On December 3rd and 4th I performed with the Winston-Salem Symphony at the beautiful James A. Gray, Jr. Auditorium in the Old Salem Visitor Center. The program included Trittico Botticelliano by Ottorino Respighi and Beethoven Symphony No. 1 with Robert Moody conducting.

Review: http://cvnc.org/article.cfm?articleId=5224

On November 8th I performed a solo faculty recital at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The program follows:

• Cinco peças para canto e fagote (1976) by Francisco Mignone with Elizabeth Pacheco Rose, soprano
• Duo Sonata (1977) by Sofia Gubaidulina with Rachael Elliott, bassoon
• Escape Wisconsin (2006) for solo bassoon by Caleb Burhans
• Sparkling in the Dark (2011) for bassoon, soprano saxophone, and electronics by Lawrence Dillon with Taimur Sullivan, soprano saxophone
• Billie (2003) for bassoon and ghettoblaster by Jacob Ter Veldhuis. Arranged for bassoon by Saxton Rose

This year’s International Double Reed Society Conference in Tempe, AZ was one of the busiest yet, with 3 performances, meetings, and serving as chair of the Young Artist Bassoon Competition. Performances included a recital with Dark in the Song of new works commissioned by the group from Christopher Dietz, Amy Beth Kirsten, Moon Young Ha, and Zhou Juan, a recital with soprano Elizabeth Pacheco Rose of music of Brahms and Mignone, and a late night concert with Dark In the Song.

On May 14, 15, 17, 2011 I performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 and Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphoses with the Winston-Salem Symphony, Robert Moody conducting.

On April 30th I performed Sequenza XII for Bassoon by Berio as part of an all Berio Sequenza concert by faculty of UNCSA. Also on the program were Tadeu Coelho, flute; Sheila Browne, viola; Taimur Sullivan, soprano saxophone; and Brooks Whitehouse, cello. Watch the performance below.

Here’s a review: Luciano Berio’s Sequenza Fascinates Audience, By Peter Perret

On April 19th, I performed with Dark in the Song, a contemporary bassoon collective, as part of the Watson Chamber Music Series at UNCSA. Works by Frank Zappa, Jacob Ter Veldhuis and premieres of works commissioned by Dark in the Song by Chris Dietz, Amy Beth Kirsten, Moon Young Ha and Zhou Juan.

Watch video of the performance.

Soundchecking in Berlin

On March 21st I performed at the Philharmonie, where the Berlin Philharmonic plays, with Alarm Will Sound, one of the world’s premier contemporary chamber orchestras. Three days of rehearsals in New York and a quick trip to Berlin for the concert proved a thrilling and challenging experience. I was blown away by the talent of the group and the focused yet friendly atmosphere Alan Pierson and the members have cultivated. Here’s the program:

Harrison Birtwistle
“Carmen Arcadiae Mechanicae Perpetuum” für Ensemble

Wolfgang Rihm
“Will Sound” für Ensemble

John Adams
“Son of Chamber Symphony” für Kammerensemble

John Orfe
“Dowland Remix” (Flow My Tears)

Aphex Twin
“Cock/Ver 10″ arr. Stefan Freund
“Omgyjya Switch 7″ arr. Evan Hause
“Gwely Mernans” arr. Ken Thomson

Stefan Freund
“Unremixed”

On March 12, 13, and 15 I performed Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, Prokofiev’s Symphony no. 1 and Mozart’s Concerto for Clarinet with the Winston-Salem Symphony at the Steven’s Center in Winston-Salem, NC. Music director Robert Moody and clarinetist Anthony Taylor.

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony of Mendelssohn/Shakespeare: Midsummer Night;s Dream with UNCSA Drama Department February 5-8, 2011.

This past weekend I traveled to Memphis, TN to teach and perform at the annual Double Reed Festival presented by the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis. The event was hosted by University of Memphis bassoon faculty Lecolion Washington and bassoonist Christopher Weait was also a guest. I had a terrific time playing, talking shop and eating BBQ with these excellent bassoonists.