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August 2008 Hot News
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Philippe Cuper in Master Classes and Performance
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Ilan Schul in Clarinet Ensemble and Performance
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18 August 2008
Clarinet & Klezmer in the Galilee Music Festival with Giora Feidman - Israel
Safed, Israel
Klezmer- a universal musical form and way of life, expressing our inborn desire to create music and dance
One of the most comprehensive Clarinet Festivals was held in Safed, a Holy City in Israel known as an origin of Kabbala (Jewish Mysticism) and connected to Klezmer Jewish folk music which originated in Eastern Europe and has its connections in Israel. The seven days (11 - 18 August) was comprehensive in substantial training with lessons exceeding 14 hours a day, Master Classes, Clarinet Choir rehearsals and ensemble rehearsals with students, five Potpourri concerts held at the outdoor courtyard at the Sariah Center lasting 2 ½-3 hours each night, for audiences numbering in the thousands, and including performances by faculty and students alike in high powered performances. The most special aspect of this festival was the emphasis on the Klezmer approach to playing as focused by Giora Feidman, the Director of this event, and by exposure all week the hope that the concept takes root in the students. In addition to this aspect, the festival included broad coverage of Classical and Jazz as taught and performed by such luminaries as Philippe Cuper, Solo Clarinetist in the Paris Opera, Ilan Schul, Head of Clarinet at the Jerusalem Academy of Music, Eva Wasserman-Margolis, and several others listed on the Faculty Roster. This Festival was held with collaboration with a major Klezmer Festival also held in Safed. Robert Majeric, a Clarinetist from Germany, has posted a site with galleries from this Festival which can show the tradition and value of this program. The site is: www.clarinus.de/swad/index.html
As the galleries above will indicate, the excitement and enthusiasm is well evident, as all the participants were well taught and inspired by the faculty, and performed in conjunction with them all week. Legend Giora Feidman performed to incredible levels all week. This is the 5th year of this Festival and it has attracted many of the most important clarinetists worldwide, and has become a prime cultural opportunity for players to learn their craft and be exposed to the fusion of Classical, Jazz, and Klezmer, making for a well rounded approach to musical approaches and styles. This Festival is one of the most important to be involved in given its extensive credibility.
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Josef Balogh in rehearsal and Combo Performance
16 August 2008
Windland Music Festival and Master Classes with Josef Balogh
Budapest, Hungary
Josef Balogh, a renowned Solo Clarinetist Internationally and well known for Klezmer and Hungarian Ethnic Music, held his annual Music Festival under the wings of the Windland Foundation which is active in present restoration of a castle for the purpose of holding Music Festivals and Workshops during the year. As can be seen in the above galleries, many student levels are seen studying and benefitting from the training here. Performances were given in the Hungarian taste with outdoor performances, and also the acclaimed InterClarinet ensemble, consisting of artists from Vienna, Augsburg, Germany, Mr Balogh, and Berlin. As the Fall Newsletter points out, festivals like these are eye-openers to grow in the International taste of musical performance.
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9 August 2008
Jacksonville, Florida USA
The 2nd Buffet Clarinet Academy, held at the campus of the North Florida
University, was a major artistic building ground for the 14 pre-auditioned
students who qualified to attend, and being involved in intensive private study,
master classes on several subjects relating to high performance, a workshop
class on vital instrument maintenance given by Artisan Francois Kloc, and
recital concerts presented by both faculty and students. This, unlike many
other Master Class courses, comprises the best of the best in performers as
faculty and students.
This year's Academy
Artist Faculty was
again an unparalleled assembly of some of finest clarinetists in the world!
Students accepted to the Academy had the opportunity
to study with J.
Lawrie Bloom
(Chicago Symphony
Orchestra),
Pascual Martinez-Forteza
(New York
Philharmonic),
Eugene Mondie
(National Symphony
Orchestra) and
Ronald Van
Spaendonck (
Below is a student summary account of this great week from her perspective. She is Jenny MacClay, a gifted grassroots clarinetist to become a Freshman student at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where she will be studying with Mitchell Estrin, a renowned Professor and longtime touring member of the New York Philharmonic.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q45MnEi5590 This is my recital on
Saturday night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2JgowSxZyg This is the "performance" of
Cage's Story from Living Room Music by Kali, me, Kevin, and Stephen.
I just got back from the first
day of BCA, and it's looking like it might be better than last year! There are
only fourteen students this year, so that means longer lessons, more individual
attention, and more free stuff! When I got to the airport on Sunday, Matt Vance
from Buffet picked me up, and we got a call from Lawrie Bloom saying he flew in
on the CSO (Chicago Symphony Orchestra) 1 instead of the Air Force 1, so that's
why we didn't see him at first. He never fails to crack me up! After we dropped
him off at his fancy hotel, we got to the apartments, and Professor Estrin gave
me a Buffet swag bag full of CD's, reeds, articles, shirts, hats, and lots more!
The apartments are very accomodating - I'm staying with Kali and Christina from
UF, and we each have our own room and shower, and we have a shared living room
and kitchen! After I unpacked, a few friends and I decided to go to Rita's for a
dinner consisting of gelato and shaved ice. :-)
Today was clarinet-packed and lots of fun! At breakfast, we found a hungry duck
and named him "Darkwing" after the cartoon. I had the instrument technology
class next with Francois, and we only had four students total. Even though we
took all the keys off the clarinet last year and I've been practicing on my
plastic clarinets, it was still frightening, but Francois can fix anything!
Unlike last year, we had more time and fewer students, so he taught us his
secrets of polishing and making the clarinet look brand new again! I've had a
problem with spit leaking out of a tonehole, and he told me to put almond oil in
it, because oil and water don't mix, and the problem's gone! He's a genius, and
the clarinet world would be nowhere without him!
After that, I had an hour to practice before lunch, so I befriended some new
people from UCLA and played duets with them. By far the best part of the day was
my lesson with Ronald van Spaendonck, my favorite teacher from last year. We
worked on the Paganini and Weber Polacca, then he put me in his "extended
techniques" master class on Wednesday. I am excited to have this opportunity,
but I found out that he wants me to learn how to circular breathe in two days! I
got it a few times, but it will take many more hours. Thankfully, he scheduled
another lesson with me tomorrow to help me. Wish me luck!
Victoria Luperi gave an exciting masterclass on orchestral excerpts. I heard
Peter and the Wolf, Capriccio Espagnol, Galanta Dances, and Beethoven 8. She had
lots of interesting ideas and quotes, and I took tons of notes just today! The
concert by the Jacksonville Symphony clarinets was after that, and we heard
everything from classical to Klezmer!
Today was long, but definitely rewarding. I met lots of new people and heard
more interesting viewpoints. This is definitely the opportunity of a lifetime,
and I am glad for everyone's continued support and encouragement.
Hello all!
Today was SOOO much fun! I had a lesson with Eugene Mondie this morning, and he
taught me a lot of interesting practice techniques for the Debussy Premiere
Rhapsody. He is an amazing Eb player, as we all found out at his masterclass
this afternoon. I had lots of practice time scheduled, so I caught up with some
people for more duets and trios. I hung out with Francois and Bruce Marking
during one break, and they told me about fixing pads and replacing corks. I got
some more free reeds from Professor Estrin, so that was great! While we were in
the Buffet room (where the show clarinets and repair classes are), Francois
showed me a clarinet in the key of D! It was a lot of fun. I also had my first
run-through with my accompanist, Mr. Watkins, who is amazing! I feel really good
about my recital on Saturday and am excited for the chance to play in front of
so many clarinetists. Finally, I had another lesson with Ronald, and I am
getting better at approaching circular breathing, but I cannot do it
consistently. We toasted our plastic cups to us. :)
Tonight was the best part of the day. The annual pool party was scheduled, but
since nobody swam last year, I planned on sitting around and talking. Before we
left, Kali talked me into wearing my swimsuit, which I am very thankful for now.
Kali, Christina, and I were sitting at the edge of the pool when Francois and
Ronald snuck up behind me and picked me up and threw me into the pool! It
surprised me, and when I could breathe again, I couldn't stop laughing! We had a
lot of fun watching Francois flip Ronald and Pascual off of his back and let
them "surf" on his back. When I got out, Ronald gave me his towel and Faculty
BCA polo shirt, so now I'm an official faculty member here! ;-)
I'm excited about playing in the "extended technique" masterclass tomorrow and
hearing the faculty concert. Thanks to all for the continued replies, support,
and advice. Until tomorrow!
Jenny
P.S. A student asked what to do if you had to choose between tuning to a section
that was really flat or a really sharp section, and Lawrie Bloom replied,
"Whoever plays louder!"
I had a GREAT time
today! I had a few hours to practice this morning, so we read a Klezmer
trio and John Cage voice quartet, which we plan to rehearse with Ronald and
Pascual sometime on Friday. I had another rehearsal with my accompanist,
and I am excited to play at my recital on Saturday. My accompanist said
that my piece was the most fun to play! After lunch, I had a lesson with
Victoria Luperi, who is a Curtis alumnus. I played the Prelude to the
Paganini 24th Caprice, and she helped me a lot with the air, directions, and
shaping the phrases. I really enjoyed listen to her talk (she's from
Argentina), and we worked really well together.
Also this afternoon was the highlight of the day - Ronald's master class on
circular breathing. He called me up to demonstrate, and I actually managed
to do it a few times, but it will take a lot more practice. We also talked
about other cool techniques: flutter tonguing, "double stack-it-toe" (as he
pronounces double tonguing), dinosaur sounds, "mad cow" where you take off the
mouthpiece and buzz into the horn, and glissandos. He was so hilarious to
watch, because it all comes so naturally to him. He had to get Francois to
translate for him sometimes since his English is not fluent, and it was neat
hearing them converse in French.
Tonight, the faculty had their recital, and I was so impressed! I heard
Lawrie Bloom play the Cahuzac Arlequin on his bass clarinet, Pascual play the
Premiere Rhapsody, and Ronald play the Widor piece. I loved everyone's
stage presence, technique, and overall mastery of the instrument, and it was
very inspiring to see so many professionals play one after another. They
also premiered a new clarinet quintet, which was really cool! After that,
we had a few group pictures, which I'll send out as soon as I get them.
Tomorrow is our "free" day (Professor Estrin has jokingly hinted that we should
practice all day). I'm going on a visit to the Buffet HQ in North America,
and then everyone's going to the huge shopping center here. After that,
we're going to go to the beach. It will be a well-deserved break from
clarinet all day, even though I've had a great time being in clarinet mode all
day every day.
Greetings from Jax!
Today was a much-needed break from clarinet. Everyone slept in late, but as
soon as we got up, we all felt obligated to practice for a little while.
Jason's Deli catered all the meals today, and apparently money isn't a big
factor at Buffet, because the total tab was over $500! The Buffet workers are
great people, and I'm thankful for all the work they've put into this academy.
After lunch, we went on a tour of the Buffet HQ in North America. We saw
all the offices of the people who make the company run so smoothly, and it was
funny hearing all the clarinetists getting excited. When we walked by the
bathroom, one guy said, "Oh my gosh, it's the Buffet bathroom!" The snack
room was dubbed the "Buffet buffet", and we especially loved Francois' office
and Bruce's repair room. I think what everyone
liked most about the tour was when we were all given a Buffet laptop bag and
posters of all our clarinet heros to fill the bags up!
The town center (aka huge outdoor shopping mall) was next on the agenda, so we
walked around in the heat until dinner. Having had a break most of the day, we
got back and decided to practice! I had a nice practice session, and I tried
out a lot of the ideas I've heard this week. I have tons of new notes and
concepts, and I can't wait to try them all out! The usual bunch of us got
together and read through duets, trios, and John Cage voice quartets (which we
might perform at the recital), and I'm having a great time playing with other
talented students from around the country.
I have a lesson with Pascual tomorrow, so I need to start using the coffee
straws and Power Breather now, since he's all about air and how to maximize it!
I also get to have another class with Francois, and I'll get to clean the lower
joint of my clarinet. Another fun, exciting day!
Hello all!
Today was the second to last day at the academy, and I will be so sad to see it
end so soon. This morning, I had my lesson with Pascual, and it was one of the
best lessons of the week. He said I've improved a lot since last year with my
air, and he was really impressed with my embouchure and posture. We worked on
the Polacca, and he gave me lots of helpful hints and advice. He let me use his
Breath Builder for a while, and I forgot how much it helps - I'm definitely
getting one! He also showed me a new way to breath. Take the mouthpiece off
the horn and breathe through the clarinet with as much air as possible. Even he
runs out of air in about four counts! I forgot how nice it feels to breathe
correctly! I guess I've been doing it wrong all this time. ;-)
This afternoon, we had instrument technology, part two. Again, this was scarier
than the top joint because it had more springs, rods, posts, and pivot screws to
be lost! Francois waited until we had all the keys off, then he said, "I'm
sorry, I will leave you now!" Of course he was just kidding, but I was scared
for a minute! Now all of my clarinet looks brand new and plays extremely well,
so my recital tomorrow will be amazing! After that, we had Lawrie Bloom's
master class, which cracked me up. I could write a book full of his sarcastic
comments. When one student came in early, he said, "I guess you think Weber
just wanted to waste ink when he wrote those squiggly lines. What are they
called again? Oh yeah, rests. No, I think he was being serious about not
playing there!" He never fails to make everyone laugh!
Tonight was round one of the student recitals, and it was great. I heard pieces
from Weber Concertino, Rabaud Solo de Concours, and even a piece called Gnarly
Buttons - Mad Cow movement! We all had fun watching them, and the performers
had fun performing. I can't wait until my concert tomorrow!
Along with all the other free stuff I've received so far, Professor Estrin gave
me another Buffet banner and a $20 gift certificate to clarinetstop! I'm
excited at all the stuff I've got so far. This morning, I even got my own
special catered breakfast, since I don't eat eggs. It's great here.
Sorry for the
delayed email about Saturday, but I wanted to wait until I had some pictures to
send and my recital was on youtube! I had a great time at the Academy this
year! My recital was incredible, and I had a blast performing for all the
students, faculty, and administration from Buffet. Saturday was bittersweet,
since we all knew the academy was nearing its end, but we still had lots of
fun. I played trios all morning (including Mario themes for my accompanist, who
stopped by the practice room!), and I had a lesson with Lawrie Bloom that
afternoon. I learned a lot overall, and I can't wait to implement them into my
practice routines! Pascual had his masterclass on air, and I knew a lot of his
approaches from last year, but he has a new one this year - the candle
exercise! He made students blow out just the orange part of the flame and not
let the blue center die away, which really enforces focused air for pieces like
"Pines of Rome". After the recital, we had a farewell barbeque (completed with
veggie burgers for me and the other vegetarians), and Professor Estrin's wife,
who was a finalist in the Pillsbury Bakeoff, made some amazing brownies! There
were lots of pictures taken, many autographs received, and lots of hugs and
promises to keep in touch. I made some really great friends at the academy,
learned SOOO much new ideas and techniques, and had a great time with the
faculty. It's great that we got to see such renowned clarinetists as normal
people - Ronald threw me in a pool, Lawrie challenged everyone to tennis
matches, Pascual talked about baseball, and I found out that they don't practice
24/7! It was another amazing year, and I hope to return again next year for
more fun!
As can be noted by the enthusiasm stated by
Ms MacClay, this program is too important to ignore for the most serious of
students and players. Not only is this Academy a benefit, it is a major example
of commitment by Buffet Crampon, which champions itself as one of the most
important firms supporting the Clarinetist, both student and professional.
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2 August 2008
Ticino Music Festival Master Classes with Sabine Meyer
TICINO MUSICA is a workshop for young musicians from all over the world who, through study and performance together with internationally renowned musician- teachers, widen their cultural horizons and deepen their artistic experience as a preparation for their professional life.
Lugano, Switzerland
This annual Festival held in this major Swiss city and all-inclusive covering all areas of Chamber Music, Opera, Professional training, had, as its offering between 27 July - 2 August, Concerts and Master Classes offered by Sabine Meyer, Reiner Wehle, both renowned soloists and Professors at the Hochschule of Musik in Luebeck, Germany, where their Clarinet Studio is one of the most prestigious in Europe. 46 Clarinetists from all over the world came to participate, as Master Class active participants, by audition, the remaining viewing as passive auditors. Only 20 could be active in the Classes. The Meyers performed as part of this Festival with standard and especially Mozart with in addition Bassett Horns. Mendellsohn Concertpieces were performed with klarinette and Bassett Horn. As can be noted, performances were high level. The beauty of this relatively unknown Festival is the beautiful location in Lugano, Switzerland, with a high powered artist environment with many performers on all Orchestral instruments and singers. For Clarinetists wishing to make connection with the Meyers, they are pinnacles of the Klarinette in Germany with a developed program.
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1 August 2008
Quarteto Vintage (Portugal) Workshop with Master Classes and Concerts in Banco, Portugal 30 July - 1 August 2008
Banco, Portugal
A 3 day Workshop for young and advanced students in Banco led by this elite Clarinet Quartet providing intense attention in lessons, Master Classes, Clarinet Exhibits, Clarinet repair checks, and concerts by both students and the quartet. The attendees came from all over Portugal and the prestige of the group and program are posted on the quartet website above. The ensemble recently performed in Kansas City and are in August performing at the Japan Clarinet Festival in Tama, Tokyo, Japan.
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Revised: September 30, 2008