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.

Kristin Wolfe Jensen, Professor of Bassoon at the University of Texas at Austin will be on campus at UNCSA as a guest artist October 7th. She will give a master class at 3:45pm in Crawford Hall and a recital in Watson Recital Hall at 7:30pm with the participation of UNCSA faculty Robert Rocco and Saxton Rose.

Kristin Wolfe Jensen has been the bassoon professor at the University of Texas at Austin since 1995, and is also on the faculty of the International Festival Institute at Round Top, and the Eastern Music Festival where she is Principal Bassoonist of the Eastern Philharmonic. Ms. Jensen is Principal Bassoonist with the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra and previously has toured Europe with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and served as Acting Principal Bassoonist of the Houston Grand Opera. The American Record Guide reviewer said of her solo CD Shadings, “…She has simply turned in the finest-played Bassoon recital I have ever heard…she obviously sees tone quality as the foundation for her fluent technique…It is a ravishing sound, siren-like in its attractive flair…Ms. Jensen could teach a lot about musicality to a number of famous violinists….” Her other chamber music and solo recordings can be heard on the Cambria, Opus One, Klavier, and Centaur labels.

Ms. Jensen’s first teaching job was at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, followed by the University of North Texas, prior to joining the faculty at UT Austin. Ensembles with which Ms. Jensen has performed include The Dallas Opera Orchestra, The San Antonio Symphony, the Las Vegas Symphony, and Continuum. Ms. Jensen Co-hosted the 2005 International Double Reed Society conference in Austin and she is Co-director of the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition for young women bassoonists from the Americas. An esteemed pedagogue, she has given guest recitals and master classes many major American music schools and her former UT students hold major orchestral positions and university teaching positions around the country. Ms. Jensen attended the Oberlin College Conservatory where she double-majored in Music Performance and Music Education, and went on to receive a masters degree from the Juilliard School.

The following is Saxton Rose’s performance and event schedule for the 2010/2011 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 20:

Performance of the Mozart Concerto for Bassoon with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá

May 18-22:

Judge 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 17, 18, 19, 20, 2010

May 23-26:

Performance of Vivaldi Bassoon Concerto with Orquesta Sinfónica de Caldas in Manizales, Colombia. Teaching residency, solo recital.

June 16:

Performance with Dark in the Song, a new bassoon ensemble at The White Mule, a music bar in Columbia, SC. The performance will feature adventurous new music for amplified bassoon ensemble by Jacob Ter Veldhuis, David Lang, David Smooke and Zoe Keating.

June 22:

Performance with Dark in the Song, a new bassoon ensemble at the International Double Reed Society Conference in Norman, OK. The group is Peter Kolkay, Michael Harley, Rachael Elliott, Lynn Hileman and myself. The recital will feature works by Jacob Ter Veldhuis, David Lang, David Smooke and Zoe Keating.

July 18-23:

Faculty teaching residency and performances as principal bassoon at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Summer Music Festival. Music of Wagner, Mahler, Strauss with Lawrence Renes, conductor. More information

July 24-31:

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

September 27:

Performance with Renée Fleming and Winston-Salem Symphony. Strauss’ Don Juan, Mahler’s Rückertlieder, Wagner’s Siegfried’s Rhine Journey from Götterdämmerung

October 1, 3, 5:

Performances of the opera Il Trovatore with Piedmont Opera

October 7:

Kristin Wolfe Jensen, Professor of Bassoon at the University of Texas at Austin will be on campus at UNCSA as a guest artist October 7th. She will give a master class at 3:45pm in Crawford Hall and a recital in Watson Recital Hall at 7:30pm with the participation of UNCSA faculty Robert Rocco and Saxton Rose.

October 16, 17, 18:

W-S Symphony performances of Brahms Piano Concerto #1 and Awadagin Pratt. Also music of Barber and Elgar

October 28:

Composers Forum at Manhattan School of Music with Alfonso Fuentes. Performance of Mejunje de Fagobongo. 3pm

October 28:

Performance at Symphony Space – Thalia Theater in NYC . Music of contemporary Puerto Rican composers Alfonso Fuentes, Roberto Sierra including Mejunje de Fagobongo and Con Tres with clarinetist Oskar Espinosa Ruiz and bongocero Andrew Lázaro. 7:30pm. More information

October 29:

Performance at Loft Artists Gallery in Stamford, CT. Music of Puerto Rican composers A. Fuentes, R. Sierra including Mejunje de Fagobongo and Con Tres with clarinetist Oskar Espinosa Ruiz and bongoista Andrew Lázaro. More information

October 30:

Performance at Nuartlink Gallery in Westport, NY. Music of Puerto Rican composers A. Fuentes, R. Sierra including Mejunje de Fagobongo and Con Tres with clarinetist Oskar Espinosa Ruiz and bongoista Andrew Lázaro

October 31:

Performance at Museo del Barrio in NYC. Music of Puerto Rican composers A. Fuentes, R. Sierra including Mejunje de Fagobongo and Con Tres with clarinetist Oskar Espinosa Ruiz and bongoista Andrew Lázaro

November 12-14:

Master class and recital at Lynn Conservatory in Boca Raton, FL. For more info, contact Michael Ellert

November 21, 23:

Performances of Haydn’s The Creation with WS Symphony

December 14, 15:

Performances of Handel’s Messiah with WS Symphony and Chorus

January 7, 9:

Performances with the WS Symphony including Rimsky Korsokov’s Scheherazade, Berg Violin Concerto with Charles Dimmick. More information.

January 21-23:

Recitals and master classes at The Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music in Memphis, TN. Contact Lecolion Washington for information.

February 5, 6, 8:

Performances with WS Symphony of Mendelssohn/Shakespeare: Midsummer Night’s Dream with UNCSA Drama Department. More information.

March 12, 13, 15:

Performances with WS Symphony including Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1. More information.

March 21:

Performance with Alarm Will Sound in Berlin, Germany at the Philharmonie as part of the MaerzMusik contemporary music festival. Tickets

April 18:

Performance with contemporary bassoon collective Dark in the Song in Columbia, SC. Program TBA

April 19:

Performance with contemporary bassoon collective Dark in the Song as part of the Watson Chamber Music Series at UNCSA. 7:30pm. 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. Tickets

April 30:

Performance of Berio’s Sequenza XII for Bassoon performance as part of a UNCSA faculty concert of all Berio’s Sequenzas. Tickets

May 14, 15, 17:

Performances with WS Symphony inlcuding Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 and Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphoses. More information.

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

2009/2010

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 20:

Performance of the Mozart Concerto for Bassoon with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá

May 18-22:

Judge 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 17, 18, 19, 20, 2010

May 23-26:

Performance of Vivaldi Bassoon Concerto with Orquesta Sinfónica de Caldas in Manizales, Colombia. Teaching residency, solo recital.

June 16:

Performance with Dark in the Song, a new bassoon ensemble at The White Mule, a music bar in Columbia, SC. The performance will feature adventurous new music for amplified bassoon ensemble by Jacob Ter Veldhuis, David Lang, David Smooke and Zoe Keating.

June 22:

Performance with Dark in the Song, a new bassoon ensemble at the International Double Reed Society Conference in Norman, OK. The group is Peter Kolkay, Michael Harley, Rachael Elliott, Lynn Hileman and myself. The recital will feature works by Jacob Ter Veldhuis, David Lang, David Smooke and Zoe Keating.

July 18-23:

Faculty teaching residency and performances as principal bassoon at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Summer Music Festival. Music of Wagner, Mahler, Strauss with Lawrence Renes, conductor. More information

July 24-31:

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

The marketing folks for Sanyo were good enough to provide me with a new Xacti Sound Recorder to review. It’s a terrific piece of equipment that I’ll be using tons in my playing and teaching. More information here.

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