2015 Summer Plan
An unrelated image taken several years ago in Minneapolis, MN.
May 13-18 - New York City and Alpine, NJ
May 30-June 5 - Chapel Hill, NC
June 20-25 - Washington D.C. and Northern VA
June 26-30 - Greensboro, NC
July 1-3 - Harlaxton, UK
July 4-8 - London, UK
July 8-19 - Greensboro, NC
July 20-26 - Madrid, Spain
July 27-August 1 - Greensboro and Raleigh, NC
I am looking forward to a busy but fun-filled summer! In May, I will be in Alpine, NJ and NYC, visiting friends and family as well as doing some consulting works. I was also invited to be an Artist-in-Residence at local youth orchestra in Murfreesboro and will work with young musicians there at the end of the month. I will need to find some time here and there to work on edits for two of my upcoming CDs (enahke's Piazzolla CD on MSR and Krehl's chamber music on Naxos) as well as a clarinet textbook for my studio.
In June, I will return to Chapel Hill Chamber Music Workshop (my sixth year). Aside from working with many long-time participants and friends, I am excited to welcome my friends from the Larchmere String Quartet to be this year's ensemble-in-residence with whom I will perform Stephan Krehl's Clarinet Quintet, op. 19. I am also looking forward to performing a series of recitals in Northern VA (Lyceum Chamber Music Series) and D.C. area with Grace, featuring the world premiere performance of Peter Lieuwen's Bright River for Clarinet and Piano (the work we commissioned), as well as works by Bernstein, Devienne, Martinu, and more. Later in June, I will take up a residence at my friend Jacob's house in Greensboro, NC. with Grace, who will serve on the piano faculty at the Eastern Music Festival for the next five weeks.
July will be a very busy month for me, as I will make couple of overseas trips. First, I will be visiting my students at the Harlaxton Chamber Music Festival earlier that month. You can read about this on my recent blogpost. I am also excited to collaborate with my friend and amazing pianist Sasha Karpeyev. Sasha will perform with me in Madrid at this year's ICA Conference in Madrid, and we will work on a number of projects (including our US performance in March 2016) during my stay in London. I have not seen Sasha since our time together at Norfolk Chamber Music Festival back in 2011 and am really looking forward to our collaboration. After couple weeks off in Greensboro, I will be back in Europe to be a part of ICA ClarinetFest in Madrid, where I will present the European premiere of Peter Lieuwen's new work for clarinet and piano.
For more details and specific dates/times/venues, please visit my calendar page. I am much relieved that I will be back home in August to get ready for 2015-16. It will be a demanding academic year with 19 students and 5 senior student recitals as well as some major performance opportunities for me. Please stay tuned for some great projects planned for the next season!
Harlaxton International Music Festival
Harlaxton Music Festival
I am extremely proud of my students, Torey Hart, Sarah McMichen, and Anjali Sivaainkaran, who are accepted to Harlaxton International Music Festival in UK (June 28-July 5) and named recipients of TTU's URECA grant ($2,500 each). They will travel to UK this summer to study with my colleagues from the Larchmere String Quartet and other international faculty members and perform some great chamber music. I will travel to Harlaxton as well during my London residency that week to work with the students at the festival. We spent many hours preparing the application materials for the festival and grants, and I am thrilled that all three will be able to make this work in the end!
Congratulations to my students, Torey, Anjali and Sarah, who will attend the Festival as URECA fellows!
2015 Tennessee Tech Clarinet Day
Last Saturday, I hosted our annual Clarinet Day at TTU. Although I face a multitude of challenges each year planning for the event, I feel tremendously fortunate to have wonderful colleagues, students, sponsors, and community to make it possible. This year, I asked my student Delaney to write a report to submit to our upcoming Clarinet Magazine issue and other newsletters:
A Report by Delaney Naffziger (pending publications by ICA Clarinet Magazine and WKA Newsletter) - published in this blog with the permission by the author
2015 TTU Clarinet Day Group Photo
On April 18th, 2015, Tennessee Technological University held its annual Clarinet Day on campus in Cookeville, Tennessee. The event was led and coordinated by the university’s assistant professor of clarinet, Dr. Wonkak Kim. In the past, this event has primarily consisted of local clarinetists of all ages coming together for a day dedicated to choir ensemble playing; however, when Dr. Kim took the assistant professorship in 2011, he began to reconstruct the event, keeping its community choir foundations but gradually expanding the event to contain guests artists, master classes, and a wide range of clarinet products available to be enjoyed by all participants.
Sqwonk Recital
The event kicked off at 9AM with opening remarks made by Dr. Kim and was immediately followed by the Clarinet Day Artist Recital. Dr. Kim opened the recital with the beautiful works Deuxieme Sonate pour clarinette et piano by François Devienne and Introduction et Rondo, Op.72 by CH-M Widor and was accompanied by Dr. Eunhye Grace Choi on piano. The program continued with guest artist Matthew Miracle performing Shovelhead for Clarinet and Electronics by Steven Snowden. The recital concluded with the day’s main guest artists Jonathon Russell and Jeff Anderle, members of the San Francisco bass clarinet duo Sqwonk, who performed stunningly their works KlezDuo by Jonathon Russell and Toccata and Fugue in D minor by Bach (arr. Russell).
The day immediately continued with a full clarinet choir rehearsal consisting of all participants under the direction of Dr. Kim. The choir played Tarantella, Op. 102/3 by Mendelssohn, Introduction and Rondo by Gordon Jacob, and Clarinet Polka arranged by Eric Osterling.
TTU Clarinet Day Ensemble Rehearsal
After a brief lunch break, participants reconvened to watch a master class led by Sqwonk members featuring TTU students Sarah McMichen, Anjali Sivaainkaran, and Michaela Cundari. Jeff Anderle and Jon Russell worked with these students addressing many key issues which affect all players. Sarah McMichen played excerpts from Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream (Scherzo) and was encouraged not to get carried away with technical passages and to always remember that the goal is to make music, regardless of passage difficulty. Anjali Sivaainkaran performed Minuet from Bach’s First Cello Suite as Sqwonk members worked with her on remaining loose and relaxed even and especially during high passages. And Michaela Cundari played movement one of Sonata no. 2 by Brahms as Mr. Anderle had her and the audience work on projecting an upward airstream while pushing off with legs as well as practicing many different forms of phrasing.
Michaela playing Brahms Clarinet Sonata for Sqwonk
Anjali playing Bach's Cello Suite for Sqwonk Master Class
After another brief rehearsal with the choir, participants were encouraged to take a break and enjoy the various booths of the day’s sponsors including Buffet Group USA, Lohff and Pfeiffer, Onks Woodwind Specialist, Just For Winds, Silverstein Ligature, and Vandoren.
TTU Clarinet Day Exhibition Room
Buffet Group USA
Silverstein Ligature Booth
At 4PM, the Final Concert began, opening with the Cookeville Community Band Clarinet Choir performing the works Three Baroque Dances by J.S. Bach (arr. Russell Howland), Klezmer Suite by Alexis Ciesla, New Orleans Medley arranged by Charles Rose, and The Chrysanthemum by Scott Joplin (arr. William Schmidt). The concert continued with Sqwonk performing Bass Clarinet Double Concerto by Jonathon Russell accompanied by the TTU Clarinet Choir. The concert was concluded by the Clarinet Day Choir; however, before the final performance, Dr. Kim presented a plaque of appreciation to Tennessee Tech’s clarinet professor emeritus Dan Hearn for his unending dedication to the studio even after retirement.
2015 TTU Clarinet Day Mass Clarinet Choir - Any clarinet lover is invited to play in it at the final concert! (Gordon Jacob - Introduction and Rondo - Wonkak Kim, director)
Overall, TTU Clarinet Day 2015 was a fantastic event enjoyed by all. Thanks to the diligent work and organization of Dr. Kim, the event came together seamlessly and held diverse aspects enjoyable to all clarinet lovers alike. It was both an enjoyable and educational experience which is sure to have inspired all participants. For information about how to partake in this annual event, please visit the website at www.wonkak.com/clarinet or contact Dr. Kim (wkim@tntech.edu).
Cookeville Community Band Clarinet Choir
Another BUSY weekend for Buffet Crampon USA! We were at the Tennessee Tech Clarinet Day, hosted by Clarinet Artist...
Posted by Buffet Crampon USA on Monday, April 20, 2015
Here is an album of pictures from Clarinet Day at Tennessee Tech University. One of our PRO Team members, Professor...
Posted by Silverstein Ligature on Wednesday, April 22, 2015
TECHnovations Interview
My recent hour-long interview with Penny Brooks for WTTU 88.5FM's TECHnocations is scheduled to air today at 11am. I enjoyed talking to Penny about my teaching, research (creative works), and music entrepreneurship.
You can also listen to or download the podcast here: http://www.technovations.libsyn.com (Episode 13: Dr. Wonkak Kim, assistant professor of clarinet in the College of Education, discusses his scholarly work as a soloist and member of chamber groups, including one in which he is co-founder, enhake. Two musical works are featured, one a solo work and one performed by enhake.)
Working with Steve Reich
There are those confusing moments when you get to meet and interact with individuals who you are much more familiar reading from history books and such. It was a remarkably exciting opportunity for me and my students to work with Reich on his New York Counterpoint. My student ensemble has been working on the clarinet choir version of the piece for the past several weeks, and hearing various feedbacks directly from Reich certainly made the experience truly special.
Rehearsing with Steve Reich
It was an honor to hear from Steve how much he enjoyed hearing our performance. He told me that he usually prefers the Live Solo Clarinet with Recording version. But he gave high compliments about my ensemble's good intonation, rhythmic accuracy, and balance and told us that it was one of the great playing of the NY Counterpoint that he has heard. What a proud moment for me as a teacher!
with Steve Reich (2015)
TTU Clarinet Ensemble performing Steve Reich's NY Counterpoint at TTU Center Stage Concert with the composer in presence
Student Research Award
My students Sarah and Anjali won the College of Education Award at the 2015 TTU Research Day Competition
I encouraged some of my students to enter the Annual Student Research Day Competition at Tennessee Tech earlier this year. I try to remind all music students about the importance of exploring untapped opportunities and unconventional channel to showcase our works. This event has been traditionally a playground for science and engineering students, and no music majors have entered in the past as far as I know.
Fortunately, a duo of my students decided to take up on the idea, and came up with a topic: "Relating Humidity to Reed Cane Thickness and Sound Quality." For a period of few weeks, they preserved reeds on various controlled humidity level in my studio and tested them with various measurements and playing response. To me, it was a unique way to approach this important aspect of clarinet playing and present it in a clear and objective manner. Their final poster was put up again over 100 highly competitive entrants, and I am proud to report that they were selected as the undergraduate winners of the College of Education Prize. As a participating judge (although I did not judge my own students' work), I could attest the outstanding quality of the work by my students.
Research Day Program
Abstract
2015 TTU Student Research Day
My students' poster at booth #86!
TTU Symphony Band in Chicago
TTU Symphony Band clarinet section on stage at Chicago Symphony Center
It was a pleasure to accompany my students in TTU Symphony Band during their trip to Chicago last weekend. The ensemble prepared some great selections, including Frank Ticheli's Blue Shades, which features a number of exciting solos for clarinet and bass clarinet (you can watch the performance clip here). I was immensely thrilled and proud to hear my students' outstanding playing at all rehearsals and concert I got to attend that weekend.
Warming up for at a local HS before the big performance in the evening
Look how happy my students are!
Aside from all the playing, we got to do other fun things as well such as going to CSO/Uchida concert on Saturday evening and spontaneous ice cream social at midnight in downtown Chicago...
An evening with TTU clarinet students at Chicago Symphony Concert
Uchida directed and performed CSO on Saturday evening!
And of course, I took my studio out to a midnight ice cream adventure in the city!
TTU Symphony Band at Chicago Symphony Center
The TTU entourage had fun enjoying the concert from the box seats
Troy University Clarinet Day 2015
Troy University Clarinet Day's Artistic Team
It was a privilege to be invited again to the Troy University Clarinet Day again this year. I got to travel with Grace who was much busier playing for all clarinet artists at the event. I caught up with Jean-François from D'Addario and got to meet Jan Jakub Bokun, a remarkable musician from Poland. It was also very nice to see my friend Jeff Brooks who gave a stunning performance of Eric Mandat's work.
Playing Ciesla's Fantasia Concerto with Troy University Clarinet Ensemble
I admire my colleague Tim Phillips's ability to put together this incredible event and being such a kind and sincere host. I had a great time working with his students and playing Alexis Ciesla's Fantasia Concerto with Troy University Clarinet Ensemble. It is very encouraging that many colleagues working so hard to share their talent and passion with young students in different parts of the country. These are very hard work on our own time, but the reward is tremendous!
Great to meet some new colleagues and old friends!
One of the artist photos taken at the event!
enhake in Bronwsville
Inside the Beautiful Hall at UTB
enhake resumed its work after an exhausting performing and recording schedule in Colorado back in January. This time, we flew to Brownsville, TX to perform at their Patron of Arts Series and work with the music students at UTB. Our cellist Katie is the low strings professor there, and we had a great time meeting some wonderful students and faculty members. On a plus side, the Mexican cuisine in town was truly exceptional! Our concert on Friday evening featuring Mackey's Breakdown Tango, Gabriel Lena Frank's Hilos, and Brent's arrangement of various tangos was received by great enthusiasm. We are now gearing up for our busy season next year with concerts in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming!
Impressive Chandelier in the Hall
UTB Performing Arts Center
Some very authentic tacos
