Phoenix USA is a Compact Disc, Streaming and Download label, whose principal interest is the music of the 20th and 21st century. Special emphasis has been placed on American composers such as Samuel Barber, Ned Rorem, Karel Husa, Peter Mennin, Nicolas Flagello and Irving Fine, however many non-American composers are featured as well, such as Leos Janacek, Alberto Ginastera and Francis Poulenc.
Over the years a series of lighter music, historical film music and jazz have been added to the catalog. When you browse the catalog, please use the filter button so that you can narrow down the catalog to specific groups: Phoenix CD; Instrumental Music; At The Movies and Jazz.
We are very proud of the technical quality of these recordings with many of our older releases taken from analogue sources with special care being given to digital transfers and re-mastering. You will find that many of our recordings feature repertoire unique and un-duplicated on any other label. We hope you find our recordings of interest and gladly invite your questions and comments.
Now, with respect to our logo which depicts “a Phoenix rising from the ashes”. We adopted this more than 30 years ago. At that time, we took over a catalog of mostly American classical music recordings from the American label “Desto Records”. It was our mission to bring these recordings back to life, this in keeping with the myth of the Phoenix rising from the ashes. The story tells of an immortal bird (associated with Greek mythology with analogs in many cultures) that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again. Associated with the sun, a phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. Some legends say it dies in a show of flames and combustion,
Jeffrey Kaufman
Founder and President