This composer is full of ferocious joy and energy, and this relatively short (13′) concerto has enthusiastically kicked my butt for the last few months. I’m truly looking forward to the event of playing it live with the committed and strong students at SUNY Fredonia with their leader, Dr Paula Holcomb.
I have made mixed media art as an almost unconscious part of the reflection and integration of this challenging and dynamic and very new piece of music.
And here is a quote from the composer:
“Music for me is an embrace of the world – a way to open myself up to being alive in the world in my body, in my sounds, and in my mind.”— Augusta Read Thomas
CBC is re-broadcasting my episode of “This Is My Music” program on Saturday, January 22, 2022, 10 am – noon on CBC Music/Radio 2 and streaming live here
This is from the time that Canada’s national radio station asked me to highlight some of the music I love. This invitation was a career highlight that surprised me because thus I joined a really illustrious lineup of fellow-performer-guest-hosts. Check out some of the other stellar hosts.
And my show will be available online for streaming at on Friday morning, January 21 here.
And while technically this show is geo-fenced to Canada-only, I think that clever, persistent people from beyond our borders can find their way in somehow… not sure how, but it has happened!
Today we released another of the color versions of the artwork that Tobias Sid John has created for my book, Solitary Refinement.
The featured work was created for my Thank You page and is called Dedication. I love how Tobias captured the earnest, happy gratitude of the musician while keeping our eyes and imaginations focused on the transcendent bassoon.
There are about 50 new products with this lovely unicorn-coloured floating bassoon and the elfin, purple-booted bassoonist. Everything from stickers, notebooks, cards to T shirts, hoodies, cups, masks, comforters and even furniture.
I am so incredibly happy to tell you that my next concerto will be written by the luminous Augusta Read Thomas Commissioned by the State University of New York at Fredonia, spearheaded by conductor Paula Holcomb, this new work for solo bassoon and wind ensemble will be premiered and recorded at the end of April, 2022. Read more about this visionary project.
We are an organization of professional bassoonists, teachers and students devoted to promoting the bassoon and in particular, helping students in remote parts of Canada to receive the support they need. And by remote, we mean locations that don’t have easy access to bassoon teachers and instruments (just about everywhere).
Through education and performances, both live and on CD, we give prospective bassoon players and listeners an opportunity to hear our noble instrument and become enchanted by it, just as we were—and are!
We also sponsor concerts and recordings involving bassoonists in solo and ensemble settings. Often these focus on presenting the bassoon in new and unusual ways, featuring the finest in Canadian bassoon playing as well as outstanding foreign artists.
On the education front, we put students in touch with teachers, and support them, sponsorING live events that bring students and professionals together.
As a federally-registered education charity, we can supply tax receipts for all donations of equipment, including bassoons, reeds, and music, as well as funds for scholarships and instrument maintenance.
We know that a world of possibility exists within the voice of the complex and rare bassoon; we are willing to go the extra mile to support both the instrument and the students. Please join us!
