A native of Germany, Robert Volkmann was virtually unknown as a composer until the 1840s when he moved to Hungary. It was there that Volkmann achieved wider recognition due in part to Franz Liszt, Hans von Bülow and Richard Wagner expressing admiration for his Piano Trio, op.5. Volkmann’s music straddles the radical and conservative camps in the music of his era, with the early Fantasiebilder influenced by Schumann and Mendelssohn, and the scintillating Piano Sonata in C minor retaining the Classical roots of Beethoven and Schubert. From the cimbalom effects in the Ungarische Lieder to the whimsy in Lieder der Großmutter, Volkmann’s expressive potency is always infused with a compulsive rhythmic verve.

The Naxos Romantic Piano series first appeared in September 2025 with works by Julius Benedict (8574586), which was warmly welcomed by MusicWeb International: ‘we must above all be grateful to Naxos… for their enterprise in exploring an area of the repertoire that must be totally unknown to all but a very few experts in the period’. With numerous world premiere recordings, this series explores and promotes little-known composers and unusual repertoire.

Further volumes present rarely heard music by the likes of Charles Gounod, works by Friedrich Kiel, and piano sonatas by Józef Wieniawski. Vol.2 of the series with sonatas by Wilhelm Taubert (8574585) saw Interlude commenting that this recording is ‘a reminder of the breadth of 19th-century musical life, where many composers made meaningful contributions to the piano repertoire, even if they did not become household names’.

Armenian pianist Levon Avagyan combines virtuosity and depth with a distinctive musical sensitivity. In 2017 he garnered international recognition as the winner of First Prize, the Audience Prize and several special awards at the Maria Canals International Music Competition in Barcelona. He has since performed as a soloist with renowned orchestras across Europe, and is a regular guest at major festivals such as the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Kissinger Sommer, Marbella International Piano Festival, Arsonore and Alpenarte. Born in Yerevan, Avagyan received his education at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory under Vagharshak Harutyunyan, and continued his studies at the Kunstuniversität Graz with Milana Chernyavska, graduating with distinction.