Check out the official album on Bandcamp! https://nicholasdentonprotsack.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-refuge-of-a-cave-2020

In the Refuge of a Cave:
Before there were bunkers, fortresses, or strongholds, there were caves. Since long before the dawn of recorded history, caves have held a universal significance as a source of refuge—a safe haven from the elements, predators, and natural disasters. Inversely, however, caves have widely been known to inspire a sense of apprehension and foreboding as well—potentially harboring in the darkness the very dangers from which they are meant to offer protection.
Writing these program notes in late July of 2020, I can't help but compare the duality of caves to the tremendous changes that have taken place during the last six months. The Pandemic has forced just about everyone to reinvent their lives in order to preserve their safety and security. Whether metaphorically or analogously, we have all retreated to our caves in one way or another. For example, while many of us have achieved refuge through social distancing and sheltering-in-place, doing so has forced us to face the existential darkness of isolation and confinement.
In the Refuge of a Cave (2020) is my perspective on these themes as a composer and musician. What musical artists could once rely upon—concert spaces, audiences, even the ability to perform onstage together—has disappeared or drastically transformed in mere days. Now, one's own insights, abilities, and resources are the only certainties in their musical endeavors. When writing In the Refuge of a Cave, I imagined these restrictions as a literal cave surrounding the musical artist. What could a musician do to create music if they were isolated within a cave? How could one find artistic fulfillment in such a lonely and remote place? The only natural answer is that a musician would need to make do with the sonic resources and tools that the space granted them. The musician would utilize the reverberations and echoes generated by the cave's walls; in doing so, they would stumble upon a way to play music with another—a past version of theirself—an echo.
In the Refuge of a Cave is dedicated to my many friends and colleagues who have found themselves forced to navigate a unique cave of their own in these challenging times. Thus, it is designed to be playable by any instrument or voice type, and no two performances will ever sound alike.

This album contains recordings curated from friends and colleagues of mine, each of whom I have worked with in the past in some capacity. I have used this collaboration as an opportunity to promote their own work, and a large portion of the proceeds from each track goes to the respective artist that recorded it.

Make sure to CLICK ON EACH INDIVIDUAL TRACK to learn more about the artist that recorded it!

Composed and mastered by: Nicholas Denton Protsack.

Performed and recorded by: Andrew Friedman, Shaina Pan, Darren Williams.

In the Refuge of a Cave

Helen Newby continually seeks ways to expand the technical and expressive boundaries of her instrument through close collaboration with other innovative performers, composers and artists. She is widely recognized for her “warm tone” and “intimate balanced sound” (The Washington Post), and as a “superb” and “committed champion” of new music (Cleveland Classical). Newby’s passion for collaboration and experimentation has led her to work with a number of both emerging and established composers, including Steve Reich, Chaya Czernowin, Marcos Balter, Sabrina Schroeder, Ashley Fure, and Tania León, among others. Her premiere solo album, Dialogue, featuring commissions by David Bird, Danny Clay, Adam Hirsch, Kurt Isaacson and Haley Shaw, was released in early 2017 on Ephemeral Stream Recordings.

Newby has performed with and alongside ensembles such as the JACK Quartet, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Eco Ensemble, Real Vocal String Quartet, One Found Sound, and Contemporaneous, among others. She is a founding member of Amaranth Quartet and Chartreuse. She has been in-residence at several new music-focused festivals such as Bang on a Can, the Banff Institute, New Music on the Point, SICPP, the Barnes Foundation and Music in Bloom (Bloomington, IN). Recent and upcoming collaborations with pop, electronic and indie artists include Kygo, Michael Bublé, and Gregory Porter, among others.

In addition to an active career as a performer, Newby is equally dedicated to education and working with emerging composers, performers, and communities of listeners. She has given concerts and workshops for undergraduate and graduate students at institutions including Oberlin College, Brown University, Georgia Southern University, DePauw University, SUNY Fredonia, Hillsdale College, Tromsø University, and the Norges Musikkhøgskole. She maintains a private teaching studio in Brooklyn, NY.

Newby studied at Oberlin College with Darrett Adkins (B.M.) before continuing her education at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Jennifer Culp (M.M). She began her studies in Los Angeles, CA with Rachael Lonergan. She plays on a 2016 “Allegrezzo” cello by Brian Lisus.

www.helennewby.com

Composed and mastered by Nicholas Denton Protsack.

Performed and recorded by Helen Newby.

Helen Newby (cello) - In The Refuge Of A Cave

Violinist, Erin James, is equally at home as a chamber musician, soloist and orchestral player. She holds a masters degree from the Royal College of Music in London and her performances have been aired on CBC Radio and taken her across Asia, Europe and North America. Erin’s musical interests range from baroque to contemporary and she thoroughly enjoys any piece that is singable or danceable. Erin has performed at the Music By the Sea festival, played with the Vancouver and Edmonton Symphonies and with the Vancouver Opera and Allegra Chamber Orchestras. Erin is currently pursuing her doctorate in violin performance as well as a degree in fashion design and her thesis work combining textiles and music has been fully funded by a Bombardier SSHRC grant. A Pocket Concert in Toronto is one of several upcoming performances and a Johann Strauss Foundation scholarship to pursue studies in Austria is the most recent in her collection of numerous scholarships and grants.

Composed and produced by Nicholas Denton Protsack.

Performed and recorded by Erin James.

Erin James (violin) - In The Refuge Of A Cave

Andrew Friedman is a San Francisco-based clarinetist, composer, and educator devoted to performing music new and old, large and small. His freelance credits include symphony, ballet, and opera institutions around the Bay Area and beyond; he is also a frequent performer at the Hot Air Music Festival and tours nationally with the Oakland-based classical/hip-hop fusion group Ensemble Mik Nawooj. Recorded appearances include on the From The Top and Performance Today radio programs, the soundtrack to Christopher Coppola’s 2017 feature film Torch, and Bay Area composer Taylor Joshua Rankin’s debut album Palettes.
Friedman graduated with honors from the University of Puget Sound with degrees in Music Performance and English and holds an MM from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music; he spent summers training at the Round Top Festival Institute and the Eastern Music Festival. His teachers included Carey Bell, Dr. Kelly Burke, and Jennifer Nelson.

www.andrewfriedmanclarinetist.com

In the Refuge of a Cave:
Before there were bunkers, fortresses, or strongholds, there were caves. Since long before the dawn of recorded history, caves have held a universal significance as a source of refuge—a safe haven from the elements, predators, and natural disasters. Inversely, however, caves have widely been known to inspire a sense of apprehension and foreboding as well—potentially harboring in the darkness the very dangers from which they are meant to offer protection.
Writing these program notes in late July of 2020, I can't help but compare the duality of caves to the tremendous changes that have taken place during the last six months. The Pandemic has forced just about everyone to reinvent their lives in order to preserve their safety and security. Whether metaphorically or analogously, we have all retreated to our caves in one way or another. For example, while many of us have achieved refuge through social distancing and sheltering-in-place, doing so has forced us to face the existential darkness of isolation and confinement.
In the Refuge of a Cave (2020) is my perspective on these themes as a composer and musician. What musical artists could once rely upon—concert spaces, audiences, even the ability to perform onstage together—has disappeared or drastically transformed in mere days. Now, one's own insights, abilities, and resources are the only certainties in their musical endeavors. When writing In the Refuge of a Cave, I imagined these restrictions as a literal cave surrounding the musical artist. What could a musician do to create music if they were isolated within a cave? How could one find artistic fulfillment in such a lonely and remote place? The only natural answer is that a musician would need to make do with the sonic resources and tools that the space granted them. The musician would utilize the reverberations and echoes generated by the cave's walls; in doing so, they would stumble upon a way to play music with another—a past version of theirself—an echo.
In the Refuge of a Cave is dedicated to my many friends and colleagues who have found themselves forced to navigate a unique cave of their own in these challenging times. Thus, it is designed to be playable by any instrument or voice type, and no two performances will ever sound alike.

Composed and mastered by Nicholas Denton Protsack.

Performed and recorded by Andrew Friedman.

Andrew Friedman (clarinet) - In The Refuge Of A Cave

Violinist Shaina Pan currently lives in New York’s Hudson Valley, performing with The Orchestra Now. Shaina holds degrees in Violin Performance and English from Indiana University, and recently completed graduate studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. An advocate for music by living composers, Shaina has premiered dozens of new works across the US, working with artists such as Kate Soper, Augusta Read Thomas, Ken Ueno, Terry Riley, and the Kronos Quartet, among others. She has performed with the IU New Music Ensemble, Atlantic Music Festival Contemporary Ensemble, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and the Lucerne Festival Academy.

www.shaina.bandcamp.com

https://soundcloud.com/shaina-pan

In the Refuge of a Cave:
Before there were bunkers, fortresses, or strongholds, there were caves. Since long before the dawn of recorded history, caves have held a universal significance as a source of refuge—a safe haven from the elements, predators, and natural disasters. Inversely, however, caves have widely been known to inspire a sense of apprehension and foreboding as well—potentially harboring in the darkness the very dangers from which they are meant to offer protection.
Writing these program notes in late July of 2020, I can't help but compare the duality of caves to the tremendous changes that have taken place during the last six months. The Pandemic has forced just about everyone to reinvent their lives in order to preserve their safety and security. Whether metaphorically or analogously, we have all retreated to our caves in one way or another. For example, while many of us have achieved refuge through social distancing and sheltering-in-place, doing so has forced us to face the existential darkness of isolation and confinement.
In the Refuge of a Cave (2020) is my perspective on these themes as a composer and musician. What musical artists could once rely upon—concert spaces, audiences, even the ability to perform onstage together—has disappeared or drastically transformed in mere days. Now, one's own insights, abilities, and resources are the only certainties in their musical endeavors. When writing In the Refuge of a Cave, I imagined these restrictions as a literal cave surrounding the musical artist. What could a musician do to create music if they were isolated within a cave? How could one find artistic fulfillment in such a lonely and remote place? The only natural answer is that a musician would need to make do with the sonic resources and tools that the space granted them. The musician would utilize the reverberations and echoes generated by the cave's walls; in doing so, they would stumble upon a way to play music with another—a past version of theirself—an echo.
In the Refuge of a Cave is dedicated to my many friends and colleagues who have found themselves forced to navigate a unique cave of their own in these challenging times. Thus, it is designed to be playable by any instrument or voice type, and no two performances will ever sound alike.

Composed and mastered by Nicholas Denton Protsack.

Performed and recorded by Shaina Pan.

Shaina Pan (violin) - In The Refuge Of A Cave

Darren Williams is a British Columbia based saxophonist and bassoonist who pushes the limits of improvisation and extended instrumental technique into regions that are lyrical, terrifying, uncanny, and “more fun than spiked punch live” (Georgia Straight). Called “a raw, vocal explorer,” (Stuart Broomer, Musicworks, Downbeat) Darren has toured across Canada and has performed with many renowned musicians including Juno winning guitarist Gordon Grdina (Vancouver), Eugene Chadbourne (USA), Chris Corsano (NYC), Mats Gustafsson (Sweden), and Han Bennink (Netherlands.) He is involved in numerous ensembles and projects, notably co-leading and composing for the free jazz quintet Robots On Fire which performed at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Williams has also released a critically acclaimed album of his own solo compositions for tenor saxophone entitled Reed, which intersects composition, improvisation, and physical endurance using an array of extended instrumental techniques. Darren holds a BFA in music performance from York University and has studied with Casey Sokol, David Mott, George Lewis, and François Houle.

www.darrenwilliams.bandcamp.com

In the Refuge of a Cave:
Before there were bunkers, fortresses, or strongholds, there were caves. Since long before the dawn of recorded history, caves have held a universal significance as a source of refuge—a safe haven from the elements, predators, and natural disasters. Inversely, however, caves have widely been known to inspire a sense of apprehension and foreboding as well—potentially harboring in the darkness the very dangers from which they are meant to offer protection.
Writing these program notes in late July of 2020, I can't help but compare the duality of caves to the tremendous changes that have taken place during the last six months. The Pandemic has forced just about everyone to reinvent their lives in order to preserve their safety and security. Whether metaphorically or analogously, we have all retreated to our caves in one way or another. For example, while many of us have achieved refuge through social distancing and sheltering-in-place, doing so has forced us to face the existential darkness of isolation and confinement.
In the Refuge of a Cave (2020) is my perspective on these themes as a composer and musician. What musical artists could once rely upon—concert spaces, audiences, even the ability to perform onstage together—has disappeared or drastically transformed in mere days. Now, one's own insights, abilities, and resources are the only certainties in their musical endeavors. When writing In the Refuge of a Cave, I imagined these restrictions as a literal cave surrounding the musical artist. What could a musician do to create music if they were isolated within a cave? How could one find artistic fulfillment in such a lonely and remote place? The only natural answer is that a musician would need to make do with the sonic resources and tools that the space granted them. The musician would utilize the reverberations and echoes generated by the cave's walls; in doing so, they would stumble upon a way to play music with another—a past version of theirself—an echo.
In the Refuge of a Cave is dedicated to my many friends and colleagues who have found themselves forced to navigate a unique cave of their own in these challenging times. Thus, it is designed to be playable by any instrument or voice type, and no two performances will ever sound alike.

Composed and mastered by Nicholas Denton Protsack.

Performed and recorded by Darren Williams.

Darren Williams (tenor sax) - In The Refuge Of A Cave

A cellist “with a rich imagination and a keen mind” (Diapason), Cameron Crozman is recognized as one of Canada’s rising stars. Named Radio-Canada’s 2019-20 Classical Revelation artist, he performs across North America and Europe, appearing as a soloist with major Canadian orchestras and sharing the stage with imminent musicians such as James Ehnes, Augustin Hadelich, André Laplante, and James Campbell. After studies with Paul Pulford in Canada, Cameron attended the Paris Conservatory in the class of Michel Strauss, where he received his “Prix de Violoncelle” with highest honours. He was also a laureate of Gautier Capuçon’s 2016-17 Classe d’Excellence at the Louis Vuitton Foundation. His debut recording for ATMA Classique, Cavatine, recorded on the ca. 1696 “Bonjour” Stradivarius cello, was released to critical acclaim in 2019. Cameron is extremely grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts and the Sylva Gelber Foundation for their support of his projects. He currently plays the Spanish cello “El Tiburon” attributed to Joannes Guillami ca. 1769 generously on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts Instrument Bank. When he isn’t touring, Cameron makes his home in Montreal, where he loves exploring the city’s many eclectic neighborhoods, even in the freezing cold winter!

www.cameroncrozman.com

In the Refuge of a Cave:
Before there were bunkers, fortresses, or strongholds, there were caves. Since long before the dawn of recorded history, caves have held a universal significance as a source of refuge—a safe haven from the elements, predators, and natural disasters. Inversely, however, caves have widely been known to inspire a sense of apprehension and foreboding as well—potentially harboring in the darkness the very dangers from which they are meant to offer protection.
Writing these program notes in late July of 2020, I can't help but compare the duality of caves to the tremendous changes that have taken place during the last six months. The Pandemic has forced just about everyone to reinvent their lives in order to preserve their safety and security. Whether metaphorically or analogously, we have all retreated to our caves in one way or another. For example, while many of us have achieved refuge through social distancing and sheltering-in-place, doing so has forced us to face the existential darkness of isolation and confinement.
In the Refuge of a Cave (2020) is my perspective on these themes as a composer and musician. What musical artists could once rely upon—concert spaces, audiences, even the ability to perform onstage together—has disappeared or drastically transformed in mere days. Now, one's own insights, abilities, and resources are the only certainties in their musical endeavors. When writing In the Refuge of a Cave, I imagined these restrictions as a literal cave surrounding the musical artist. What could a musician do to create music if they were isolated within a cave? How could one find artistic fulfillment in such a lonely and remote place? The only natural answer is that a musician would need to make do with the sonic resources and tools that the space granted them. The musician would utilize the reverberations and echoes generated by the cave's walls; in doing so, they would stumble upon a way to play music with another—a past version of theirself—an echo.
In the Refuge of a Cave is dedicated to my many friends and colleagues who have found themselves forced to navigate a unique cave of their own in these challenging times. Thus, it is designed to be playable by any instrument or voice type, and no two performances will ever sound alike.

Cameron Crozman (cello) - In The Refuge Of A Cave

Currently based in Los Angeles, California Daniel Gelman has experience playing in a wide variety of circumstances all around the world, as an orchestral player, and a chamber musician. He has toured Europe with the San Francisco Youth Symphony Orchestra, gigged with the Merced Symphony, and is on call for principal trumpet in the Opera Project Columbus. He has been invited to a few different festivals. This includes the Aspen Music Festival as a fellow, the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, and was recently on faculty at the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz Austria. He is currently pursuing a DMA in Trumpet Performance at the University of Southern California. Daniel received his bachelor’s degree in Trumpet Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and his master’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has studied under notable Trumpet players, including but not limited to Michael Sachs, Mark Inouye, Adam Luftman, and Tom Hooten. In addition to playing the trumpet, Daniel is a hiking enthusiast and has enjoyed the challenge of backpacking in the Sierras, and summiting 14ers in Colorado.

In the Refuge of a Cave:
Before there were bunkers, fortresses, or strongholds, there were caves. Since long before the dawn of recorded history, caves have held a universal significance as a source of refuge—a safe haven from the elements, predators, and natural disasters. Inversely, however, caves have widely been known to inspire a sense of apprehension and foreboding as well—potentially harboring in the darkness the very dangers from which they are meant to offer protection.
Writing these program notes in late July of 2020, I can't help but compare the duality of caves to the tremendous changes that have taken place during the last six months. The Pandemic has forced just about everyone to reinvent their lives in order to preserve their safety and security. Whether metaphorically or analogously, we have all retreated to our caves in one way or another. For example, while many of us have achieved refuge through social distancing and sheltering-in-place, doing so has forced us to face the existential darkness of isolation and confinement.
In the Refuge of a Cave (2020) is my perspective on these themes as a composer and musician. What musical artists could once rely upon—concert spaces, audiences, even the ability to perform onstage together—has disappeared or drastically transformed in mere days. Now, one's own insights, abilities, and resources are the only certainties in their musical endeavors. When writing In the Refuge of a Cave, I imagined these restrictions as a literal cave surrounding the musical artist. What could a musician do to create music if they were isolated within a cave? How could one find artistic fulfillment in such a lonely and remote place? The only natural answer is that a musician would need to make do with the sonic resources and tools that the space granted them. The musician would utilize the reverberations and echoes generated by the cave's walls; in doing so, they would stumble upon a way to play music with another—a past version of theirself—an echo.
In the Refuge of a Cave is dedicated to my many friends and colleagues who have found themselves forced to navigate a unique cave of their own in these challenging times. Thus, it is designed to be playable by any instrument or voice type, and no two performances will ever sound alike. 

Composed and mastered by Nicholas Denton Protsack.

Performed and recorded by Daniel Gelman.

Daniel Gelman (trumpet) - In The Refuge Of A Cave

An ongoing aspiration of BMI Award-winning composer and cellist, Nicholas Denton Protsack, is to seek new connections between music and the natural world. Called a "(composer) to keep a close eye on" by the Canadian Music Centre, Nicholas' ecologically informed music includes composed works, studio albums, and experimental improvisations, and has been featured in a wide variety of concert settings across North America, Europe, and New Zealand. Recent accomplishments include two first prizes in the 2021 SOCAN Foundation Young Composers Awards and commissioned works for the Toronto Summer Music Festival and the American Prize-winning Ensemble for These Times (E4TT).

	As a cellist, Nicholas is an active freelance performer and advocate of new music—frequently involved in collaborative projects that range from traditional to highly experimental concert idioms. Although primarily a chamber musician, he has also appeared as a soloist with the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra and the San Francisco Conservatory Orchestra.

	Nicholas is currently undertaking a PhD in music at Victoria University of Wellington (NZ), studying with composers Michael Norris and Dugal McKinnon. His other major teachers have included David Garner (composition), Jean-Michel Fonteneau (cello), Jennifer Culp (cello), and Morna Howie (cello).