November 2018 Hot News

VIP Sabine Grofmeier is with Henning Schumann and Sophie-Magdalena Reuter at Hamburger Serenadenkonzerte

Ekspresja Clarinet Conference - International Conference "Expression in clarinet performance”

International Conference "Expression in clarinet performance” took place from 22nd to 25th of November 2018, at the Academy of Music in Krakow (Poland). There were involved great instrumentalists and composers from Poland and abroad, such as: Stephan Vermeersch (Belgium), Gabor Varga (Hungary), Nicolas Bacri (France), Irvin Venyš (Czech Republic), Kristine Dizon (USA), Radovan Cavallin (Spain), Francisco José Fernández Vicedo (Spain), Jan Jakub Bokun (Poland), Marcel Chyrzyński (Poland). The artistic director of the Conference was clarinetist Dr. Barbara Borowicz. The goal of the conference was to pay special attention to expression in clarinet performance, beside of the epoche and style of the clarinet compositions. Science panel on 23rd of November began with the lecture by Dr. Jan Jakub Bokun, with topic about harmonies and dissonances in Krzysztof Penderecki music. It was also an honor to the composer of the day of his 85th jubilee. Next was Dr. Barbara Borowicz with lecture about Marcel Chyrzyński, his inspirations and characteristics of his clarinet pieces. At the end Francisco José Fernández Vicedo introduced evolution of the Spanish clarinet school to the audience, paying attention to its emotional aspects. On the next day Kristine Dizon, Gabor Varga i Irvin Veniš were trying to identify and understand expression in musical pieces, also considering notation possibilities of this aspect. Radovan Cavallin made a lecture about the role of clatinetist-soloist in the process of building expression in orchestral excerpts, in solo clarinet parts. Also very interesting was lecture by Stephan Vermeersch about musicians brain, and how the efficiency of its work supports process of practicing on instrument and helps with public performances. The main part of this day was meeting with composer – Nicolas Bacri, who told the audience about his works, especially about clarinet pieces.

An important part of the conference were also three concerts. During first one, participants of the Conference could listen to Duo Bokun-Kościuszko, with Jan Jakub Bokun on clarinet and Jakub Kościuszko on guitar. Duo made a world premiere of two pieces by Łukasz Woś, polish composer who enriches wind instruments literature with his works - Souvenir from Halamba and Scherzino. Next concert took place on 23rd of November – the birthday of Krzysztof Penderecki, so in the beginning his Three miniatures for clarinet and piano were performed by Barbara Borowicz and Anna Miernik. Next all invited guests presented works in different styles, showing tone and technical clarinet capabilities as well as various expression means. Next day of the conference we could listen two concerts. First was full of beautiful Spanish music, showed in two contrasting styles of 20th century clarinet literature, performed by José Fernández Vicedo and pianist Dominika Peszko. The final concert was composed of pieces by great Krakow composer Marcel Chyrzyński, interpreted by guests from abroad, and compositions by Nicolas Bacri, which were presented by clarinetist from Krakow. Group of Polish performers consists of lecturers, graduates and student of Krakow Academy of Music: Jan Kalinowski - cello, pianists: Marek Szlezer, Agnieszka Riess, Anna Miernik, clarinetists: Janusz Antonik, Barbara Borowicz, Tomasz Sowa, Oleh Malovichko, Izabela Żurczak, Sara Ślemp, Jarosław Sroka. There were also clarinet workshops, lead by invited guests. International Conference „Expression in clarinet performance” was so far the greatest clarinet event in history of our Academy.

VIP Eli Eban, Renowned Solo Clarinetist, former Principal Clarinetist in the Israel Philharmonic, and Distinguished Professor at Indiana University - performs Mozart Clarinet Concerto K622 with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra

ICO patrons get a chance to hear a stellar principal player in a major concerto

Anton Stadler was a bit of a mess as a person, but as the premier clarinetist of his day he made posterity lucky in the music his excellence as a musician drew from his friend Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791).

Eli Eban is also acting principal of the Israel Camerata/Jerusalem.

Among the the results is perhaps the greatest wind-instrument concerto, the one in A major for clarinet, K. 622. Eli Eban, distinguished professor of clarinet at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, played the work at the peak of magnificence Saturday with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, of which he is principal clarinet. In the Schrott Center for the Arts, music director Matthew Kraemer conducted a program that also included Mendelssohn's "Trumpet" Overture in C major, op.101, and Luciano Berio's "Rendering," a restoration, with linking original material, of sketches for Franz Schubert's Tenth Symphony.

The concerto is one of the marvelous products of Mozart's last year, completed between two other miracles: "The Magic Flute" and the Requiem. It's hard to imagine such work stress (and the health problems that were to kill him by the end of the year) yielding such deathless benefits, but that's among the wonders of genius.

Not much is known about Stadler, though he earned the disapproval of Mozart's family, for reasons probably including his failure to repay an unsecured loan of 500 gulden. Michael Steinberg points out that sum was more than the composer's normal commission for an opera. The composer's affection for Stadler was undercut by the realization that, as he wrote his wife in October 1791, Stadler "is only a little bit of an ass, not much, but that [Franz Süssmayr, who completed the Requiem after Mozart's death] — well, yes, he's a real ass."

This old gossip is related here mainly to underline the way artistry can supersede personal flaws. In this case, with a work that explores the instrument's deepest range in addition to exploiting Stadler's feathery pianissimos, Mozart handed something special down to posterity, available for personalizing to any clarinetist who can manage it, as Stadler presumably did.

Eban more than managed it; he brought out the work's stature in chamber-music terms, working hand in glove with the accompaniment. The orchestra is simply strings, with pairs of flutes, horns, and bassoons. It showcased the soloist well, who never forced a note or executed an unbalanced passage. His breath control yielded supple phrasing; even the longest stretches of rapid notes in the finale were brought off neatly. On top of Eban's thorough command of the piece, his performance was freighted with the human warmth that makes Mozart's best music so appealing when played superbly. For an encore, the word's literal meaning "again" held sway, and Kraemer led Eban and the orchestra in a long excerpt to the end of the second movement.

The concert opened with a precocious work by Mendelssohn, an overture whose nickname points to the prominence of its hearty brass fanfare at beginning and end. There is a wealth of contrasting material, including an exhibition of the teenage composer's knack for counterpoint and a theme that breathes the Black Forest atmosphere of Weber's "Der Freischutz," a sensation at the time Mendelssohn composed both this overture and the incidental music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The ICO offered a well-balanced, colorful account.

Completing the focus on the southern end of the German-speaking world was the Schubert-Berio "Rendering," the three movements that Berio concocted in 1990 out of Schubert's Tenth Symphony sketches, with linking material reflecting the Italian composer's stylistic predilections. The result is kind of a two-century teeter-totter, with what sounded like a new direction the Viennese composer was taking from the Great C major Symphony (No. 9) linked by sometimes unsettling, sometimes dreamlike washes of modernism usually keyed to the ethereal sounds of the celesta.

"Rendering" is a challenging novelty of the kind that speaks to the ICO's artistic growth under Kraemer's direction. The performance was also a suggestive tour of the connection between the fragility of artistic achievement — sometimes seen retrospectively and deceptively as a series of imperishable monuments — and life's uncertainties. In fact, there's more than a hint in even great art of a tendency to vanish as unaccountably as large loans of money to the likes of Anton Stadler.

Clarinet ensembles including the Participant Clarinet Choir, and Chamber Ensembles from the Navy, Air Force and Marine Bands

In the 7th year, the US Navy Band had its annual Clarinet Day, held at the Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, Virginia, in which the facility was excellent for this event with a fine concert Hall and spacious evhubition facilities. Sean Osborne, an acclaimed soloist and pedagogue, was the Guest Artist, in which he played a recital and gave a Master Class for 3 advanced High School students from the local area, and performed that night with the US Navy Band playing the Messenger Solo de Concours, and with Director and Principal Clarinetist in the Band VIP Laura Grantier in the Mendelsohn Concertpiece. During the day, activity was non stop, with a Mass Clarinet Choir of over 50 players rehearsing with 3 Navy Band Clarinetists conducting one piece each, and 'performing' each work as if in concert with great resultsl the works included Grainger's 'Molly on the Shore', Vauhan Williams 2 movements from the 'Folk Song Suite'. Chamber Music performance was following with the Navy Band Woodwind Quintet, the Marine Band Clarinet Quartet, and the Air Force Clarinet Quartet.

Sean Osborne gave a recital where he performed the 1st half of the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto OP 57 with piano and a William O Smith Solo Piece of 5 movements with Clainet parts in various configurations. After the recital, he coached 3 High School Students on important aspects of playing.

The Navy Band Clarinet Section gave a concert and Osborn was included on this concert, headed by Laura Grantier.

The evening featured in totality the Navy Band with Sean Osborn Soloist with the Messenger Solo de Concours, and joined by Grantier the Mendellsohn Concertpiece for 2 Clainets with the Band. Program included other works including the Rimsky Korsokov 'Cappricio Espagnol'

This Clarinet Day is a hallmark project that has evolved into a major event each fall, and the genesis of it all is the Director Laura Grantier, with full support from the Clarinet Section and the Commander of the Navy Band. It can be only stated that this is a major accomplishment and by serving the Local community and the Clarinet world community, commendation and more is deserving.

VIP Nicola Jurgensen Soloist with the Niamen Philharmonic performing Weber 2nd Clarinet Concerto Op 74 and giving a Master Class with Students

Geneva Competition Winners: 1st Prize: KEVIN SPAGNOLO - 2TH PRIZE: VITOR FERNANDES - 3rd PRIZE CARLOS FERREIRA

The Geneva Clarinet Competition 2018 was held from 3-14 November in Geneva, Switzerland. The competition was open to all clarinetists born after 8 November 1988, regardless of gender or nationality. Out of over 30 invited contestents, the above 3 winners have just been announced.

The Audience Prize is awarded by the audience at the Final performance.
The Young Audience Prize is awarded by young students of partner schools.
The Students Prize is awarded by students in musicology and of partner Universities of Music.

In addition to its official prizes, the Geneva Competition offers a career development programme, providing precious support and advice to help boost laureates' careers. The programme includes two years of concert management, as well as CD recordings, international tours, a festival and professional workshops. It is coordinated by the Geneva Competition’s official concert agency: Promusica-Genève.

The Geneva Competition is one of the world's most presdigious contests, offering the above prizes and professional development programs to make possible the advancement and fulfillment of artist potential for those participating.

Sean Osborn, Acclaimed Clarinetist/Pedagogue and Director of the Clarinettissimo Festival at Pacific University in Seattle, Washington, Recital and Master Class at the University of Maryland - VIP Robert DiLutis, Host

Luz Sedeño, from Spain, 1st Prize winner in the above Competition in St Petersburg, Russia, performing the Mozart Clarinet Concerto K622, performing with the Academic Orchestra there. Information about the history of this competition is hyperlinked and below. Along with activities similar in Moscow, this points out the rich cultural and educational committment in Russia along with several European countries.

• Committee for Culture under Government of St. Petersburg
• Administration of Moskovsky District of St. Petersburg
• St. Petersburg School of Arts for Children named after E.A. Mravinsky
• Association of Music Competitions of Russia
• European Union of Music Competitions for Youth (EMCY)

International youth competition in memory of E. A. Mravinsky was founded in 1996. The competition was established in memory of the great conductor and musician of our time Evgeny Mravinsky.

The main goal of the competition is to open and support the bright musical talents, to acquaint the young musicians with St. Petersburg performance traditions, to extend and enrich the cultural ties between different regions of our country and foreign, near-abroad and far-abroad states.

The jury of the competition consists of the leading Russian and European musicians. The serious programme requirements secure high professional level of the participants.
Within 15 years the competition has been visited by more than 1300 young musicians from around the world. Many Mravinsky competition laureates became winners of the national project "Education".
The International competition in memory of E. A. Mravinsky is a member of Association of Music Competitions of Russia (AMCR).

In 2002 the competition was included into European Union of Music Competitions for Youth (EMCY). This opens new opportunities for winners of Mravinsky competition for promotion at the international level - participation in European concerts together with the winners of music competitions from other countries.

The International youth competition in memory of E. A. Mravinsky is held once in two years in the specialities: string instruments (nominations "violin-viola" and "cello") or wind instruments (nominations "woodwind instruments" and "brass instruments").

        It is wonderful that in our not simple time people organize such competitions as Mravinsky International competition.
         Owing to this the young talents are given all opportunities to improve their musical abilities.
I'm happy that our country was never lack of talents.   Good luck to you, our young colleagues!

A. Nikitin
Peoples Artist of Russia,
professor of St.Petersburg Conservatoire named after N.Rimsky-Korsakov,
chairman of the jury in nomination " cello"

VIPs Charles Neidich and Ayako Oshima Washington Series Concert 'Virtuosity and Beyond at the Tenri Center

Wa Concerts Series presents Virtuosity and Beyond in Review

Charles Neidich, Ayako Oshima, clarinet

Mariko Furukawa, piano

Tenri Cultural Institute, New York, NY

November 10, 2018

For a truly civilized evening in New York, you just can’t beat the Wa concert series, held in the intimate gallery space of the Tenri Cultural Institute in Greenwich Village, with Leschetizky’s Steinway, no less. For this outing, “Virtuosity and Beyond,” our host, the superlative clarinetist Charles Neidich, decried what he calls “empty virtuosity.” What he possesses is certainly not “empty”! He was joined for this concert by his wife, Ayako Oshima ,who also caters the thoughtful hors d’oeuvres, wine, and dinner that are served at each event, and the superb (and busy) collaborative pianist Mariko Furukawa.

It is a rare event when every single piece has not been heard “live” by a reviewer. I previously had known only the John Ireland Fantasy Sonata from a recording.

The concert opened with an early Penderecki work, the 3 Miniatures for clarinet and piano. If you are used to post-apocalyptic Penderecki, with foreboding and giant tragedy, these brief (but well-crafted) utterances will surprise you. They were perfectly captured by Mr. Neidich and Ms. Furukawa.

Mr. Neidich then turned his attention to a solo work by Shulamit Ran: Spirit, composed last year, in its New York premiere. His breath control is prodigious, so much so, that one forgets “body” and thinks only “spirit.”

Then came the Ireland, a gorgeous late-Romantic extended work in which songfulness (Ireland has five large volumes of art songs) predominates. Ms. Furukawa clarified the often thick textures beautifully, and Mr. Neidich provided what we now take for granted with him: perfection.

After intermission, Ms. Oshima played a work that was written for her, Le Maschere (another New York premiere) based on stock characters from the Italian commedia dell’arte, by Larry Alan Smith (who was present, explaining that he is Italian too, on his mother’s side). One heard the Zanni, Vecchi, Innamorati, and Capitani in brief vignettes full of character. Ms. Oshima’s breath control and her ability to taper even the highest notes to nothingness were awe-inspiring.

Then Mr. Neidich showed another facet of himself- that of composer, in presenting two of his own solo works in premieres: Firefly, and Icarus reborn (a world premiere), which depicts the over-confident rise and ultimate fall of the Greek legendary son.

The evening closed with Arthur Benjamin’s Le Tombeau de Ravel. This reminded me of the Parisian critic who, after the premiere of Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin stated acidly: “Yes, the Tombeau de Couperin by Ravel is beautiful, but how much more beautiful would be a Tombeau de Ravel by Couperin!” The Benjamin work, composed a dozen years after Ravel’s death, is a gentle pastiche of many gestures typically seen in Ravel, notably waltz rhythms. It was a delicious close to a wonderful, thoughtful program.

Mr. Neidich offered two encores: Ravel’s Pièce en forme de habanera (which began life as a vocalise), and a wild, fast rondo that I did not know, that left him and the audience breathless, which he announced by saying that the concert indeed needed some “empty virtuosity.

Major Master Class with Jose Franch-Ballister at the University of Michigan - VIPs Chad Burrow and Daniel Gilbert, Hosts

A great evening at the Buffet Showroom celebrating the release of Mitchell Estrin's Biography of his longtime mentor, associate, and teacher Senior VIP Stanley Drucker, probably the most important Clarinet Principal and Orchestral soloist of the last century and recipient in the Guiness Book of Records as the longest performing clarinetist, and 61 years in the great New York Philharmonic. The Book signing was overseen with several VIP clarinetists and friends coming to enjoy the evening and get their book signed by Dr Drucker and author Mitch Estrin. The Buffet President and VIP Francois Kloc and Magoli Tricoche along with members of the NY Phil Pascual Martinez-Forteza, Steve Hartman from the NY City Ballet Orchestra, and many others in the Buffet Clarinet community enjoyed a rare and high profile celebration of the living legend. The intangible greatness of this evening cannot be expressed enough.

In a special celebration marking the release of Mitchell Estrin's new Biography of his teacher, Orchestral Associate for over 20 years when the New York Philharmonic was on tour Internationally, and the book in preparation for over 5 years, the event was a resounding tribute to one the Philharmonic's own legends. Musicians of stature from New York and a special attendance of John Corigliano, composer of the great Clarinet Concerto from 1977, dedicated to Drucker, Bernstein, and the Philharmonic, made a valuable evening. Mr Estrin gave a heartfelt speech about the book, his relationship as a student at Juilliard with Stanley Drucker, and how it all made a huge difference in his life as a player and fully explains the loyalty to Dr Drucker. The Preface to the book was written by John Corigliano who explained the influence Drucker had on him and his writing of the Concerto, which could be the most important Concerto in the 20th Century given the huge substance of thematic content in the 3 movements, one for Drucker, the 2nd movement, Elegy to Corigliano's father, Concertmaster at the Phil, and the 3rd movement showcasing Bernstein and the Philharmonic. It was a legend party which will be remembered far beyond this date.

Cambridge Music Consortium with concert and Master Classes with Slavko Kovacic and VIP Jonathan Cohler at the Longy School of Music