“As always, Azabagic’s playing is clean smooth, and effortlessly musical.”
American Record Guide

​TO PREVIEW OR BUY CLICK ON CD IMAGE
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Spurred by surprise discoveries in their family history,
flutist Eugenia Moliner and guitarist Denis Azabagic celebrate centuries-old Spanish-Jewish music with newly commissioned works by Alan Thomas, Joseph V. Williams II, Carlos Rafael Rivera, David Leisner, and Clarice Assad.


​"un viaje apasionante por senderos que creíamos perdidos y viven por siempre."
"...a passionate journey down paths we thought were lost,
​ but which live forever..."
El Huevo Herald
​"This music has been an absolute joy to hear!
The Cavatina Duo and their performing partners the Avalon String Quartet and Desirée Ruhstrat and David Cunliffe of the Lincoln Trio—all Chicago based—are wonderful beyond praise. The recording and presentation are up to Çedille’s usual exemplary standards...Carlos Raphael Rivera's Plegaria y Canto (Al Bodre de la Mar): Prayer and Song (At the Edge of the Sea) is a remarkably uplifting piece...this lovely, melancholy, but vital music of love, longing, and hope will charm the souls..., especially in these passionately shaped and technically immaculate performances. Bravi!"
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Fanfare Magazine - Ronald E. Grames
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"...this disc features arguably the finest guitar-flute duo extant, Cavatina Duo...these pieces and the performances are on the very highest level; the playing and the music are not just fine as guitar music, but fine as music period. Thomas's music is compositionally sophisticated but without any sacrifice of power or urgency. ..Joseph Williams's Isabel is an impressive work...in the first few minutes of  Plegariay Canto (al Bodre de fa Mar), Carlos Rafael Rivera achieves an emotional intensity rare in the guitar world. This is masterfully maintained for the fifteen minutes of this very impressive work...Leisner's Love Dreams of an Exile, is a work of substantial power, with the almost programmatic second movement being particularly noteworthy...Clarice Assad's Sephardic Suite sometimes embraces almost avant-garde techniques in an amazingly inventive work, which has brilliant writing for the flute and guitar.
This is an essential disc for any lover of contemporary music. "
Read full review
Soundboard - Al Kunze
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"...tasty little disc of world premieres ...This is music of an oppressed culture and it is tempting to look upon the creative impetus which oppression sometimes seems to provide but the message here is one of sadness and nostalgia but also of hope.  It is perhaps a tribute to the ultimate triumph over said oppression even if it took 500 years.  There is some comfort and healing to be had from the celebration of this lost culture and that is the triumph of this disc."
Read full review
​NewMusicBuff - Allan Cronin
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"Hats off to the Cavatina Duo...this is a set of uncommonly beautiful pieces performed with high artistry. It's really delightful stuff, and it's all beautifully played- each of these musicians are real artists; there's not a weak link among them. It's one of the most delightful chamber recordings I've heard in quite a while."
American Record Guide - ​Kenneth Keaton - read full review

"The recording is infused with gorgeous, evocative melodies, soulful and plaintive laments, lyrical flights of fancy, sultry twists on the tango, startling percussive passages and an exhilarating energy. Azabagic and Moliner are virtuosic, passionate musicians, deftly accompanied by David Cunliffe on cello, Desirée Ruhstrat, violin, and the Avalon String Quartet.
I wholeheartedly recommend joining the Cavatina Duo on their journey."
theWholeNote - ​​read full review
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"All the works on this program are performed by Moliner and Azabagic, who are known professionally as the Cavatina Duo, with their accustomed style and feeling for rhythmic and sonic values. The sound of Moliner‟s alto flute is particularly notable for its warmth and dark, well-grounded color, allowing Azabagic‟s guitar plenty of room to create its own sonic space and range of moods. The supporting artists are all excellent: cellist David Cunliffe in Thomas‟ Trio Sefardi, violinist Desiree Ruhstrat in Rivera‟s Plegaria y canto, and the Avalon String Quartet, whose muted sounds make the perfect backdrop to the Leisner and Assad works. Kudos also to producer James Ginsburg, engineer Bill Maylone, and editor Jeanne Velonis, all top pros in their field."
Audio-Video Club of Atlanta, review by Phil Muse - read full review
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Historic diaspora inspires poignant portraits of a people

"Atlanta-born Alan Thomas’ Trio Sefardi ...is a real find.
Joseph V. Williams' Isabel is another melodic and rewarding piece-tragic throughout..
Carlos Rafael Rivera’s work Plegaria y Canto... quite emotional and full of wonderful harmonies.
David Leisner’s Love Dreams of the Exile... tender and nostalgic...Clarice Assad's Sephardic Suite,.. another major work...
This CD is full of melodic, rewarding works that have something to say and resonate in the memory. Recommended! "
Classical Guitar Magazine-CD - read full review
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"Leisner’s atmospheric Love Dreams of the Exile draws one back for repeated listening; the sighing microtones of its first movement, a meditation on the song “Yo bolí,” add a layer of deep resignation within the calmly flowing figuration that surrounds them. Assad’s “Sephardic Suite,” conceived as a kind of musical storytelling, is full of contrast and incident,..."
Pasatiempo - The Santa Fe New Mexican - read full review
Critic's choice 2015
American Record Guide
"...Stunning artists..."

"Spanish flutist Eugenia Moliner and her Bosnian husband, guitarist Denis Azabagic,  are consummate virtuosos not merely in their peerless technique but in sheer musicianship..."
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" This duo’s liquid, dramatic, and highly expressive sensitivities soar with lyricism and infectious rhythms as they tour the constantly changing moods of this opera’s arias..."

"Moliner not only matches Joan Sutherland’s peerless full-voiced lyricism in the Verdi but is able to do things with her flute that a soprano can only dream of. And Azabagic is her Richard Bonynge, so expressive, integral, and orchestral in his guitar...read more"
​American Record Guide, US
"If there is a finer flute and guitar duo in the world than Cavatina Duo, I have not heard them. Denis Azabagic and (his wife) flutist Eugenia Moliner are both world class virtuosi and brilliant musical interpreters. And on their delightful disc of operatic arrangements they are immeasurably aided in most of the works by the inspired and creative work of composer and arranger Alan Thomas.
​Soundboard, US

"Flutist Eugenia Moliner and guitarist Denis Azabagic are both phenomenal performers. They make the difficult sound effortless...
Eugenia Moliner performs with a pure, well-rounded tone, even at the extremes of the instrument’s register. Her runs and trills are seamless, and she brings a singing quality and expressiveness to these melodies that (given their origin) is quite appropriate.
Denis Azabagic’s playing is quite agile and clean; the essence of classical guitar technique. I especially enjoyed his performance in “The Carnival of Venice.” As a duo, this husband and wife team is perfectly in sync"
WTJU Richmond, US
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"With utterly breathtaking brilliance and a confidence that lets them take calculated risks in stride, the Cavatina Duo take us on an enchanted itinerary through some of the most luxuriant music of 19th century opera."
Phil’s Classical Reviews
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..Powerful performances... irresistible,
read more..." 
Soundboard, US
"...Electrifying performances from the Cavatina Duo...
​will leave listeners feeling lighter than air. A delight" 
Scene Magazine, UK
"Breathtaking brilliance...."  
Atlanta Audio Society, US
"Denis Azabagic is one of the finest guitarists before the public, whether as a soloist or in the Cavatina Duo with flutist (and wife) Eugenia Moliner. So any new release is a cause for celebration. And in both the playing and the repertoire, this disc extends his reputation."
Soundboard, November 2013
 
 "...Azabagic’s idiomatic, technically flawless performances of this colorful repertoire should be required listening for guitar lovers everywhere.."
Fanfare Magazine, March 2014 -  - read full review
 
"Guitarist Denis Azabagic is superb all the way through, and I can’t imagine the five composers being happier with performances of their works. It’s as if technical difficulties do not even exist, and his slow build-up from one near-silent thread of notes to a glorious full sunrise in Out of Africa bespeaks an equally impressive mastery of expression…."
MusicWeb International, February 2014
"This highly recommended performance from Virtuoso guitarist Denis Azabagic is a surprise, and deserves much attention. Azabagic’s attention to the material is fitting, and deftly weaves a net that allows listeners to imagine aural landscapes with no definable center, where the imagination can wander. "
MaceditionRadio.com, February 2014
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"Azabagic evoca el sonido de la kora del este de Africa y la tambora búlgara, en la ejecución de piezas de cinco prominentes compositores contemporáneos vivos…..  Azabagic  interpreta  esta musica magistralmente.
 
Azabagic masterfully interprets this music…. He evokes the sound of the Kora from eastern Africa and the Bulgarian Tambura when perfroming this pieces from prominent living composers…."
El Nuevo Herald, Miami January 2014
 
"Throughout Denis Azabagic plays superbly; indeed one cannot imagine these interpretations being bettered. He is one of the world’s foremost guitarists and has a reputation as a first-class musician. This recording backs these facts up.
Highly recommended!"
Classical Guitar Magazine, UK, April 2014

​"This follows on the heels of their "Balkan Project", which I reviewed last time. From the dynamic contrasts of the opening track to the percussive sound board drumming   in the Tango Etude 3, we are once again in for a treat. Let the sonic banquet   begin, and bring your appetite!
Everything here has been transcribed,   and it all works superbly. ... Moliner and Azabagic have had to make decisions about pacing  and  voicing, which  they have done  intelligently.  While this music is fully notated, their approach   shows just how much has been left open to interpretation.
The  flute  is picked  up  closely  enough   to make  the  experience   visceral  and  capture  all its nuances  and tone colors. This recording has me believing for the first time that a flutist can achieve the expressive potential of a jazz saxophonist.  Flutters,  pitch  bends,  and  air attacks all serve  to underline   the music's   expressive potential,  and both  partners  play with a maximum  of expressive  freedom  (besides  the extra percussion  mentioned   above, I could  mention the   expressive string    squeaks     in  Adios Nonino - nice touch).

 Annotator   Sergio Assad offers a player's perspective on Piazzolla (and  taught   me  a thing or two). The insert essay concludes, "I believe Piazzolla would have greatly enjoyed listening to this new reading of his masterpieces."   Those are bold words, but I have to agree."
American Record Guide

"The sensational Cavatina Duo, consisting of flutist Eugenia Moliner and guitarist Denis Azabagic, prove themselves ideal interpreters of the spirit of Astor Piazzolla…The warmth and excitement they bring out of his music is remarkable, with the broad compass of Azabagic’s wide-ranging accompaniment perfectly underscoring the bravura of Moliner’s flute melodies….
If this CD is your first acquaintance with the very attractive music of Astor Piazzolla, you can do no better.”
Phil’s Classical Review - Audio Video Club, Atlanta, September 2010

"The impeccable Cavatina Duo will leave its listeners mesmerized by their flawless technique and assured performances of these very well revised editions of Piazzolla’s most popular works. The highly technically demanding parts by Sergio and Clarice Assad are easily overcome by both Moliner and Azabagic.
 
The arrangements of the solo tango flute etudes (with arranged guitar parts by Assad) and The Four Seasons are particularly worth noting, with very tasteful cadenzas additions, the complex guitar parts keeping the listener’s attention whist keeping within Piazzolla’s unique sound world.
Murphy’s arrangement of Adios Nonino also makes a refreshing change to other standard arrangements found and is performed excellently by the Cavatina Duo."
Georgina Whitehead  Musical Pointers

"This disc by the Cavatina Duo captures the very essence of the famed Argentinean’s craft. Eugenia Moliner breathes silvery life and light into every phrase whether roulade-rich declamations (the opening “Libertango” is superb) or deeply expressive (“Adiós Nonino” after a courageous beginning, the music goes right to the heart, beautifully demonstrating Piazzolla’s love for his father in a way that words never can). Guitarist Denis Azabagic draws an incredibly-varied spectrum of colours from his instrument: the harp-like first measures of “Oblivion” are a marvel of delicacy and control; eschewing strings for wood gives the third Tango-Etude percussive zest; the conversational tone of the fifth from that set provides an opportunity to share the melodic wealth.
The most extended work is Piazzolla’s masterpiece: The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Having savoured the original a few years back (with a film version of a live performance at the Montréal Jazz Festival in 1984) and just a few months ago hearing Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg soar through an arrangement for string orchestra in Toronto, it was like meeting an old friend wearing a new outfit with Sérgio Assad’s deft arrangement for the duo."
James Wegg & Associates/JWR

"Flutist Eugenia Moliner takes center stage most often with a tone as varied and interesting as one could imagine, especially at the end of Joseph Hagedorn’s arrangement of “Introdución al Angel.“ With consummate control of her instrument, she is always passionate, evoking a panorama of emotions with a wide palette of tone and articulation. Undaunted by classical convention, at the end of “Verano Porteno,” Moliner bends pitches and intentionally plays some notes sharp as a wild buildup to the ending. It’s as if this music has released the shackles and enabled her spirit to soar. This is intense flute playing above and beyond the norm.
Technically, the recording presents the guitar and flute with clarity, realistic tone and an unerring sense of balance. One gets the sense that the guitar is more of a partner in this music than simply accompanying the flute. Ever-sensitive to the widely-shifting moods inherent in this music, Azabagic’s accompaniments are completely entwined with Moliner’s melodic lines, sometimes spacious and dolce and sometimes played with exuberance and abandon.  His pristine, clean ornaments, clear phrasing and carefully-considered tone set the stage for Moliner’s acrobatics, and the two flow together as would partners dancing a tango, every phrase perfectly in step."
Soundboard

"Moliner is a fantastic flutist. Every note she plays is part of the story. She weaves a line with colors, vibrato use or the lack thereof, and a sensuality that is exactly what this music requires. The ensemble between her and guitarist Denis Azabagic is tight - they play as one. I can't recommend this recording highly enough. It is a master class in musicality from track 1 through track 15."
Flute Talk Magazine

'The Cavatina Duo is one of the most exciting flute and guitar duos around…Eugenia Moliner is a terrific flute player, and Denis Azabagic is as good a guitarist as anyone could hope to hear. Together they play with virtuosity, energy and plenty of Pizzazz…. This CD joins the list of must-have recordings of the year. Just wonderful!'
FLUTE - The journal of the British flute Society Magazine



​"Fascinating world of sound …..Irresistible pulse of the dances,
All played to the manner born by Eugenia Moliner and her Balkan guitarist Denis Azabagic….
This music is for anybody who is responsive to music incorporating colourful and evocative melody and almost hypnotically joyful rhythm…
 Beautifully performed— Buy the disc."
Flute - The journal of the British flute Society Magazine


​"Prepare to be alternately haunted and energized; the switch to alto flute on some tracks is especially evocative...Moliner exhibits exquisite control and plays with a wide range of dynamics and colors. Given all this, her excellent intonation should be noted as well. Azabagic’s adept playing ranges from tender touches to steely strums to vigorous slaps and even the occasional harmonic. "
American Record Guide
"The Cavatina Duo está formado por la flautista española Eugenia Moliner y el guitarrista bosnio Denis Azabagic, una formación estable y consolidada con varias grabaciones que cuenta con un impecable bagaje instrumental y una formidable compenetración camerística...Un esfuerzo generoso del Cavatina que enriquece la música de cámara con guitarra y de obligada escucha para los amantes del instrumento."
Ritmo

"The recording sets a good balance between the players and sounds natural. The performances of Eugenia Moliner, flute, and Denis Azabagic (a Balkan himself), guitar, are entirely on top of the music, dispatching it with passion, grace, and élan. "
Fanfare

​"David Leisner's complete music for flute and guitar is here winningly performed by the Cavatina Duo, which presents these fetching works with style, sympathy, and technical aplomb. This is tonal music, rich in invention and melody, emotionally direct, and beautiful.
The recording allows the instruments to speak naturally, with a balanced presence that reinforces the collaborative essence of the recital. Leisner’s lyricism, gift for melody, and compositional finesse make his music very appealing. In addition, it’s doubtful that the Cavatina’s sophisticated and artistic playing could be surpassed. There’s more potential in the union of flute and guitar than is commonly realized, and this CD provides an incentive to investigate additional repertoire. Cavatina has inspired and commissioned new music of this type and I, for one, look forward to hearing it as soon as possible. Warmly recommended..."
Fanfare - read full review
"We begin with Cavatina Duo, the husband-and-wife team of Eugenia Moliner  and Denis Azabagic, a duo who represent that ideal pairing of state-of-the-art practitioners of their respective. Add to that, a recording which constitutes the complete (as of this writing) æuvre for this medium of a fine composer, David Leisner, and you have a disc which is indispensable.
A great album...All involved should take a bow!"
Soundboard - read full review


​"...we are treated to superlative performances of some hauntingly beautiful and little-known guitar music, played expertly here by Bosnian guitarist Denis Azabagic....
​Azabagic’s recording  of the  Col-lectici (apparently a catalan tittle) is much more balanced and singing than Yamashita’s, though he certainly has the virtuoso technique  to handle its difficulties. His musical temperament in fact seems ideally suited to this music: serious and melancholic, but balanced with a light, agile approach  to phrase shape and rhythmic nuance.
Well recorded and attractively packaged, this is a perfect introduction to Asencio’s  music."
American Record Guide - read full review

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"The performance throughout is warm, expressive and thoughtful, and offers a considerable testament to the interpreter’s grasp of how to make player’s personal view of inspiration."
Classical Guitar Magazine - read full review
"Denis Azabagic The 1998 GFA competition winner is more than equal to the considerable demands this music presents. He possesses a beautiful tone and an unerring musical sense that renders every track utterly convincing."
SOUNDBOARD - read full review

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​​"Bosnian guitarist Denis Azabagic has a great feel for Iberian music, as was apparent in his impressive recording of the complete works of mystical Spanish composer Vicente Asencio.
The composers on this recital are more familiar; some of the pieces are among the most played in the literature. As always, Azabagic’s playing is clean, smooth, and effortlessly musical.
The well-wornworks by Torroba, Barrios and Ponce get sophisticated readings here-sensitive,delicate, and finely etched. Azabagic’s marvelous consistent, round tone is specially effective in the Barrios, where the high melodic passages can sound brittle in lesser hands. Azabagic brings the same smooth tone and musical sensitivity to the Jose Sonata, a work that is rapidly becoming a standard in the repertory. His playing blends structural awareness with melodic fluency, at once formally tightening and softening the hard edges of a piece that I had previously found uninteresting and unlovely."
American record Guide - read full review
"...highly capable guitarists is the Bosnian born Denis Azabagic...his reading of all of the works on this disc is equal to that of any versions in the catalogue, it is playing of the highest calibre...Everything about this disc has a high entertainment factor; anyone buying it should not be disappointed."mw-classical_music_on_the_web-denis_azabagic_naxos_cd_review.pdf
MW-Classical music on the web, by Andy Daly - read full review


"We can immediately feel that we are listening to an exceptional artist. The perfect mastery of technique allows him to shape each note: the listener can feel the charm of a dazzling phrasing, full of delicacy and nuances...Denis Azabagic proposes us a wide range of his expressive qualities...The genuine artist comes from every country: even if he is not Spanish, Denis finds the right tone in Sonatina Meridional by Ponce. He translates perfectly the Castilian spirit of the first movement, Campo- built around an Avila theme – “Por lo alto de aquélla Montana”- and adds  great sensitivity for Andalusian Copla and Fiesta.
Our pleasure is always huge to hear a young virtuoso, but our joy is deeper to assist to the birth of a Master."
Cahiers de la Guitarre - read full review
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​"Due to the standing of the guitar in the classical musical community, you will rarely find a guitarist capable of commanding enough respect of his flutist to enforce such structure. Denis Azabagic, unquestionably one of the bright stars of the guitar, commands this respect. Victor in more competitions than any other guitarist in decades, Azabagic understands that his role as guitarist in the duo is secondary, but his extreme precision and clear ideas afford him the luxury of guiding the flutist through the compositions...Azabagic's clarity is rewarded by the lush and passionate lines played by Eugenia Moliner.... They truly dance their way through these pieces with Moliner flashing back and forth through the precise, rhythmic and controlled lines of Azabagic. "
Guitarra Magazine, by Andrew Hull - read full review