Mike Holober has established an international reputation as a jazz orchestra composer, arranger and conductor. With the formation of his octet “Mike Holober & Balancing Act,” and the release of its premiere recording in 2015 (Palmetto Records), he has recently refocused his creative energies to a small group format. The intimately scaled instrumentation has provided a vehicle to explore a more personal musical statement.

“Don’t Let Go” is a Chamber Music America New Jazz Works commission and will be premiered at two concerts in the Metropolitan region. This CD-length project is structured as a song-cycle in the tradition of Robert Schumann, Samuel Barber, and Ralph Vaughn-Williams. “Don’t Let Go”explores the nuances and complexities of the concept of “hope” in the context of current social, political, and environmental realities.