Eric Schultz, D.M.A., assistant professor of music and director of the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Arts Center for Inclusive Excellence at Coastal Carolina University, has been awarded a South Carolina Arts Commission Artists’ Business Initiative grant to fund the recording of an album. CCU awarded Schultz with a Professional Enhancement Grant to further aid his project.

Schultz’s album, titled “polyglot,” brings awareness to the LGBTQ+ community and Puerto Rico’s struggle with holding onto its native religion during colonization by Spain. Schultz worked alongside several esteemed composers to capture the essence of these mostly untold stories.

The compositions featured in “polyglot” were created by Schultz and composers Iván Enrique Rodríguez, Johanny Navarro, Chia-Yu Hsu, and Gabriel Bouche Caro, with mixing by Antonio Oliart, a Grammy-winning producer. Schultz wanted to focus his compositions on those who are underrepresented, while also emphasizing composers who are alive rather than the usual focus on composers of the past.

Schultz explained his collaboration with one of the composers: “A proud Puerto Rican composer, Rodríguez’s work often confronts issues of identity. One new work that he wrote for me, ‘Sonata Santera,’ is inspired by different rituals, saints, and traditions from the Santería religion. This work is a true masterpiece, and I cannot wait to share it with the world. I practiced the sonata every day for many months before I was comfortable to perform it. It pushed me to my limits in every way possible.”

Two other musicians, Han Chen (piano) and Clare Monfredo (cello), are on the album with Schultz, who plays the clarinet. The trio performed the compositions in the Edwards College Recital Hall where CCU music teaching associate, McKinley Devilbiss, recorded their work.

“Having a full-length album out will help to further establish myself as a nationally-renowned performer and sought-after teaching artist,” said Schultz. “Having new music commissioned from composers at the top of the field has a high probability of solidifying a place for myself in the repertoire of the future. All of the new music on the album was written for me and inspired by my unique voice on the instrument. It is an honor to be immortalized through music in this way, especially by these incredible composers.”

Schultz’s reach of his talents and teaching does not stop at “polyglot.” He is a founder of The Representatoire Project, created alongside his students at CCU. “I want to demonstrate to my students my sincere commitment to commissioning new music, particularly from historically marginalized groups in the context of Western art music. I believe it is so important to support living artists and composers.”

Visit Schultz’s website for updates on the album.