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August 2011 Hot News
28 August 2011
Carl Maria von Weber - 2nd Clarinet Concerto, Op 74 -
Franklin Cohen, Soloist
- Blossom Music Festival with
The Cleveland
Orchestra
Cleveland, Ohio USA
A momentous performance of Carl Maria von Weber's 2nd Clarinet Concerto Op 74
took place at this world-class Summer Festival with the Cleveland Orchestra
conducted by Assistant Conductor James Feddeck with Star Clarinet soloist
Franklin Cohen, who has become an icon legend with this Orchestra having
performed over 200 times during his 35 year tenure, having recorded many times
and become Grammy nominated for the Debussy Rhapsody DGG recording with Pierre
Boulez. The effortless technical communication witnessed here is
spellbounding and Mr Cohen certainly ranks as one of the most potent soloists
anywhere, and the total communication especially the creative play with the
nuances and embellishments in the cadenzas in the two first movements is
noteworthy. Many soloists performing a showpiece of this Weber
operatic style and power miss that element.
The galleries above give a glimpse of the evening and programs with biographies
of both Mr Cohen and the great conductor James Feddeck.
Mr Cohen is very active with his Teaching at the Cleveland Institute and
numerous chamber music activities and recordings, all of which are posted on his
special WKA Artist VIP Page of which he is a Senior VIP.
3 – 7 August 2011
ClarinetFest 2011 held at California State University at Northridge in
collaboration with the
International Clarinet Association
- Julia Heinen and William E Powell, Directors
Northridge, California USA
The annual ClarinetFest in collaboration with
the
International Clarinet Association and hosts California State University in
Northridge, just North of Los Angeles, and Directed by Professors Julia Heinen
and William E Powell, was a major Program and Artistic success, drawing from
many points of reference including major Performing Organizations performing
during the week and a major concert at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles
Philharmonic. The galleried programs, all of which were posted online so
participants could see in advance the schedule and programs, show the diversity
of arrays offered here this year. Like many past ClarinetFests, programs and
master classes, seminars, Competitions (including High School Solo, College
Solo, and Orchestral Audition), and Academic presentations were concurrent and
many held simultaneously which made it necessary to choose where you were going,
which made things difficult and one doesn’t want to miss important events of
interest to them. If one had to summarize everything that happened here, you
may have to write a book about it as so much happened here. Photo galleries of
several key events are posted to get a glimpse of the general picture. As can be
imagined, it was impossible to attend all the events.
Appalachian Spring
with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl
What makes a Showcase Festival like this
meaningful is not just the events and exhibitions, but the people to meet and
reunite with as many come as often as they can to meet. Making important
professional and Academic contacts is very important and the world comes here to
make things happen. Meeting the world-class professionals in an informal
environment such as in the hall, at the exhibition stands, and at concerts and
even at the lunch breaks is very helpful. Social events peripheral with the
Festival made matters even more meaningful and interesting.
Industry exhibits covered two large rooms at the
University Fitness Center and had over 100 firms representing the entire
instrument industry with products to try, buy, and also publishers, software
music firms, accessories as reeds, mouthpieces, all of which come each year with
new things to show.
Eric Mandat, Acclaimed New Music
proponent in Performance with Bass Clarinet Quartet
Mark Nuccio (New York Philharmonic)
in Clarinet Quartet Performance, and the New Zealand Quartet in New Music
Matthias Mueller Chamber Clarinet
Ensemble performing his Music
Rico Bass Clarinet Blowout with the
best Bass Clarinetists Worldwide
Chad Burrow and Caroline Hartig in
Recital
Kathleen Jones (Puerto Rico
Symphony) in Clarinet Quintet Performance of Latin Music
Nathan Williams in tribute performance for his teacher Stanley Hasty, and Gary
Gray in Clarinet Quintet Performance
Robert Spring and Eddy Vanoosthuyse
with String Quartet, and Margaret Thornhill in Chamber Music Performance
Eddie Daniels, Ricardo Morales and
friends in Fun and Performance
A number of concerts held honored those who
passed away the past year including David Etheridge from Oklahoma, Kalmon Bloch
from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, David Breeden from Texas at University of
North Texas, and Stanley
Hasty, honored with a performance by Nathan Williams the same day as his
Memorial Service in Rochester, New York.
Concerto Orchestra concert with Star
soloists
Festival
College Clarinet Choir with Stanley and Naomi Drucker, Soloists, under Mitchell
Estrin, and the Festival Mass Clarinet Choir with Ricardo Morales, Soloist under
Raphael Sanders
Events of this magnitude in logistical
preparation take incredible motivation and devotion and concern about the risk
in making all work well, and credit is due to the Directors Julia Heinen and
William Powell, and their volunteers who held this week together. When over
1000 participants, artists, several performing organizations interact like a
near out of control counterpoint, the show prevailed. Assistance from the ICA
cannot be thanked enough for their support. Next year’s ClarinetFest will take
place 1 – 5 August 2012 at the University of Nebraska, Diane Barger and Denise
Gainey, Directors.
29 July - 1 August 2011
Clarinet
Summer School at Hope University - Andrew Roberts, Director
Liverpool, United Kingdom
|
Liverpool Hope University’s Hope Park campus was the venue for The
Clarinet Summer School 2011, this was where the very first course took
place. Like all of the Liverpool Hope University’s facilities, Hope Park
has been updated and offers a fabulous new restaurant style canteen and
shop. The en suite accommodation will be in the self-catering section,
five rooms are grouped together with a communal area and small kitchen
for each flat. You will be able to use your
rooms to practice in until 9pm and the communal areas are ideal for
small groups to rehearse.
The approach focuses on encouragement through new ideas and we look
forward to welcoming both new and past students to this beautiful area
of Liverpool for a fascinating way to improve your clarinet playing and
enjoyment of music.
A minimum standard of Grade 7 was advised and students should be able to
play some movements from the repertoire list (as specified in the
schedule) for the course to a reasonable standard. As the purpose of the
course is to help you improve, the pieces need not be of performance
standard or we would be left with little to do for you!
The
proposed tutors on this year course included
Andrew Roberts
(Course Director),
Francesco
Paolo Scola, the new Principal Clarinet of the Ulster
Orchestra,
Caroline Smith
(accompanist),
Wolfgang Lohff
(instrument specialist) and
Peter
Glenville, who will conduct the clarinet ensemble.
Francesco
Paolo Scola, known to all as Chicco (pronounced Cicco) became Principal
Clarinet of the Ulster Orchestra last year, moving from Rome Opera where
he was Principal Clarinet at a very young age! With a very warm
personality and his amazing facility, you can have an entirely different
view on you approach to learning to play musically on your clarinet.
This is an ideal opportunity for any teacher to have a “refresher
“course to inspire them on to help their own students to achieve higher
standards.
Caroline Smith made a welcome return with her experience as a voice
coach and a very experienced accompanist, she will help bring the best
out of your performance. You can work together to discover the vital
role communication plays in music.
Wolfgang Lohff
has been an integral part of this course for many years, and is
recognised as one of the foremost wind instrument specialists. He has
worked as a consultant for Buffet and other instrument manufacturers. He
runs a highly successful woodwind repair business in Denmark with his
partner, Birgit Pfeiffer, supplying instruments to many of the top
professional players around the world. |
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Revised: September 07, 2011
