Best Chamber-Music Album in Nashville 2026: Cristina Spinei, Moved by an Interior Impulse
Album art: Cristina Spinei, ‘Moved by an Interior Impulse’
Nashville composer Cristina Spinei’s terrific new album has a certain Vivaldi-meets-Vangelis vibe to it. Titled Moved by an Interior Impulse, the album features seven short works arranged for string quartet and synthesizer, and there’s also a brief “Interlude” for synth and two violins. Spinei’s string writing is kinetic, with repeated patterns propelled forward with great vigor. The synthesizer adds a shimmering effect, which helps transform her neo-baroque string sound into something distinctly (and pleasantly) contemporary. Her string quartet — violinists Alicia Enstrom and Annaliese Kowert, violist Betsy Lamb and cellist Alex Krew — are all top-flight Music City session players. They perform such works as “Dopamine Machines” and “Motus” with precision and joy, making this an album for all seasons.
