On March 27th I will perform a solo recital as part of the Watson Hall Recital Series at UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, NC. If you’re in there area, I hope you can make it. Here’s the information:

“Guided by Voices: Music for Bassoon Inspired by Song”
Music of Brahms, de Falla, Luigi Orselli and Philippe Hersant. With UNCSA faculty members Sheila Browne, viola and Karen Beres, piano along with guests Elizabeth Pacheco Rose, soprano and Rebecca Pacheco Mordo, piano.

• Philippe Hersant: Hopi for solo bassoon
• Brahms: Zwei Gesänge, Op.91
• Luigi Orselli: Reminiscenze su “La Traviata” di G. Verdi
• Philippe Hersant: Duo Sephardim
• Manuel de Falla: Suite Populaire Espagno

Mar. 27, 7:30 p.m. at Watson Chamber Music Hall
$12 adults / $10 seniors and students

Watson Hall (UNCSA Campus) Box Office:
Noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday
Phone Number: (336) 734-2872 or (336) 721-1945

I’m excited to have learned that I will be performing at the International Double Reed Society Conference again this summer with our newly formed bassoon ensemble. The recital (Tuesday, June 22 at 4pm in Sharp Concert Hall) is entitled ‘Music for Bassoons and Ghetto Blaster’ and will feature new music and new arrangements for amplified bassoon and amplified bassoon ensemble with prepared tape and onstage video projection. Our as yet unnamed group is Rachael Elliott, Michael Harley, Lynn Hileman, Peter Kolkay and myself.

Here’s the program:

Music for Bassoons and Ghetto Blaster

• 21 Miles to Coolville (2009) *World Premiere, by David Smooke for solo bassoon and three accompanying bassoons with video projection.
  Michael Harley with Rachael Elliott, Peter Kolkay and Lynn Hileman
• Billie (2003) by Jacob Ter Veldhuis for bassoon and ghetto blaster (prepared tape).
  Arranged for bassoon and performed by Saxton Rose
• Tetrishead (2004) by Zoe Keating. Arranged for four bassoons by Lynn Hileman.
  Rachael Elliott, Michael Harley, Lynn Hileman and Saxton Rose
• Press Release (1991) by David Lang for solo amplified bassoon.
  Performed by Rachael Elliott
• Pitch Black (1998) by Jacob Ter Veldhuis for bassoon ensemble and ghetto blaster (prepared tape). Arranged for bassoons by Saxton Rose.
  Rachael Elliott, Michael Harley, Lynn Hileman, Peter Kolkay and Saxton Rose

Keith Sweger, professor of bassoon at Ball State University in Indiana presented a master class and recital at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts on February 25th.

The program included Gernot Wolfgang’s Three Short Stories for bassoon and viola, Libby Larsen’s Jazz Variations for solo bassoon, Weber’s Concerto for Bassoon and ‘Una voce poco fa’ from The Barber of Seville for two bassoons with Prof. Sweger and myself. Robert Rocco played piano and Prof. Sweger was joined by Ball State violist Philip Tietze.

On February 15th I gave a lecture-recital on extended bassoon techniques at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, IN. A focal point of the talk was using the International Phonetic Alphabet to describe and explain various internally generated extended techniques such as flutter-tongue, multi-phonics and harmonics. I used as examples, Sequenza XII of Berio and Huit pièces pour basson et ensemble instrumental by Philippe Hersant, among other works. Thank you to Professors William Ludwig and Kathleen Mclean for having me as a guest.

On February 16th I presented a master class and solo recital at Butler University in Indianapolist, IN. I had a terrific time working with the students there and performing with bassoon professor Doug Spaniol.

The Halcyon Wind Quintet, a chamber ensemble I coach at UNCSA won the MTNA Southern Regional Competition last weekend in Mobile, Alabama after winning the North Carolina State competition in October. They now move on to the national competition in Albuquerque, New Mexico on March 20th. Read the press release below.

WINSTON-SALEM – A University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) student chamber music ensemble won the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Chamber Music Performance Southern Region Competition this past weekend.

The Halcyon Wind Quintet performed Quintets for Winds by composers Carl Neilsen and Elliot Carter. The group was praised by judges for its “elegant musicality, dynamic range, and excellent intonation.”

The quintet now advances to the MTNA Chamber Music National Finals, to be held in Albuquerque, N.M., at the MTNA National Conference, on March 20. The national winner of this competition receives a cash prize and will perform in a Winners Concert during the conference.

The MTNA Chamber Music Performance Southern Region Competition, held in Birmingham, Ala., brought together the top collegiate chamber groups from the eight states that make up the Southern Region. The Halcyon Winds won the North Carolina competition in October 2009 to advance to regional competition in Alabama.

The Halcyon Wind Quintet was established in September 2008 at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under the tutelage of former clarinet teacher Igor Begelman. They gave their first ensemble recital in May 2009 and are frequent recitalists, performing in schools as part of community outreach, and in venues throughout North Carolina.

The ensemble is currently under the tutelage of Saxton Rose, UNCSA School of Music artist-faculty member in bassoon.

The Halcyon Wind Quintet includes the following student artists:

• Erika Boysen, flute, a college senior from Des Moines, Iowa
• Michael Dwinell, oboe, a college junior from Asheville, N.C.
• Allison Bates, clarinet, a college junior from Winston-Salem
• Kristen Goguen, bassoon, a Professional Artist Certificate candidate from Lexington, Ky.
• Gretchen Wetherald, horn, a Master of Music candidate from Cincinnati, Ohio

Also at the MTNA Southern Region Competition, UNCSA School of Music student Ben Robinette, saxophone, won the title of First Alternate in the MTNA Young Artist Performance Woodwind Division. He is a first-year graduate student from Burke, Va.

The Music Teachers National Association is a nonprofit organization composed of 24,000 independent and collegiate music teachers committed to advancing the value of music study and music making to society and to supporting the professionalism of music teachers. Founded in 1876, Music Teachers National Association is the oldest professional music association in the United States.

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts is the first state-supported, residential school of its kind in the nation. Established as the North Carolina School of the Arts by the N.C. General Assembly in 1963, UNCSA opened in Winston-Salem (“The City of the Arts”) in 1965 and became part of the University of North Carolina system in 1972. More than 1,100 students from middle school through graduate school train for careers in the arts in five professional schools: Dance, Design and Production (including a Visual Arts Program), Drama, Filmmaking, and Music. UNCSA is the state’s only public arts conservatory, dedicated entirely to the professional training of talented students in the performing, visual and moving image arts. Internationally renowned conductor John Mauceri has been chancellor of UNCSA since 2006. UNCSA is located at 1533 S. Main St., Winston-Salem. For more information, visit www.uncsa.edu.

Bassoonists Lynn Hileman and Rachael Elliott (pictured below) performed a recital and master class at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts Tuesday, December 8th at 4:30pm in Hood Recital Hall. Students of Saxton Rose performed in the master class and the recital program included the works below.

• Bounce (1988), Michael Daugherty
• Duo Sonata (1977), Sofia Gubaidulina
• Nocturnal Residents (1989), Chiel Meijering
• Lacrimosa (1991), Louis Andriessen
• Black (2008), Marc Mellits

More photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/saxton/tags/tuple/
Tuple is dedicated to exploring and expanding the contemporary repertoire for two bassoons, with a virtuosic repertoire spanning Russian mystical, funk-inspired American, and other modern genres, from absurdist to minimalist, electronic to static.
http://tuplemusic.org/

I had the pleasure of performing solo recitals, giving master classes and teaching lessons at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana last week. I had a terrific time working with both bassoon studios and with Professors Keith Sweger and Timothy McGovern. These are two very strong programs. The recital programs inlcuded:

• Vivaldi: Concerto for bassoon in d minor, F.VIII, No. 5
• Telemann: Fantasie for solo bassoon No. 1 in C major, No. 2 in d minor and No. 3 in d minor
• Hersant: Hopi for solo bassoon
• Hersant: Niggun for solo bassoon
• Mozart: Sonata, K. 292 for two bassoons

In addition to the other grants, scholarships, and federal loans available to students, the following are being offered for the 2010-2011 academic year:

Bassoon Studio Graduate Assistantship
The School of Music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts offers the Master of Music and Professional Artist Certificate for Bassoon. The bassoon assistantship is available beginning in the 2010-2011 academic year. Responsibilities include: Perform with the graduate woodwind quintet; 3 hours per week determined by professor; monitoring reed hours. Outside performance opportunities may include work with the Winston-Salem Symphony, other regional orchestras and community outreach performances.

Graduate Tuition Reductions
Graduate Tuition Reductions cover the full cost of tuition. Tuition reductions are awarded based on the recommendation of the School of Music faculty.

Additional Awards
Music scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis, based on the recommendations of the School of Music faculty.

Download the flyer with assistantship and other scholarship information:
http://www.saxtonrose.com/temp/UNCSA_Bassoon2010.pdf

For information on how to apply:
http://www.saxtonrose.com/teaching/apply/

NOTE: For full consideration for scholarships or assistantship, applicants should audition by February 16th, 2010.

Contact me for more information or:

Steve LaCosse
Interim Dean for Graduate Studies
Telephone: (336) 631-1537
Email: lacosses@uncsa.edu
Online: www.uncsa.edu

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts was founded as the nation’s first public conservatory for the arts, dedicated entirely to the intensive training and career development of aspiring artists in the performing, visual and moving image arts. Degrees are available at the undergraduate, masters, post-masters, and high school level.

An article appeared recently in the North Carolina newspaper YES! Weekly from an interview I gave writer Keith Barber. A link to the article is here.

The following is Saxton Rose’s performance and event schedule for the 2009/2010 season. It is subject to change so if you have questions about attending an event, please contact me.
Map to University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

September 12, 13, 15:

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony including Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto no. 3 and Suite from Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky.

October 2, 4, 6:

Performances with Piedmont Opera of Hansel and Gretel, More information

October 10:

Performance with the Winston-Salem Symphony and pianist Awadagin Pratt. 7:30 pm Reynolds Auditorium.

October 27, 28:

Solo recital and master class at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Contact Keith Sweger ksweger@bsu.edu for more information.

October 29, 30:

Solo recital and Masterclass at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Contact Timothy McGovern tsmcgove@uiuc.edu for more information.

November 22, 24:

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony including Peace Overture for Orchestra by Peck; Schicksalslied (Song of Fate) by Brahms; Requiem by Lloyd Webber

December 5:

Woodwind Day at UNCSA. Bassoon master class, reed making seminar, bassoon ensemble concert and a performance with the UNCSA woodwind faculty including Beethoven’s Duo for Bassoon and Clarinet with Alexander Fiterstein and a solo performance. Download the flyer or contact me for more information.

December 8:

Guest artist recital and master class at UNCSA featuring the bassoon duo Tuple, Rachael Elliott and Lynn Hileman. 4:30pm in Hood Recital Hall. Please contact me for more information.

December 15, 16, 21:

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony of Handel’s Messiah

January 16:

Performance of Stravinsky’s Histoire du soldat/The Soldier’s Tale with Oleander Chamber Orchestra in Wilmington, NC.

February 5:

Performance as soloist with UNCSA contemporary music ensemble nu of Philippe Hersant’s Huit pièces pour basson et ensemble instrumental. Ransom Wilson conducting.

February 6, 7 and 9:

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony of Shostakovich’s Symphony no. 10 in E minor, op. 93 and Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F Major

February 13:

Performance of Mejunje del fagobongo for bassoon and bongo by Alfonso Fuentes; Latin Love Op. 82 by Miguel del Aguila for wind quintet and piano; El Corazón Delator (The Accusing Heart) by Eduardo Morales-Caso for bassoon, flute and clarinet. Tadeu Coelho, flute; Joseph Robinson, oboe; Alexander Fiterstein, clarinet; David Jolley, horn; John R. Beck, bongo. 7:30 p.m., Watson Chamber Music Hall at UNCSA.

February 15:

Solo recital and Masterclass at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, IN. Contact William Ludwig wludwig@indiana.edu for more information.

February 16:

Solo recital and Masterclass at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN. Contact Douglas Spaniol dspaniol@butler.edu for more information.

February 25:

Keith Sweger, bassoon professor at Ball State University recital and master class at UNCSA. 3:45pm master class in Hood Recital Hall, 8pm recital in Crawford Hall. Please contact me for more information.

March 13, 14, 10:

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony including Brandenburg Concerto no. 2 in F Major by Bach, Concerto for Mandolin by Thile

March 27:

Solo recital at UNCSA. “Guided by Voices: Music for Bassoon Inspired by Song” Program includes works by Phillipe Hersant, de Falla, Donizetti and Brahms. With pianist Karen Beres, violist Sheila Browne and soprano Elizabeth Pacheco Rose. 7:30 p.m., Watson Chamber Music Hall at UNCSA

April 9, 11, 13:

Performances with Piedmont Opera of Turandot, More information

April 10:

Performance with the Winston-Salem Symphony and Chris Botti, trumpet

April 15:

Solo recital and master class at Lawrence Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin. Contact Monte Perkins monte.perkins@lawrence.edu for more information.

April 16:

Solo recital and master class at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Contact Marc Vallon vallon@wisc.edu for more information.

April 19:

Solo recital and master class at the University of Minnesota – Duluth. Contact Jefferson Campbell jcampbel@d.umn.edu for more information.

April 26-May 1:

Teaching residency at the Universidad de Costa Rica in San José. Solo recital as part of the ‘Martes por la Noche’ concert series April 27th. Contact Isabel Jeremis at fagotisa@hotmail.com for more information.

May 16, 17:

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony of Mahler’s Symphony no. 5

May 18-23:

Judge, along with Stefano Canuti and Siegfried Miklin for the Bassoon Competition in Bogotá, Colombia as part of the ‘Encuentro Nacional de Fagotistas’ sponsored by the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia. Master classes May 18, 19, 2010

June 21-26:

Performances at the International Double Reed Society Conference in Norman, OK.

July 19-23:

UNCSA Summer Bassoon Workshop. More information

July 24-31:

Performances and teaching residency at the Quartz Mountain Music Festival and Orchestra Academy. More information

2008/2009

September 18, 20, 21 and 22:

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony of Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben.

October 11:

Performance with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra of Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, Roberto Sierra’s Fandangos and Beethoven’s Symphony no. 3; José Ramos Santana, piano; Maximiano Valdés, conducting. 8pm Centro de Bellas Artes, San Juan, Puerto Rico

October 21:

Performance of Gubaidulina’s Duo Sonata with UNCSA faculty member Taimur Sullivan on baritone saxophone. 7:30 p.m., Watson Chamber Music Hall at UNCSA

November 22:

Performance with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra of Smetana’s Overture to The Bartered Bride, Debussy’s La Mer and Brahms’ Violin Concerto with Sarah Chang, violin; Luis Biava, conducting. 8pm Centro de Bellas Artes, San Juan, Puerto Rico

December 6:

Woodwind Day at UNCSA. Bassoon master class, reed making seminar, bassoon ensemble concert and a performance with the UNCSA woodwind faculty including André Previn’s Sonata for Bassoon and Piano and Mendelssohn’s Concertpiece No. 2 with clarinetist Igor Belgelman and pianist Alex Maynegre.

December 18, 19:

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony of Handel’s Messiah

January 19:

Performance with Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos conducting the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra of a program including Stravinsky’s The Firebird and Respighi’s Fountains of Rome. 8pm Centro de Bellas Artes, San Juan, Puerto Rico

January 24:

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf

January 27:

Performance with UNCSA faculty of Mozart’s Quintet in E flat major for Piano and Winds. 7:30pm in Watson Chamber Music Hall

January 29:

Bassoonist Charles McCracken recital and master class at UNCSA.

February 7, 8 and 10:

Performance as soloist with the Winston-Salem Symphony of Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante, K 297b; Robert Moody, conductor. Also on the program is Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra. More information

February 14:

Performance of Gubaidulina’s Quasi Hoquetus for viola, bassoon and piano with UNCSA faculty members, Sheila Browne and Karen Beres. 7:30 p.m., Watson Chamber Music Hall at UNCSA

February 16:

Recital and master class at the University of South Carolina hosted by Professor Peter Kolkay. For more information, email Peter Kolkay at pkolkay@mozart.sc.edu

February 19:

William Ludwig, professor of bassoon at Indiana University – Bloomington, will present a master class and recital at UNCSA. The master class will take place from 2:00-4:00pm and the recital is in Watson Hall at 6:00pm. More information.

March 6, 8, 10:

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony and JoAnn Falletta of Schumann’s Manfred Overture and Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D Major. More information

March 31:

Performance of Elliott Carter’s Au Quai for viola and bassoon with UNCSA faculty member Sheila Browne. 7:30 p.m., Watson Chamber Music Hall at UNCSA

April 3, 5, 7:

Performances with Piedmont Opera of The Marriage of Figaro, More information

April 4:

Chamber music concert with UNCSA flutist, Tadeu Coelho, harpsichordist Eric Larsen including Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras No.6 for flute and bassoon. 7:30 p.m., Watson Chamber Music Hall at UNCSA

April 18, 19, 21:

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony of Ravel’s Bolero and music of Turina, de Falla and Rodrigo. More information.

May 16, 17, 19:

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor

May 29:

Performance with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra of Ravel’s Rapsodia española and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Shéhérazade. Maximiano Valdés, conducting. 8pm Centro de Bellas Artes, San Juan, Puerto Rico

June 21 – July 4:

Teaching at the UNCSA Summer music program. Learn more

July 12, 13:

Performances as part of the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival in Highlands and Cashiers North Carolina. Solo and chamber music concerts including the Villa-Lobos and Francaix trios for oboe, clarinet and bassoon with Laura Ardan, clarinet and John Dee, oboe; and TBD solo repertoire. More information

July 21-25:

Solo and chamber music recitals as invited guest at the International Double Reed Society Conference in Birmingham, England. Solo recital to include music of Jacob Ter Veldhuis, Brian Ebert and Telemann.