Sidney Forrest Clarinet competition
29 July
On
In Competitions

Submitted by Alexandra (Sandra) Chappell, Coordinator, Sidney Forrest Clarinet Competition 2016 The Sidney Forrest Clarinet Competition for High School Students commemorates the legacy of one of America’s most recognized clarinet virtuosos and teachers – Sidney Forrest.  Mr. Forrest taught clarinet at The Catholic University for 50 years, The Peabody Conservatory for 40 years, and at the Interlochen Center for the Arts for 45 years. He studied with Simeon Bellison and Alexander Williams. His performing career began as clarinet soloist with the United States Marine Band, and later he was Principal Clarinetist with the National Symphony Orchestra along with his many concert and chamber music appearances. The second annual Sidney Forrest Clarinet CompetitionRead More →

24 August
On
In Competitions

by Rachel Yoder In May 2015, nine winners of the annual Yamaha Young Performing Artists (YYPA) Competition were announced, among them clarinetist Graeme Steele Johnson. Johnson recently completed his Bachelor of Music degree in clarinet performance at The University of Texas at Austin, under the guidance of Dr. Nathan Williams. Recently, he has appeared in recital in Canada, Sweden, Spain, and throughout the state of Texas. Johnson spent the summer of 2014 performing and studying at The Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada; and later in 2014 at the Aurora Chamber Music Festival in Vänersborg, Sweden and the Murcia International Clarinet Seminar in Murcia, Spain, allRead More →

07 August
On
In ClarinetFest 2015, Competitions

by John Warren, coordinator Thirty clarinetists from eight countries submitted digital entries for the 2015 I.C.A. High School Solo Competition. Applicants were required to play Adagio and Tarantella by Ernesto Cavallini and Arlequin by Louis Cahuzac. A panel of three preliminary judges – John Sadak of Wake Forest University, Timothy Phillips of Troy University, and Randall Cunningham of William Jewel College – narrowed the field to six finalists, representing five countries. The finalists performing in Madrid were Alise Gavare (Latvia), Guilherme Batahla (Portugal), Minkyung Chu (South Korea), Ferran Arbona (Spain), Hector Norriega (Mexico) and Antonio Lopez (Portugal). The final, live round was held on Friday,Read More →

31 July
On
In ClarinetFest 2015, Competitions

by Malena McLaren, coordinator The 2015 I.C.A. Research Competition finals took place on July 22 in the Conservatorio de Amaniel in Madrid, Spain. The seven finalists were excellent and presented judges Madelyn Moore (Kilgore College, Texas, USA), Oskar Espina Ruiz (University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Spain/USA) and Víctor José Fernández Lucerón (Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid and Conservatory of Music in Segovia, Spain) with difficult choices. The finalists were: • Kate Young (USA), “Clarinet Thumb-rest Function and Electromyography Evidence.” • Whitney Coyle (USA), “A Study of the Acoustical Characteristics of a Quality Clarinet.” • Ford Fourqurean (USA), “Character Games: An AnalysisRead More →

27 July
On
In ClarinetFest 2015, Competitions

Competition Results / Saturday Evening Gala Concert by Sam Davies On the fourth day of ClarinetFest® 2015 in Madrid, lectures, masterclasses, and recitals continued in the Conde Duque for the enjoyment of some 1,100 clarinet enthusiasts from around the world. Inspecting the vendor exhibits while walking the ground floor and moving through the almost 300-year-old stone columns offered hours of interest for many attendees. Always one of the highlights of every ClarinetFest, the vendor exhibits offer everything you could need or imagine relating to the clarinet, and some things you can’t! It’s easy to lose track of time flipping through clarinet sheet music, whether itsRead More →