An excellent crop of recent CD releases by instrumentalists, both new and established, awaits this summer for those looking to expand their listening horizons.

Young violinist Ray Chen and baritone Stéphane Degout make a case for wider renown with impressive recordings, while the established soprano Dawn Upshaw and pianist Ursula Oppens prove why they are master interpreters of contemporary music.

Here are seven recommendations of notable summer releases. The music covers a wide spectrum – from Respighi's 1903 Violin Concerto to the world premiere recording of composer John Corigliano's newest piano work. The constant is stellar musicianship in intimate musical settings.

Respighi: Violin Concerto in A major; Arias for Strings Chamber Orchestra of New York

Laura Marzadori, violin

The scoop: With this CD the repertoire finds Respighi channeling Italian baroque composers, namely Vivaldi, Corelli and Rossini, through the colorful prism of Respighi's musical mind. A highlight of this recording is the playing by the Chamber Orchestra of New York, whose goal is fronting the work of Respighi and other Italian composers. The orchestra and soloist Marzadori prove more than up to the task.

Highlight: Violin Concerto. Left unfinished by the composer in 1903, this concerto gets a revision and completion here. The work shifts from a frothy buoyancy to dark, luscious moments. The concerto is warmly performed by Marzadori, especially the poignant and unforgettable nine-minute second movement.

Label: Naxos

$7.99

Ray Chen – Virtuoso

Ray Chen, violin

The scoop: After winning the 2008 Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists, the 22-year-old Chen has seen his career rise. On this disc, Chen tackles the well-known violin repertoire with clarity and sizzle. His take on Bach's Chaconne from the Partita in D minor is iconoclastic: Restraint and subtlety are two constants.

Highlight: Cesar Franck's Sonata for piano and violin. Intimate musical moments bloom with a mysterious glow, as if the listener where discovering a deep secret.

Label: Sony Classical

$11.78

Berg, Webern and Schoenberg

Quator Diotima quartet

The scoop: Chances are you've never heard about the Paris-based Quator Diotima. That may change with this release. These fresh-faced musicians have delivered a must-have for lovers of the music of Berg, Webern and Schoenberg.

A standout is Webern's "Six Bagatelles for String Quartet." The bonus is the tantalizing pairing of voice and string quartet. The Diotima musicians embrace this adventurous and dark music with expansive and powerful arms.

Highlight: The performance of Berg Lyric Suite is filled with sensitivity and urgency. The suite is performed in its original version, which includes Canadian contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux offering spine-tingling turns in the last movement.

Label: Naïve

$15.60

Fauré – The Complete Barcarolles

Charles Owen, piano

The scoop: This disc comes on the heels of Owens' well-regarded outing of Fauré's Nocturnes. On this new disc he proves a savvy interpreter of Fauré, with evocative and finely shaped performances of the composer's 13 barcarolles. The piano music here straddles the 19th and 20th centuries, and so poetry and urbanity must be at play. Owens obliges. Includes Fauré's "Trois Romances."

Highlight: Owen's luminous playing adds a simple beauty to this seemingly simple French music.

Label: Avie - Naxos

$15.24

Winging It: Piano Music of John Corigliano

Ursula Oppens, piano

The scoop: It's always a thrill hearing Oppens perform contemporary or 20th century works – and this disc is no exception. On this release we get a survey of Corigliano's engaging piano music. There is nothing equivocal about his music, which is deftly infused with a dramatic and bold percussive slant. Oppens does a stellar job at honoring those aspects while imparting a certain steely grandiloquence to Corigliano's music. Tracks includes "Fantasia on an Ostinato."

Highlight: "Winging It: Improvisations for Piano." These three improvisations brim with personality and color. Oppens plays them with fervor, and the result is music that stays in the musical brain longer than expected.

Label: Cedille

$14.50

Grá agus Bás: Music of Donnacha Dennehy

Dawn Upshaw, soprano; Crash Ensemble

The scoop: Easily one of the most bewitching releases of the year. Irish composer Dennehy's music gets a stunning debut here with the Crash Ensemble under conductor Alan Pierson. Singer Iarla O'Lionaird gives a stirring and hypnotic account of the 24-minute "Grá agus Bás," and soprano Upshaw shines in the "That the Night Come."

Highlight: Listening to Upshaw on "He Wishes" is like peering, with a big flashlight, into a deep musical cavern filled with swirling emotion.

Label: Nonesuch

$13.66

Mélodies

Stéphane Degout, baritone

The scoop: Degout may be one of the best interpreters of French song on the concert scene today. This disc proves as much, with Degout using his clear and earthy baritone in subtle but sensual ways to sell this rich music.

Highlight: On Saint-Saëns' "Mélodies Persanes," Degout infuses musical phrases with the grit of a world-weary lover, yet the singing has enough buoyancy wherein a hopeful innocence shines through.

Label: Naïve

$14.77

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