Innova Recordings was founded in 1982 as a way to document the McKnight Fellowship winners offered by its parent organization, the Minnesota (now “American”) Composers Forum. During the course of these early years it produced several sampler LPs featuring the works of a range of Minnesota composers, many of whom have since gone on to national prominence: Eric Stokes, Libby Larsen, Paul Schoenfield, and Steven Paulus. With the advent of the compact disc, Innova began releasing selected highlights from the top ensembles — such as the Dale Warland Singers, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Alexander String Quartet — that had been on the Composers Forum concert seasons.
In 1994 Innova opened its doors to artists with a finished master tape wanting access to its established distribution network. Under this scheme, the Recording Assistance Program, Innova expanded its catalog considerably and now produces more than 25 CDs per year.
Several projects have brought national attention to the label: Philip Blackburn’s field recordings from Vietnam (Stilling Time) and his 7-part archival series of the works of Harry Partch. Other Innova releases have earned awards and nominations for Grammy, Emmy, and Pulitzer prizes, while numerous titles have received wide acclaim.
Innova is a wing of the St. Paul-based American Composers Forum, the nation’s largest composer service organization. We occupy a niche in the world of non-profits that allows us to act as part service, part business. With the aid of our $1 million endowment from the McKnight Foundation we plan to be around a while.
Innova is supported by an endowment from the McKnight Foundation and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.