by Rebecca Rischin
On Saturday, March 19, 2016, Ohio University will host its 13th Clarinet Gala, a full day of clarinet events for all ages and interests, in collaboration with Flute Fest and Double-Reed Extravaganza. Featured will be the Honors Clarinet Choir, to be comprised of outstanding high school and college clarinetists selected via audition from throughout the region. Teachers, students, parents, amateurs and professionals are welcome to attend. The guest artist will be Dr. Oskar Espina-Ruiz, Artist/Assistant Professor of Clarinet at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. All events will take place in Robert Glidden Hall, the School of Music, on the campus of Ohio University in Athens. For audition information on the Honors Clarinet Choir and registration for the Gala, visit the Clarinet Gala website or contact the host, Dr. Rebecca Rischin.
2015 Ohio University Honors Clarinet Choir and Ohio University Clarinet Studio, with: far right, Rebecca Rischin and second from right, Kimberly Cole Luevano
The 2016 event follows the success of Clarinet Gala 2015, which took place on Saturday, March 21, 2015, in collaboration with Flute Fest and Double-Reed Extravaganza. Teachers, students, parents, amateurs, and professionals attended. In its third year was the Honors Clarinet Choir, featuring outstanding high school and college students selected competitively from all over Ohio, West Virginia and Michigan. All events took place in Robert Glidden Hall, the School of Music, on the campus of Ohio University in Athens.
The featured guest artist was Dr. Kimberly Cole Luevano, Associate Professor of Clarinet at the University of North Texas. She presented a wonderful master class featuring Ohio University students, and a fantastic recital with OU faculty pianist Youmee Kim along with the visiting artist for Flute Fest, Nicole Molumby, Associate Professor of Flute at Boise State University in Idaho. The recital featured works by Poulenc, Yuste, Pucihar, Norman, and Ziporyn.
In addition to Luevano’s recital and master class, the day included a master class with Rebecca Rischin, Professor of Clarinet at Ohio University, featuring students from the Honors Clarinet Choir, and a host recital featuring Rischin and Alison Brown Sincoff, Associate Professor of Flute; Michele Fiala, Associate Professor of Oboe; and Matthew Morris, Visiting Assistant Professor of Bassoon. They performed works by Harvey, Birnstein, Clarke, Carnicer y Battle, Osborne and Morris. The Honors Clarinet Choir and Honors Flute and Double-Reed Choirs presented a super grand finale concert performing works by Harvey, Lewin, Glazunov, Baldwin, Strauss, Holland, Beethoven, Anderson, Ponchielli and Lutz. Joining them for the last piece on the clarinet program were graduate students Calvin Yue and Elliot Long who performed the Ponchielli Il convegno duo with clarinet choir accompaniment. Current Ohio University students also performed in the clarinet choir. The day ended with a big pizza party.
