Shuying Li (b1989) is a Chinese-born, American-resident composer. She studied initially at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music but won a scholarship to study in the United States, eventually graduating from the University of Michigan. In 2017 she co-founded the Four Corners Ensemble with an international group of young soloists and the World Map Concertos Series (2018-19) is the first major compositional product of this partnership. The five miniature concertos – once apiece for flute, clarinet, piano, violin and cello – are all quintets, the other four instruments accompanying the soloist.

Each concerto takes inspiration from a specific country. American Variations is a winning mash-up of ragtime, jazz (with a fleeting allusion to Rhapsody in Blue), klezmer and other styles inspired by the American Dream. Matilda’s Dream, for cello, is a dark fantasy based on ‘Waltzing Matilda’, though the Australian folk melody only emerges fully at the close. The Dryad looks to Denmark and Austria by contrast, a flute concerto melding Hans Christian Andersen’s tale with Schubert’s song ‘Der Lindenbaum’, while The Peace House (for violin) is set in Panmunjom on the uneasy border between the two Koreas. Finally, Canton Snowstorm (ie the Chinese city, not a Swiss region) is as much a vivid tone poem of a blizzard as a piano concerto. It is a brilliant conclusion to the series, fusing Western and Eastern musical traditions in its volatile soundscape.

The performances are, as one might expect, superbly prepared and executed impeccably. It is invidious to pick out specific soloists from such a beautifully balanced ensemble but both flautist Erika Boysen and clarinettist Joshua Anderson produce beautifully nuanced playing, and Annie Jeng’s brilliant pianism informs all five works. Navona’s sound is quite closely miked but clear and bright. An enjoyable disc.