January 2019 Hot News

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting Colburn School’s Flagship Orchestra featuring Clarinet Soloist Cristina Mateo Saez - 2nd Prize Winner in the Jacques Lancelot Clarinet Competition and Student of VIP Yehuda Gilad

For Cristina Mateo Sáez, moving to Los Angeles was a chance to deepen her knowledge of both the world and the clarinet, creating opportunities for herself to shine.

As her first international competition, the Lancelot competition was eye opening. It taught her what to expect from a competition of its size and stature, and how to prepare for it. This involved many hours practicing in a practice room, of course, but also included mental preparation like score studying and visualizing. “There’s a lot that people don’t see,” she explained. This insight will be crucial as she plans for her second international competition coming up this March.

Although it is not the first time Cristina has performed the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, she still considers it one of the most difficult concertos for clarinet. Some clarinetists might think of it as less technically challenging, but according to Cristina, “There are so many different colors and textures. The character and style have to be right.”

In addition to the artistic challenges it presents, the concerto was also written for the basset clarinet, which has extra lower notes than the usual A clarinet that is played. When adjusting the score to fit the A clarinet, players must demonstrate skillful technique with their air and fingers to make the low notes sound even. “It’s hard to make it sound easy,” Cristina laughed.

It helps that Cristina studies with one of the best clarinet teachers today, Yehuda Gilad, who she met at a master class in Spain when she was 16. After a few lessons with him, she decided that she wanted to study with him, and worked to apply to Colburn. “I’m really thankful for him. His help, support, and guidance have been a big part of this and I would never be here or playing this concerto without him,” she expressed. “I’m also really thankful to the school and the great opportunities they offer to all their students.”

Coming to Los Angeles was a big change for Cristina at 18, especially since it was the first time she moved away from her hometown in Almería, on the southeast coast of Spain. It was a completely different world for her, with a different culture and a language she barely spoke at the time. Thankfully, she didn’t find it too hard to adjust. “I’m really happy I did that,” she said. “It’s been great.”

It also helps to have family around, which Cristina accomplished by suggesting that her sister Elena, a bassoonist, apply to the Music Academy. “I told her, you’re going to have to work really hard, but you should try,” said Cristina. Despite infrequent visits home, the two sisters are now able to support each other and celebrate successes together.

Going home to Spain is not yet on Cristina’s radar. After Thursday’s concert with Esa-Pekka Salonen, a Colburn Chamber Music Society concert on February 10, and the Nielsen International Clarinet Competition in March, she’ll continue taking orchestra auditions to see where she ends up. “My goal is to play in an orchestra and do solo and chamber music as well. I really love each one of them.”

Nearly 100 students attended the winter camp. 16 Teachers taught every day. There were concerts at night, and student competitions, etc.

George Mason University Clarinet Day - Catrina Sweedy and Dr Kathleen Mulcahy, Directors

Guest artists included David Jones, principal clarinet of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, and the Air Force Band Clarinet Quartet.

All attendees had the opportunity to participate in a mass clarinet choir performance.

vip john bruce yeh (chicago symphony) performs nielsen clarinet concerto with the illinois symphony

Birthday Celebration Concert for legendary Teacher and national artist of Russia Professor Raphael Bagdassaryan

On January 24, 2019, a concert was held for the birthday of the national artist of Russia, Professor Raphael Bagdassaryan. In the concert hall of the Academic College of Music at the Moscow Conservatory, students of the professor, his friends and colleagues gathered to pay tribute to the memory of their great teacher. The organizer and compere of the evening was the teacher of the Moscow Conservatory Nikolay Ageev, a graduate of the class of Raphael Bagdassaryan. Nikolai said a few words about the personality of Raphael Bagdassaryan, about his fatherly attitude to students, about his self-sacrifice for the musical art, about the vast positive energy that Raphael was sharing with everyone who surrounded him. The grandson of Raphael Bagdassaryan was present in the hall.

The concert program was the most variety, as the wonderful professor himself loved, so that the clarinet would be revealed in music with all its colors. Compositions by Spohr, Widor, Poulenc, Arnold, Debussy, Finzi, Gershwin, Rosenblat and Kohan were performed by college students, the Moscow Conservatory students and graduates of the class of Raphael Bagdassaryan. At the end of the concert, a film about Raphael Bagdassaryan, created by the New Names International Charitable Foundation, was shown to the public.

F.Poulenc. Clarinet sonata, 2-3 parts.
Ivan Ermakov, clarinet; Alexandra Polyakova, piano.

Vera Suslina, clarinet; Dmitry Rybalko, clarinet, Svetlana Serebryakova, piano

Dr Charles West, Professoe Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, gives Master Class and reunion at Colorado State University - Dr Weslet Ferriera, Host

VIP Diane Haskell, Associate Principal Clarinetist in the St Louis Symphony, performs Mozart Clarinet Concerto K622 with the St Louis Symphony

Hamburg Serenade Concert with VIP Sabine Grofmeier Performing Benny Goodman Music

Aeolus Quartet and Senior VIP Franklin Cohen Perform Mozart Clarinet Quintet K581 at the Village theater with the Chamber Music Society of Detroit, Michigan, and gives a Master Class at Oakland University

In the the concerts of Bamberger Symphoniker, which took place during this week, it was presented as a soloist at Aaron Copland's Clarinet concerto by Karel Dohnal, one of the most famous Czech klarinetistů today Conducting Jakub Hrůša Conductor. The above hyperlink has a review (in Czech)

16 January 2019

Pierre Genisson Recital and Master Class at Buffet-Crampon New York Showroom

New York City USA

Pierre Genisson, an acclaimed International soloist, gave a mini-recital and Master Class for students in New York at the famed Buffet Showroom. Information about Mr Genisson is below:

Born in 1986, Pierre Génisson is one of the leading French wind instrumentalists of his generation. Winner of the prestigious Carl Nielsen International Competition, in 2014 he also won the first prize and the Audience Award at the Jacques Lancelot International Competition in Tokyo. He went on to record his first CD, Made in France, with the pianist David Bismuth on the Aparté label. Lauded by the press, he has notably been awarded a Diapason d’Or and the ‘FFFF’ from the magazine Télérama. In 2015, he recorded Schumann’s trio for clarinet, viola and piano ‘Märchenerzählungen’ with Adrien Boisseau and Gaspard Dehaene for the Oehms label.

Pierre Génisson began his musical education in Marseille, his hometown, before joining the Rueil-Malmaison Conservatoire under the tuition of Florent Héau. He then studied under Michel Arrignon at the Conservatoire de Paris, also taking chamber music classes with Claire Désert, Amy Flammer and Jean Sulem. He was awarded first prize diplomas in clarinet and chamber music. At the age of 21, Pierre Génisson was appointed principal clarinet of the Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne conducted by Olari Elts and Lionel Bringuier. With the OSB, he took part in numerous festivals and recordings. He left the ensemble in 2012 and moved to Los Angeles to further his studies. Under renowned tutor Yehuda Gilad at the University of Southern California he obtained an Artist Diploma.

At the same time, Pierre Génisson made his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic performing Debussy’s Rhapsodie and Bruch’s Double Concerto. Since then he has regularly performed as a guest soloist with major European and international orchestras (including Deutsches Symphonie Orchester-Berlin, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Odense Symphony Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège) directed by Emmanuel Krivine, Olga Elts, Krystof Urbansky, Darell Ang, Sacha Goetzel, Krysztof Penderecki, Charles Dutoit, Lionel Bringuier, Yannick Nézet-Seguin and Alexandre Bloch.

Pierre Génisson has also performed as a soloist in prestigious venues such as the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Radio France Auditorium, Odense Konzerthus, the Philharmonie, Cité de la Musique in Paris, Salle Gaveau, and the Yokosuka Art Center. In January 2018, he will make his debut at Tonhalle Düsseldorf with the Dusseldörfer Symphoniker.

Pierre Génisson has a passion for chamber music and plays regularly in European and international festivals with individuals and ensembles such as Marielle Nordmann, Ophélie Gaillard, Camille Thomas, Geneviève Laurenceau, David Guerrier, Claire Désert, Juliette Hurel, Florine Boffard, David Bismuth, François Chaplin, Nicolas Dautricourt, François Dumont, Karine Deshayes, Delphine Haidan, the quartets Ebène, Modigliani, 212, Hermes, Van Kuijk, Voce and the Elegy Trio.
For several years, Génisson has split his time between France and the United States. He regularly performs as a soloist in New York, Los Angeles, Austin, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Seattle. He is often invited to give masterclasses in Asia.

In May 2017, his new album ‘How I Met Mozart’, recorded with the Quartet 212, will be released on the Aparté label. Following the release, he will give a concert at Salle Gaveau in June and begin a tour of Europe and the United States. In the 2017/2018 season, he will perform the world premiere of Eric Tanguy’s concerto, which is dedicated to Génisson, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège and the Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne. He will also make his debut with the Düsseldorf Orchestra and tour Japan and China. He will be appearing at numerous European festivals in France, Germany, Hungary, Austria and will give concerts in the United States. Pierre Génisson has been awarded prizes by the Banque Populaire and Safran musical foundations and won the Young Talent Award for Music and Wine at Clos Vougeot. He is an active representative of the Buffet Crampon brand and plays « Tradition » clarinets.

VIP Wonkak Kim Master Class and Clarinet Day at Arizona University - Dr Jackie Glazier, Host

VIP Sharon Kam Performs Premiere of new Clarinet Concerto written for her - Thorsten Encke with the NDR Radio Philharmonie

Die NDR Radiophilharmonie spielt unter Leitung von Joshua Weilerstein ein spektakuläres Konzert mit einem neuen Klarinettenkonzert von Thorsten Encke für Sharon Kam – und zwei amerikanischen Orchesterkrachern.

Diese Frau kann alles spielen. Sharon Kam ist eine perfekte Klarinettistin und eine vollendete Musikerin. Da wundert einen nichts. Bei ihrem Radiophilharmonie-Auftritt im Funkhaus allerdings konnte man nun doch leicht das Vertrauen in seine Ohren verlieren. Was sind das für unerhörte Klänge? Leise leuchtende Töne, die sich wie in einem Prisma in symetrische Schichten brechen. Noten mit heimlichen Doppelgängern, die man nur bemerkt, wenn sie sich für einen Moment in verschiedene Richtungen bewegen wie verirrte Schatten. Wie kann man so etwas auf der Klarinette hervorbringen?

Der Komponist Thorsten Encke liefert eine erstaunlich einfache Antwort auf diese Frage: Man braucht mehrere Klarinetten. Oder die hingehauchten Töne eines Akkordeons, die denen des Blasinstruments zum Verwechseln ähnlich klingen können. In den faszinierendsten Passagen seines neuen Konzertes, das Encke im Auftrag des NDR für Sharon Kam geschrieben hat, lässt er die Solistin mit einzelnen Stimmen aus dem Orchester so verschmelzen, dass kaum mehr auszumachen ist, wer gerade spielt. Die ruhige Einsamkeit, die gerade in diesen Momenten des sonst oft wild bewegten Stücks spürbar wird, ist tatsächlich Vielstimmigkeit.

Scharfkantige Rhythmen

Überhaupt hebt das Werk die klassische Trennung zwischen Solist und Begleitung vielerorts auf - und längst nicht immer geht es dabei harmonisch zu. Manchmal klingt es, als habe sich die Klarinettistin in einer Klangblase mitten im Orchester verfangen, aus der sie sich nur mit kampfsportartiger Melodik und scharfkantigen Rhythmen wieder befreien kann. Sharon Kam ist in solchen Kraftakten ebenso überzeugend wie in melancholischen Momenten. Völlige Freiheit kann sie sich aber nicht erobern: Der ganze souverän gestaltete Orchestersatz ist der Lebensraum, in dem sich die Solostimme mal mehr mal weniger frei bewegen kann. Encke hat sein Stück, das nun als Uraufführung zu erleben war, zu Recht „Konzert für Klarinette und Orchester“ genannt.

Beim Konzert im Funkhaus wurde es von zwei weiteren spektakulären Orchesterstücken eingerahmt. Der US-amerikanische Dirigent Joshua Weilerstein verbeugt sich zunächst vor der amerikanischen Tradition der Showkonzerte: Die Version der berühmten Toccata und Fuge d-Moll von Leopold Stokowski ist Bach fürs Kinozeitalter – ein bombastisch-nostalgischer Ausflug in die Klangwelt der Zwanzigerjahre. Zehn Jahre später hat der sonst so strenge Arnold Schönberg im kalifornischen Exil das g-Moll-Klavierquartett von Brahms in einen opulenten Orchesterkracher verwandelt.

In beiden Stücken findet Dirigent Weilerstein ein gut kalkuliertes Verhältnis von Zurückhaltung und Ektase, das auch in Enckes Konzert eine wichtige Rolle spielt. Ein starkes, klug zusammengestelltes Programm, der höchstens die Frage offenlässt, warum der NDR so selten neue Werke bestellt.

Am Donnerstag, 17. Januar, 20 Uhr, ist Geiger Christian Tetzlaff Solist bei der Radiophilharmonie. Auf dem Programm stehen Werke von Brahms und Vaughan Williams, Andrew Manze dirigiert.

Vandoren Emerging Artists Competition 2019 - 1st Prize Classical Clarinet: Ning Zhang

The Vandoren Emerging Artists Competition, covering several categories including Jazz, Classical and composition, with complete information on their website, under VIP David Gould, annouces the 2019 winners and their prizes, including a trip to Vandoren in Paris, France and cash prizes. The Clarinet winner, Ning Zhang, whose biography is below, is a Juilliard student with VIP Charles Neidich, who has been a major teacher of many successful students who have won competitions internationally, and who has been a judge member of several competitions.

Clarinetist Ning Zhang is pursuing her Bachelor and Masters of Music at The Juilliard School, through the highly selective Accelerated BM/MM Program, under the celebrated clarinetist, Charles Neidich. As a young orchestral clarinetist, Ms. Zhang has performed with many ensembles at The Juilliard School, including the Juilliard Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Opera, New Juilliard Ensemble and Axiom, always bringing joy to the music. During the past summers, Ms. Zhang has participated in the National Orchestral Institute and Festival (2018), National Youth Orchestra of China (2017), and Verbier Music Festival (2014,2016).

Ms. Zhang started playing the clarinet at the age of 14, and with her talent and enthusiasm for music, just two years later, she was awarded the First Prize of the National Wind Competition of China, which is one the most authoritative competitions for youth in the country. In recent years, she has continued her success in solo competitions, including winning the second prize in the National Society of Arts and Letters Competition (New York Chapter) as well as in Qingdao International Clarinet Festival Concerto Competition. Due to these achievements, her reputation as a rising young solo clarinetist is being recognized by more and more people, both in her home country, China, and in the US.

In addition to her appearances on the stage, she is also committed to teaching. In fall 2017, Ms. Zhang was awarded the position of Teaching Fellow, a two-year fellowship program at the Juilliard School, becoming the first Chinese undergraduate student to receive the honor.

As an international student, Ms. Zhang endeavors to promote communication across cultures. During the past years, she has been invited as a translator for many master classes of celebrated musicians from all over the world, including Robert Diaz, Ayako Oshima, Eddy Vanoosthuyse and Richard Hawkins. In addition, her Chinese translation of Dr. Kornel Wolak’s “Articulation Types, Clarinet Booklet” has been published and used in conservatories, such as ZheJiang Conservatory in China.

Verovitica International Music Meeting (VIMM) - VIP Radovan Cavallin and Kristina Dizon, Directors

Neujahrskonzert in Hopfgarten von Klassik bis Flamenco & Jazz – und ein Heimspiel für VIP Wenzel Fuchs

Wenzel Fuchs – Klarinette
Ramón Jaffé – Violoncello
Monica Gutman – Klavier
Yasuko Fuchs-Imanaga – Flöte

Zum Jahresbeginn haben wir nach den großen Erfolgen in den vergangenen Jahren auch heuer wieder einen glanzvollen musikalischen Start ins neue Jahr zu bieten: wir freuen uns über das vierte Neujahrskonzert in Hopfgarten.

Vielleicht die richtige Geschenkidee für Weihnachten...? Gerne stellen wir auch Geschenkgutscheine aus!

Diesmal kann sich das Publikum wieder über ein Heimspiel des aus Brixen stammenden Wenzel Fuchs freuen. Der gefeierte Soloklarinettist der Berliner Philharmoniker wird beim Neujahrskonzert gemeinsam mit seiner Frau, der Flötistin Yasuko Imanaga auf der Bühne stehen. Pianistin Monica Gutman und Ramon Jaffé (Violoncello) – als künstlerischer Leiter des Kammermusikfestes in Hopfgarten bestens bekannt – komplettieren die hochkarätige Besetzung des Neujahrskonzertes in der Hopfgartner Salvena.

At the beginning of the year, after the great successes in recent years, we also have a great musical start to the new year: we are looking forward to the fourth concert in hopfgarten.
Perhaps the right gift idea for Christmas...? We are happy to introduce gift Cards!
This time, the audience can look forward to a home game of the wenzel fox. The celebrated solo clarinetist of the Berlin Philharmonic will be on stage with his wife, the flautist yasuko hyotaro. Pianist Monica Gutman and Ramon Jaffé (Cello) - as artistic director of the kammermusikfestes in hopfgarten - complete the high-quality cast of the new year concert in the hopf gartner salvena.
The four play an exclusive program for this evening with works of great composers with selected chamber music from the Vienna Classic About Tango, Flamenco & Jazz.

Die vier spielen ein exklusiv für diesen Abend zusammengestelltes Programm mit Werken großer Komponisten mit ausgewählter Kammermusik von der Wiener Klassik über Tango, Flamenco & Jazz.

– Joseph Haydn - Londoner Trio Nr. 1 C-Dur Hob IV:1 für Flöte, Klarinette & Violoncello
                  1. Allegro moderato
    2. Andante
              3. Finale. Vivace

– Franz Danzi - Variationen über "La ci darem la mano" aus Mozarts "Don Giovanni" für Violoncello & Klavier
– Frédéric Chopin - Variationen über ein Thema von Rossini für Flöte und Klavier
– Aaron Copland - El salon Mexico für Klavier
– Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy - Konzertstück Nr. 2 op 114 für Klarinette, Violoncello & Klavier

– George Gershwin - 3 Preludes für Klarinette & Klavier
– Astor Piazzolla - Oblivión für Flöte, Violoncello & Klavier
– Pedro Bacán / Ramon Jaffé - Guajira für Violoncello
– Astor Piazzolla - Winter & Frühling aus den 4 Jahreszeiten, in einer Fassung für Flöte, Klarinette, Violoncello & Klavier