Last weekend I had the immense honor of performing my first concerts with Zéphyros Winds, a wind quintet based in New York City I joined last December. I can’t adequately describe what a joy it is to play with this group of virtuosi. They are an enormous source of inspiration and I can’t wait to play our next concert in April.

On Thursday, February 14th we performed on the Las Vegas Chamber Music Series at UNLV and then again on February 16th at Skidmore College at Zankel Hall. We received a nice review of our Skidmore show.

MUSIC REVIEW : Zéphyros Winds visits Zankel, performs with world-class talent

From November 8-16 I performed with the Rushes Ensemble throughout The Netherlands and Belgium performing Michael Gordon’s new hour-long work for seven bassoons. The piece is a result of the New Music Bassoon Commissioning Fund spearheaded by Dana Jessen. The ensemble is made up of seven of the United States’ leading performers of contemporary bassoon music: Dana Jessen, Rachael Elliott, Michael Harley, Lynn Hileman, Jeffrey Lyman, Saxton Rose, and Maya Stone. We performed the following concerts.

• November 8th at the November Music Festival in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands
• November 10th at the GLOW Festival in Eindhoven, the Netherlands
• November 11th at the Concertgebouw Brugge in Brugge, Belgium
• November 15th at the Ostadetheater in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• November 16th at the Korzo Theater in Den Haag, the Netherlands

On September 15th I had the pleasure of performing the world premiere of Rushes, a piece for seven bassoons by Bang on a Can composer Michael Gordon. The new work is a 60+ minute tour-de-force that takes some inspiration from Gordon’s recent work for percussion, Timber. In the new work Gordon shifts polyrhythmic material not only through timbre and dynamics, but by weaving melodic lines into the kaleidoscopic waves of rhythmic texture.

The premiere took place at EMPAC—The Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, an unbelievable facility in Troy, NY. During our residency there we recording the work for a 2013 release on Cantaloupe Records.

The Rushes ensemble (Dana Jessen, Saxton Rose, Rachael Elliott, Jeffrey Lyman, Lynn Hileman, Maya Stone, and Michael Harley) takes Rushes on a European tour in November 2012:

November 8 – November Music Festival in Den Bosch
November 10 – GLOW Festival in Eindoven
November 11 – Rushes and Timber at the SURROUND Festival in Brugge
November 15 – Ostadetheater in Amsterdam
November 16 – Korzo Theater in Den Haag

See previous schedules: 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12

The following is Saxton Rose’s performance and event schedule for the 2012/2013 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.

August 25:

Performance of Martinu’s Revue de Cuisine with the Carolina Chamber Symphony. Tickets/Info

September 7:

Recital to benefit the restoration and installation of a rare 1898 Hook & Hastings pipe organ at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, NC. Program includes J. S. Bach’s Partita in a minor for solo bassoon, and the Triébert/Jancourt Fantasia Concertante on the theme of Rossini op. 15 for bassoon, oboe, and piano.
Article on the organ project.

September 9-16:

Premiering Michael Gordon’s Rushes, an hour-long piece for seven amplified bassoons. This premiere performance is the culmination of a week-long recording residency at EMPAC for release on NYC’s Cantaloupe Records. More info

8pm, EMPAC: Experimental Music and Performing Arts Center, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York

September 21, 22, 23:

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony and violinist Jennifer Koh. Sibelius Violin Concerto, Copland Sym. No. 3 and Beethoven Leonore Overture. Tickets/Info

October 13, 14, 16:

Performance with the W-S Symphony of Tchaikovsky’s Sym No. 5, Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi and Zhou Tian’s A Thousand Years of Good Prayers. Tickets/Info

October 27:

UNCSA’s contemporary music ensemble nu makes its return under the direction of Saxton Rose with a diverse program of music of today by composers such as Randall Woolf, Wolfgang Rihm, Giacinto Scelsi, Benjamin Broening, and Caleb Burhans. 7:30pm at Watson Recital Hall, UNCSA.

November 8-16: Fall 2012 European Tour of Michael Gordon’s Rushes, an hour-long piece for seven amplified bassoons.

• November 8th at the November Music Festival in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands
• November 10th at the GLOW Festival in Eindhoven, the Netherlands
• November 11th at the Concertgebouw Brugge in Brugge, Belgium
• November 15th at the Ostadetheater in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• November 16th at the Korzo Theater in Den Haag, the Netherlands

December 3-7:

Performances and master classes in Chengdu, China at the Sichuan Conservatory

December 18, 19:

Performances of Handel’s Messiah with the W-S Symphony

January 12, 13, 15, 2013:

Performances as soloist with the W-S Symphony of Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto, K.191.Tickets/Info

January 19, 2013:

Performance of Mozart’s Quintet for Piano and Winds with UNCSA faculty. 7:30pm Watson Recital Hall, UNCSA.

January 25, 26, 27, 2013: Performances with Ventus, the resident wind quintet at UNCSA

Enter the sophisticated world of French music for winds with a concert of light-hearted, humor-filled, full throttle virtuoso antics for flute, clarinet, oboe, horn, and bassoon. Music of Ibert, Debussy, Poulenc, Milhaud, and Dukas with Tadeu Coelho, flute; David Jolley, French horn; Robin Driscoll, oboe; Oskar Espina-Ruiz, clarinet; Saxton Rose, bassoon.

• January 25, 7:30pm Tryon Palace Performing Arts Series, at Cullman Hall, Tryon Palace; New Bern, NC Tickets/Info
• January 26, 8pm The American Music Festival Concert Series in Beaufort, NC. Tickets/Info
• January 27, 7:30pm Beckwith Recital Hall, Wilmington, NC. Tickets/Info

January 29:

Performance as director of UNCSA’s contemporary music ensemble nu. Student composers concert.

February 1-3: Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet Residency at UNCSA

The Berlin Phil Quintet will give master classes, topical clinics during the residency as well as a recital in Watson Hall on the UNCSA campus February 2 at 7:30pm.

Friday, Feb 1

• 3pm-4:45pm: Chamber music master class by Berlin Phil Quintet for UNCSA student groups
• 5pm-7pm: Individual studio master classes by Berlin Phil Quintet members for UNCSA students

Saturday, Feb 2

UNCSA faculty and Berlin Phil Quintet members invite clarinet, bassoon, oboe, flute, and saxophone students of all ages to the UNCSA campus for a full day of classes, workshops, and performances.

• 10am-10:30am: Short opening Concert w/ Berlin Phil Quintet and UNCSA wind faculty of Gounod’s Petite Symphonie
• 11am-12:30pm: Clinic with Berlin Phil Quintet and Middle School/High School students
• 12:30pm: Lunch all together, students, UNCSA faculty, Berlin Phil Quintet
• 1:30pm: Workshops with UNCSA faculty
• 7:30pm: Berlin Phil Quintet evening concert

Sunday, Feb 3

• Master classes with Berlin Quintet members

February 8-10:

Featured Guest Artist at the University of Nebraska Double Reed Day with host, Jeffrey McCray. Friday, February 8 Recital, Saturday February 9 master classes.

February 13:

Master classes at UNLV in Las Vegas, NV with Zéphyros Winds

February 14:

Performance with Zéphyros Winds in Las Vegas, NV as part of the UNLV Chamber Music Series at the The Doc Rando Recital, Lee & Thomas Beam Music Center. Tickets/Info
Program:
Ravel: Tombeau de Couperin
Klughart: Quintet
Pierne: Suite Pittoresque
Szervansky: Quintet

February 16:

Performance with Zéphyros Winds at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY
Program:
Ravel: Tombeau de Couperin
Klughart: Quintet
Pierne: Suite Pittoresque
Szervansky: Quintet

February 23:

Join woodwind faculty virtuosos Tadeu Coelho, Robin Driscoll, Oskar Espina-Ruiz, Saxton Rose, and Taimur Sullivan for an evening of music from the Baroque, one of the richest and most diverse periods in music history. Watson Recital Hall, 7:30pm

March 3:

Performance with Wet Ink Ensemble of music of Dan Ruccia. Durham, NC.

March 22:

Performance as concerto soloist of Dana Wilson’s Avatar (2005) Concerto for Bassoon and Chamber Winds, with the UNCSA wind ensemble. 7:30pm, Crawford Hall

April 4:

Performance with Sir James Galway and the W-S Symhpony, 7:30pm, R.J. Reynolds Memorial Auditorium. Tickets/Info

April 8:

Concert with Zéphyros Winds at Saint Francis College in Brooklyn, NY

April 21:

Performance with Dark in the Song of music for bassoon ensemble. 7:30 pm, Motorco Music Hall. Tickets/Info

April 24:

Recital in Puebla, Mexico as part of the Capilla del Arte Series. Master classes at Universidad de las Américas

May 12, 14:

Performance with the Winston-Salem Symphony of Hovhaness’ Symphony No. 2, Mason Bates’ Liquid Interface and the Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition. Tickets/Info

June 25:

Performance as concerto soloist at the IDRS conference in Redlands, CA. Philippe Hersant’s Eight Pieces for Bassoon and Ensemble.

On July 11, 2012 I performed a solo recital at the International Double Reed Society Conference in Miami, OH.

On the program was a new arrangement of Randall Woolf’s piece ‘Everything is Green,’ originally for flute, piano and soundtrack. I also performed Philippe Hersant’s solo work ‘Hopi.’

The photo to the left is during a pre-concert chat I did on the two works.

Last weekend (February 17, 18) I was the guest artist at the University of Texas-Arlington’s Double Reed Weekend. I had a terrific time working with Prof. Scott Pool’s UTA students in master class and with young area students. I performed a solo recital including the music of Bach, Rossini, Tamplini, and Philippe Hersant. Especially memorable was the Texas barbecue joint Angelo’s in Forth Worth.

From February 4-6 I was a guest artist at my alma mater University of Colorado-Boulder. I performed a recital including the music of Brahms, Mignone, Philippe Hersant, and Tamplini. Narrowly avoiding flight cancelations because of a harrowing snow storm, I made it just in time to give a master class with the terrific bassoon studio there of Yoshi Ishikawa. Students performed the works of Jolivet, John Williams, Vivaldi, and Nussio.

See previous schedules: 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11

The following is Saxton Rose’s performance and event schedule for the 2011/2012 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.

May 31 – June 4:

Performances at the International Double Reed Society conference in Tempe, AZ. 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 and a recital with soprano Elizabeth Pacheco Rose of music of Brahms and Mignone.

June 11:

Recital in Oswego, NY with pianist Rob Auler. Repertoire TBD

June 19-24:

Hosting the Double Reed Workshop at UNCSA. More information: http://www.uncsa.edu/summersession/music.htm

July 26-31:

Teaching and performing as faculty at the Quartz Mountain Music Festival in Southwest Oklahoma. More information

September 10:

Performance of Schubert’s Octet with UNCSA faculty at Watson Recital Hall. 7:30pm

September 11:

Performance of Schubert’s Octet with UNCSA faculty in Wilmington, NC at Beckwith Recital Hall as part of Chamber Music Wilmington. 7:30pm More information.

September 17, 18, 20:

Performances with Winston-Salem Symphony of Brahms’ Symphony no. 4, Grieg’s Piano Concerto and Fanfare to La Peri by Dukas

October 15, 16, 18:

Performances with Winston-Salem Symphony of Dvořák’s Symphony no. 7 and Ralph Vaughn William’s The Wasps.

October 17:

UNCSA hosts Heliand Consort presenting “The Lightness of Being” 20th century French music for winds and piano on Monday, October 17 at 7:30 pm in Watson Recital Hall, at UNCSA. Cynthia Huard, pianist; Elisabeth LeBlanc, clarinetist; Rachael Elliott, bassoonist. More information

October 28, 30 and November 1:

Performances with Piedmont Opera of Mozart’s Don Giovanni

November 3:

Premiere performance of new work for bassoon, soprano saxophone and electronics by Lawrence Dillon entitled ‘Sparkling in the Dark’ as part of the Forecast Music Series at The Garage in Winston-Salem, NC

November 8:

Solo faculty recital at UNCSA in Watson Recital Hall. Music of Jacob TV, Caleb Burhans, Henri Dutilleux, Sofia Gubaidulina, Francisco Mignone and a new work for bassoon, soprano saxophone and electronics by Lawrence Dillon

November 20, 22:

Performances with Winston-Salem Symphony of Bach’s St. John Passion

December 3, 4:

Performances with Winston-Salem Symphony Chamber Orchestra at Old Salem including Respighi’s Trittico botticelliano and Beethoven Symphony No. 1

December 13, 14, 15, 16:

Performances with Winston-Salem Symphony of Handel’s Messiah at Centenary United Methodist Church, Winston-Salem

January 10:

Performance of Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale. Watson Recital Hall, UNCSA

January 14, 15, 17:

Performances with Winston-Salem Symphony of Shostakovich’s Symphony no. 1 and music of Villa-Lobos, Bloch and Rossini

February 5-6:

Solo Recital and Masterclass at University of Colorado – Boulder. Recital February 5th, 2pm Grusin Music Hall. More information.

February 17-18:

Solo Recital and Masterclass as guest artist of the University of Texas-Arlington Double Reed Weekend. Contact Scott Pool, cspool@uta.edu for more information.

February 25:

Chamber music recital with the UNCSA woodwind faculty presenting a concert of classic French repertoire by Debussy and friends in celebration of his 150th birth year. 7:30pm, Watson Recital Hall

March 11-12:

Residency at Bowling Green State University with Dark in the Song, Contemporary Bassoon Ensemble. Recital March 12th includes works by Christopher Dietz, Amy Beth Kirsten, Jacob TV, Sofia Gubaidulina. 8 p.m., Bryan Recital Hall

March 20:

New Sounds, Innovation and Virtuosity. Guest composer Robert Yekovich, former Dean of Music, joins faculty composer Michael Rothkopf in a concert of premieres, featuring the new sound worlds available through the combination of innovative technology and virtuosic new music performers. Saxton Rose will give the world premiere of Michael Rothkopf’s new work At a Crossroads for Bassoon and Computer. Tickets.

March 25, 27:

Performances with Winston-Salem Symphony of Beethoven’s 5th symphony and music of Strauss and Kevin Puts. Stevens Center, Winston-Salem

April 6:

Performance with Dark in the Song of Amy Beth Kirsten’s World Under Glass No. 1 in Chicago at Chicago College of Performing Arts – Roosevelt University. Ganz Recital Hall, 7:30pm.

May 4:

Recital in Puebla, Mexico. Music of Brahms, Berio, Mignone, Dutilleux

May 6-9:

Dark in the Song, Contemporary Bassoon Ensemble guest artist residency in Morelia, Mexico as part of the Centro Mexicano para la Música y las Artes Sonoras. Recital and composer workshops. More information

May 12, 13, 15:

Performances with the Winston-Salem Symphony of Orff’s Carmina Burana and music of Respighi and Brahms.

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”

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.