Clareidoscope 2024: Student Concert

Student Performances – Saturday March 16, 2024 – 12:30pm

Harlequin (2005)
Angela Morley (1924-2009)

Abigayle Huff, clarinet
Dianne Frazer, piano

Angela Morley (1924-2009) was an English composer and performer who is most remembered for her works written for movies and television. She was an avid performer and joined the Geraldo Orchestra at age 20, where she played clarinet and saxophone, but her career soon shifted because of her strong compositional skills. During the height of her career, she collaborated with John Williams as an arranger and orchestrator for some of the Star Wars movie scores. Morley has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards and Emmy’s for her compositions. Harlequin, written c. 2005, is a part of Morley’s four pieces for solo instrument and either piano or string accompaniment. While a part of the suite, Morley considers Harlequin to be a separate piece that stands alone more than the rest. She conceived the piece while sitting and playing around on the piano. Harlequin is a cheeky and playful piece but has a beautiful mix of introspective and mellow moments as well.

even if just one
Amy Zuidema (b.1996)

Amy Zuidema, bass clarinet

I am proud to share the recording of the premiere of my piece “even if just one”, a piece for solo bass clarinet and backtrack. This was one of the first formal compositions that I have created, and one that is highly vulnerable and personal. I found that by performing my own music and sharing my own stories & emotions, I have been able to develop my creative voice as an artist, as well as reach my audience in a new authentic way. This kind of representation of clarinet playing, especially bass clarinet playing, was not something I saw when I first started on clarinet. It is important for young clarinetists to envision themselves as not only classical players, but also as emerging composers, improvisers, and sonic-storytellers. With an ever-adapting world, new and innovative approaches to one’s clarinet practice will instill a bright and diverse future for the craft.

Laika Gaitā (Over the Course of Time)(2017)
Erika Yost (b. 1967)

I. Andante – Adagio – Andante

Bella Clarinet Quartet:
Alyssa Powell
Vanessa Klassen
Gabrielle Valladares
Erin Dowler

Laika Gaitā was composed in 2017 by Canadian, Erika Yost. The title means “Over the Course of Time” in Latvian and depicts time as epochs in life. According to the composer, the movements explore the fundamental excitement of youth, the reflections of the middle stage of life, the anxieties of aging, and the fear of running out of time. The first movement, which will be performed today, expresses the joy of childhood and youth with more serious conversations interjected by the bass clarinet as time passes. The second and third movements continue to outline the progression of time that is a universal experience for clarinetists, and as musicians we unite in producing and sharing meaningful music in the short time we all have together.
The Bella Clarinet Quartet seeks to increase awareness for quartets by women by performing and recording new and lesser-known pieces, including newer works like Laika Gaitā. We do so with the hope of this leading to more performances of these works that we as a group connect to personally and musically. We are certain that diversifying the quartet repertoire will ultimately contribute to a more cohesive and connected clarinet community.

Student Performer Biographies
Abigayle Huff is a senior Music Industry major at Capital University. She has been playing the clarinet since she was ten years old and as an aspiring woodwind doubler has been working on adding the other woodwind instruments into her skillsets in recent years. Throughout her time at Capital, she has been deeply involved in the Band program as well as performing with the orchestra, in jazz bands, and within various chamber ensembles. She is super excited about the opportunity to perform for the first time at an ICA event!

Dianne Frazer has returned to the Columbus area after retiring from Louisiana State University. She is a principal pianist for the National Flute Association, International Society of Bassists, and has been a pianist at the Oberstdorf Music Festival in Germany, World Bass Festival in Poland, ISI Florence in Italy, Bradetich International Double Bass Competition, International Hornists Society, International Trumpet Guild, North American Saxophone Alliance, International Clarinet Association, International Tuba Euphonium conventions, and numerous state and regional festivals. Dianne holds two performance degrees, was a two-time Fischoff finalist, and was an adjudicator for the prestigious Dranoff International Two Piano Competition.

 

Amy Zuidema is a clarinetist, creator, & educator based in Groningen, Netherlands. They specialize in bass clarinet with an improvisational basis for their performances & compositions. Amy is an interdisciplinary performer with roots in a versatile practice of improvised music such as contemporary, noise, & jazz. They actively strive to bridge the gap between classical and DIY musical settings, challenging the expectations of the classical canon and opening up space for communal art- making. With a fervent passion for community outreach, Amy uses art as a medium in which stories can be shared, social bonds can be created, and diverse perspectives can be amplified.

Bella Clarinet Quartet is committed to contributing to the diversification of the clarinet repertoire. The recipients of a Running Start grant from Michigan State University in 2022, BCQ has started to record lesser-known and new quartets by women. Founded in 2019, Dr. Alyssa Powell (UWEC), Dr. Vanessa Klassen (Regina Symphony, Canada), Dr. Gabrielle Valladares (Ohio), Ms. Erin Dowler (MSU, Lansing Symphony) continue to draw on shared experiences as graduates of The Ohio State University.

When: 03/16/2024 | 12:30 pm

Featuring: Abigayle Huff, Amy Zuidema, Bella Clarinet Quartet

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