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June 2011 Hot News
22 -26 June 2011
Stony Brook, New York USA
The 3rd World Class Clarinetopia Residence Seminar at this great
University convened for 5 days with intensive master classes and activities
involving 16 auditioned students from all over the country and covering all
aspects of performance critical agendas to make them prepared for the
performance profession. Faculty were the best imaginable with Michael Webster
from Rice University, Leone Buyse, and Alan R Kay, faculty at Stony Brook and
Juilliard, both Directors of this program, and Caroline Hartig from Michigan
State University, and Charles Neidich, faculty at Juilliard and probably one of
the top 3 Soloists in the world today. Critical attention was paid to each
student in a series of open classes where they were subjected to detailed
analysis of their issues and solutions from each of the mentors with new
approaches that had a stream of similarity that made their playing more
advanced. There were 2 Student Recitals where the master class coverage of
their solo repertoire was a step to their recital performance, and the results
were evident in their technical and refined playing. Almost sounded miraculous
given the short week of preparation. The above galleries contain the Master
Class information and the Recitals.
The scheduling every day consisted of sessions starting after a small breakfast,
with Yoga training given by Director Michael Webster, an expert in this art,
introductions to encourage all to embrace the practice as it provides a
disciplined exercise in learning relaxation and good posturing of the body which
can help one's health and better stress control and impact one's playing.
Almost every day the session opened the training, followed by Clarinet warmups
presided by Alan Kay and in later days Caroline Hartig, covering tone exercises,
tonguing exercises, fulcrum studies, and more. This effectively prepared the
students for the master classes and recital rehearsals in prep for their
performances. These sessions were held at the Wang Arts Center, next door
to the Staller Performing Arts.
In addition, there were 5 performances, one a Faculty
Recital, a Jazz concert with the Anderson Brothers, both Juilliard students and
twins who have their own Band, and performing music of that swing era of Goodman
and Artie Shaw with a sextet. Charles Neidich performed a miracle recital in
which he flew in from Quebec City to Newark NJ, took a train to Stony Brook,
arriving here only 20 minutes before the first beat with no rehearsal
preparation whatever, and gave a near perfect performance. After this program
he gave a 3 hour master class until 11 PM. Caroline Hartig, who came earlier
in the week gave several sessions and of interest she studied with Mr Neidich at
Stony Brook for her Doctorate and taught many of the same concepts and covered
New Music Clarinet techniques which is standard fare in trainings including
Overtone partial and knowing where the nodes are in using them to improve range,
flexibility, and double stops, and high speed tonguing, and other topics. Both
these artist-teachers are essential prospects to study with as not many others
are as complete in covering this important aspect of playing. This can make or
break a student’s potential.
The informality and super friendly atmosphere
and positive reinforcement here was evident as everyone was routing for each
other during the week. Orchestral playing was given a high priority as coaching
was constant and a behind the screen audition with no nonsense critical
formality was done, with the committee consisting of the faculty and non playing
participants with a form completed on each unknown applicant playing.
Discussions followed, and the applicants received the results in writing as to
the judgements completed.
In its 3rd year, the Clarinetopia has
proven itself to be one of the most advanced workshops presented. Many
Festivals have a large multi-instrumental faculty which perform this same kind
of program which is very good, but this is the world-class of workshops, along
with a few others during the summer such as held at Indiana University and the
Buffet Clarinet Academy in July. Common linkage is the super artist faculty and
critical attention paid to support the students and their quest to excel as
artist level players. With the past 2 years, luminary world class faculty have
included a founding member Stephen Williamson of the Metropolitan Opera
Orchestra, and now upcoming Solo Clarinetist in the Chicago Symphony, Stanley
Drucker, legendary Solo Clarinetist in the New York Philharmonic, Laura Flax,
Solo Clarinet in the NY City Opera Orchestra, and more future players of note
who will further advance this great cause. Due credit is owing to Directors
Michael Webster, Leone Buyse and Alan Kay, and especially to Caroline Hartig and
Charles Neidich.
14 June 2011
Stephen Williamson, Solo Clarinetist in
the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, named as Solo Clarinetist Designate
with the Chicago Symphony, succeeding Larry Combs effective the fall
season |
Chicago, Illinois USA
After an extensive and wrenching search over a 2 year period to find a worthy
successor to legendary retired Solo Clarinetist Larry Combs, Steve Williamson
has been appointed as the designate successor to hold this world class position.
As Williamson's biography shows, he has an extensive Orchestral background
especially as Solo Clarinet in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York.
With Riccardo Muti,one with extensive Opera credentials, it looks like a good
mix that can enhance the Orchestra. Information about Mr Williamson is
below. He is a WKA Officer VIP.
Stephen Williamson was
appointed principal clarinetist of
the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in
December of 2003. He has appeared
with a wide variety of orchestras
throughout his extensive career,
including numerous appearances with
the New York Philharmonic, Orchestra
of St. Luke's, Orpheus Chamber
Orchestra, American Symphony
Orchestra, American Ballet Theater,
New York City Opera, Solisti NY
Chamber Orchestra, Stamford
Symphony, and the EOS Orchestra.
Mr.
Williamson has recorded for Sony
Classics, Telarc, CRI, BMG, and
Decca labels and can be heard on
soprano Renee Fleming's most recent
CD, "By Request", with the Orchestra
of St. Luke's. Mr. Williamson was
the Grand Prize Winner of the 1994
Boosey & Hawkes/ Buffet Crampon
First Annual North American Clarinet
Competition.
As a featured
artist for the Schleswig-Holstein
Musik Festival and the European
Mozart Foundation, he has been on
radio and television broadcasts with
such artists as Maurice Bourgue,
Alexander Longuich, Radovan
Vlatkovic, and principal members of
the Orchestre Nationale de Paris and
de L'Ensemble Intercontemporain.
As a core member of the
Met Chamber Ensemble, Mr. Williamson
has performed extensively with
Maestro James Levine both as soloist
and as chamber artist. This season
at Carnegie Hall he will perform
works of Wuorinen, Carter,
Beethoven, Brahms, as well as Alban
Berg's "Four Pieces for clarinet and
piano, Op. 5″ accompanied by Mr.
Levine. He will be on tour with the
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra this
June (2006) to Japan as well as
Guest Principal Clarinet with the
Orchestra of St. Luke's for a tour
of European festivals in late August
(2006). Mr. Williamson is on the
clarinet faculty at Columbia
University and the Mannes School of
Music in New York City. He received
his Bachelor's Degree and
Performer's Certificate from the
Eastman School of Music, as well as
a Master's Degree from The Juilliard
School. As a Fullbright Scholar, he
furthered his studies at the
Hochschule der Kunste in Berlin,
Germany where he collaborated with
various members of the Berlin
Philharmonic. His past teachers
include Peter Rieckhoff, Charles
Neidich, Kenneth Grant, and Michael
Webster. Mr. Williamson currently
plays Selmer Signature clarinets and
uses Vandoren traditional reeds with
a James Pyne JX/BC mouthpiece.
13 June 2011
Gregory Oakes, Professor at Iowa
State University and Renowned
Soloist named as Solo Clarinetist in
the Des Moines (Iowa) Symphony
Des Moines, Iowa USA
The Des Moines Symphony is proud to
announce the appointment of Gregory
Oakes, Professor of Clarinet at Iowa
State University and an acclaimed
soloist, chamber musician, and
proponent of New Music as the new
Solo Clarinetist. As his
Studio website indicates, his
credentials are far reaching in
scope and he is a sought after
performer all over the USA.
Gregory Oakes is one of the most
exciting and energetic clarinetists
of his generation. From his Carnegie
Hall debut with members of
Ensemble Intercontemporain and
Pierre Boulez to his performances as
a member of the Colorado Symphony
Orchestra, Mr. Oakes has been
praised by critics for his
“outstanding performance” (New
York Times) and “jazzy
flourishes” (Denver Post).
American Record Guide says “Oakes is the rare player who has both excellent classical
training and a mastery of the
otherworldly procedures demanded by
non-traditional repertoire,”
and Fanfare Magazine lauds
the “formidable
technical armamentarium at his
command.”
He is
a founding member of the new music
and creative arts ensemble Non
Sequitur, which was heralded by
New Music Connoisseur as
“utterly sensational.” In a
performance with Non Sequitur, the
Aspen Daily News highlighted
him as a “particularly outstanding
musician.” Non Sequitur has been in
residence at Princeton University,
Harvard University, Dartmouth
College, and the Aspen Music
Festival.
A flexible and versatile musician,
Mr. Oakes has performed with notable
musicians in prestigious venues
around the world. He has been a
concerto soloist with the Colorado
Symphony Orchestra and the Denver
Brass, performed with Grammy®
Award-winner Terence Blanchard at
the Telluride Jazz Festival, and
appeared at the Chicago Arts Club.
His recordings have been released on
Bridge, CRI, Gothic, Karnatic Lab
Records, and Naxos and broadcast on
National Public Radio. His recent
solo CD, New Dialects,
appears on the Centaur Records
label.
As a soloist, Mr. Oakes has won
awards or received commendations in
the International Clarinet
Competition, National Young Artists’
Competition, Fischoff Chamber Music
Competition, Coleman Chamber Music
Competition, and the Kingsville
International Young Artists
Competition. He has given solo
performances at multiple
International Clarinet Association
ClarinetFests, the University of
Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium, the
International Computer Music
Conference, the Crested Butte
Chamber Music Festival, Boulder’s
Modern Music Festival (M2F),
Colorado Music Festival’s Young
Artist Series, and the Pendulum New
Music Series. An international
artist, Mr. Oakes has performed
frequently in the Netherlands at
Amsterdam’s venerable new music hall
De IJsbreker, the
Gaudeamus Competition,
Concerten Tot en Met, the
Karnatic Lab concert series, De
Badcuyp, and Utrecht’s
Theatre Kikker. He has been a
featured soloist at the prestigious
MaerzMusik festival in
Berlin. He has also toured
Brazil—performing in Brasília, Rio
de Janeiro, and Campinas—and
conducted masterclasses at notable
Brazilian universities UnB, UNIRIO,
and UNICAMP.
Mr. Oakes has been a member of
several orchestras including the
Colorado Symphony Orchestra,
Mississippi Symphony Orchestra,
Colorado Ballet, Central City Opera,
Colorado Music Festival, and the
Chicago Civic Orchestra. As a
chamber musician, Mr. Oakes has
performed as a member of the
woodwind quintet Category 5 and the
award-winning clarinet quartet
Ensemble Syzygy.
Mr. Oakes holds a bachelor’s degree
from Michigan State University, a
master’s degree from DePaul
University, and a doctorate from the
University of Colorado. His teachers
include Bil Jackson, Elsa
Ludewig-Verdehr, and John Bruce Yeh.
He has been honored as a Tanglewood
Music Festival Fellow, a Fulbright
Scholar Finalist, and an Aspen Music
Festival Fellow. Mr. Oakes has
presented masterclasses at such
institutions as Michigan State
University, University of North
Carolina Chapel Hill, University of
California Berkeley, Ithaca College,
Eastern Michigan University, and the
Aspen Music Festival. He has
previously taught at the University
of Southern Mississippi
(Hattiesburg, MS) and Bemidji State
University (Bemidji, MN). Mr. Oakes
is on the faculty of Iowa State
University (Ames, IA).
Gregory Oakes is a Buffet Crampon
USA and a Vandoren Performing
Artist.
L/R Thomas Helton, Richard
Nunemaker, Joe LoCasio
12
June 2011
To Blow is to Play - Recital with World Premieres -
University of St Thomas, -
Richard Nunemaker, Director
Houston, Texas USA
The Ninth annual recital with members of Richard Nunemaker's Clarinet Studio at
this University presented an interesting program of standard recital works by
several students and 2 world premieres as stated below. Performances were
high standard and continues a strong program to emulate.
Ben Turner’s Blues*
(2011) (World Premiere) Joe LoCascio
(1955)
" You can always be happy when
you're playing music. And when you're laughing and smiling, you can't be evil."
- Ben Turner
The To Play is
To Blow….To Blow is To Play… Ensemble
Thomas Helton,
bass
Joseph
LoCascio, conductor, piano
*
Commissioned by The To Play is To Blow…
To Blow is To
Play… Ensemble
Joe LoCascio,
a native New Yorker, has resided in Houston since 1977. A prolific
performer/composer, he has sixteen recordings to his credit, many of them
featuring his original music and most have attained prominent radio airplay
nationally and abroad. He has performed and/or recorded with jazz luminaries
such as Chet Baker, Freddie Hubbard, Dave Liebman, Randy Brecker, Ernie
Watts, Billy Hart, Tim Hagans, Conrad Herwig and George Mraz among others. Jazz
critics nationwide have acclaimed him as one of the finest artists on the
contemporary scene.
He is currently Assistant Chairman
of Jazz Studies at Houston Community College where he teaches Improvisation,
Jazz History, Jazz Ensemble, and Improvisation Theory.
Ben Turner’s Blues
is written in memory of Houston jazz legend Ben “Scatman” Turner (1927-2000).
Born in Marshall, Texas, in 1927, Turner moved
to Houston when he was
17 where he spent the rest of his life accompanying jazz and blues artists in
the Southwest area. He is perhaps best known as the drummer in Arnett Cobb’s
trio, a position he held until felled by a stroke in 1981. Unable to play the
drums, he continued, undaunted, as a vocalist who specialized in scat singing –
especially the Blues. He remained a vital fixture on the Houston jazz scene up
to his death in 2000.
This composition was commissioned by Richard
Nunemaker’s To Play is To Blow…To Blow is To Play…studio in the fall 2010. It
is a multi-sectional work consisting of an introduction followed by three
variants on traditional blues which rely on meticulously scored ensemble work as
well as the intuition of the performers as improvisers.
—Joe LoCascio
Copyright © 1999 WKA-Clarinet.org. All rights reserved.
Revised: July 10, 2011