
REVIEWS
Stereophile Magazine, August 2025
Performance ****
Sonics *****
“The major draw is the first recording of MacMillan’s seven-minute Kiss on Wood, arranged for viola and piano by Yonan. …The slow, still beauty of the piece is marked by sighing, groaning, and some of the same stillness that makes Pärt’s Fratres and Spielel im Spiegel so magical and riveting. I sat transfixed by the increasingly soft piano chords at the end, whose subtle transformations are captured to perfection by DXD….An intriguing, surprisingly short program...the contrasts are many, and the rewards are considerable..” © Stereophile Magazine (Jason Victor Serinus) 2025
Textura, July 2025
“This commendably concise collection by violist Rachel Yonan oscillates smoothly between the metaphysical and the physical… Yonan's playing ranges from serene and tender to agitated, raw, and even frenzied in this mesmerizing rendition with her articulate recital partner… Yonan and Yi honour Pärt and the other composers with exemplary performances that humbly defer to the character of each piece whilst also revealing their artistry as musicians.” © Textura 2025
Take Effect, July 2025
“Yonan’s intricate strings are met with dense keys that balance intimacy and exploration… Spiegel im Spiegel graces us with intimacy and a dreaminess that embraces a stirring beauty of gorgeous, timeless viola…. An eloquent effort that touches on minimalism, contrasting positions and bouts of spiritual ideas, Yonan recruits emotional moments, melancholy and colourful dynamics to a diverse and memorable record.” © Take Effect 2025
NativeDSD, June 2025
“This is haunting, beautiful music, beautifully played and recorded– and highly recommended.” © NativeDSD (Bill Dodd) 2025
AllMusic, June 2025
“Yonan reveals a deeply communicative intentions … Accompanist Kwan Yi fulfills the prime directive in music of this sort… quietly guiding the performance. A useful find for violists and even general listeners will find interesting and unusual material here.” © AllMusic (James Manheim) 2025