Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony January 7th and 9th of Rimsky Korsokov’s Scheherazade, Sibelius’ Finlandia, op. 26, Berg’s Violin Concerto and Brubeck’s Interplay for Three Violins. Robert Moody, conductor; Charles Dimmick, violin.

Together with my former colleagues at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, I performed an exciting program of chamber music of composers Roberto Sierra (b. 1953), Alfonso Fuentes (b. 1954) and Raymond Torres (b.1958), three Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music alumni who have successfully brought the rich culture of the Caribe into the realm of classical music. The concert included unique solos, duos and trios for clarinet, bassoon, cello, piano and bongos that range from Fuentes’ Grammy-nominated “Voces del Barrio” for clarinet solo and “Mejunje del fagobongo” for bassoon and bongos, to the “Salsa on the C string” for cello and piano by Sierra and the Hollywood-inspired trio for clarinet, cello and piano by Torres. The lively dances of the Caribe —bomba, plena, salsa, mambo— are a constant inspiration in this program, which ends closer to home, with the boogie-woogie of the Sonata by Sierra. “Bongo Pasión,” the work for bongos by Fuentes that gives name to the program, was a world première.

“Unlike much of the classical music written today, which sometimes can be hard to grasp at a first hearing, the music of Fuentes and Sierra is well rooted in recognizable dances of the Caribe, sometimes tinted by jazz harmonies, creating an earthy sound that can be understood right away,” says Oskar Espina Ruiz, who, in addition to being artistic and executive director of Treetops Chamber Music Society in Stamford, CT, and clarinet professor at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, is the curator of “BONGO PASSION”.

The tour schedule included a concerts at Symphony Space, the newly renovated Museo del Barrio Hecksher Theater, a composers forum at Manhattan School of Music, and a concert at Loft Artists Gallery in Stamford, CT.

Performances of Verdi’s Il Trovatore with The Piedmont Opera on October 1, 3 and 5. James Allbritten, conductor.

On September 27th I performed with Renée Fleming and the Winston-Salem Symphony. What a terrific experience performing with one of the world’s great artists. On the program was Strauss’ Don Juan, Mahler’s Rückertlieder, Wagner’s ‘Siegfried’s Rhine Journey’ from Götterdämmerung, and lighter selections sung by Ms. Fleming.

From July 18-23 I performed as principal bassoon and taught as part of the 2010 Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Summer Music Festival. The orchestra performance included works by Mahler, Strauss and Wagner with conductor, Lawrence Renes. A terrific festival orchestra and I really enjoyed working with the IU bassoon students.

I traveled directly to Oklahoma to perform and teach at the Quartz Mountain Music Festival and Orchestra Academy. Again working with some great bassoon students and performing as principal with the festival orchestra under Michael Palmer. This is a wonderful festival in a beautiful location (Oklahoma, who knew?). Of course I made a trip to Meers Store and Restaurant for one of their famous cheeseburgers.

My contemporary bassoon ensemble, Dark in the Song performed June 16th at The White Mule, a music bar in Columbia, SC as part of the 21 Sounds new music series. Below is some video from the show.

On June 22nd we performed at the International Double Reed Society conference in Norman, OK.

On the program were exciting works from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang Press Release, Dutch “avant-pop” composer Jacob Ter Veldius Pitch Black and Billie, “avant cellist” Zoe Keating, Tayloe Harding and George Fetner (whose Black Lion features guitar effects pedals and an unofficial world premiere from Baltimore-based microtonal composer David Smooke.

On May 20th I performed Mozart’s Concerto for Bassoon with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá. The concert coincided with the ‘Encuentro Nacional de Fagotistas’ sponsored by the National Symphony of Colombia. As the featured guest artist, I taught master classes with bassoon students from across Colombia and judged the national bassoon competition. These events were expertly organized by Zulma Bautista, bassoonist in the National Symphony. I was enamored by the country and its people and thrilled at the talent of the bassoon students.

Rehearsing with the symphony:

On May 24th I performed a Vivaldi bassoon concerto as soloist with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Caldas in Manizales, Colombia. Additionally I taught master classes as part of the Batuta system, a national youth orchestra program modeled after El Sistema music education program in Venezuela.

A promotional advertisement for the concert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsqvLBfpVOU

From April 26th to May 1st I performed and taught at the Universidad de Costa Rica in San José, Costa Rica. I performed a solo recital as part of the ‘Martes por la Noche’ concert series April 27th, taught master classes, reed making seminars and private lessons working with the fabulously talented bassoon studio of maestra Isabel Jeremías.

From April 15th to the 20th I performed solo recitals and taught master classes at Lawrence Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin; University of Wisconsin – Madison; and University of Minnesota – Duluth. What a great privilege to work with and get to know professors Marc Vallon, Jefferson Campbell and Monte Perkins and to work with their students.