Sqwonk Bass Clarinet Duo Jeff Anderle & Jonathan Russell, bass clarinet Guest Artist Series Katzin Concert Hall I March 22, 2016 I 7:30 P.M. Program Strict9 Aaron Novik Sojourn of the Face Cornelius Boots I Saw a Man Pursuing the Horizon Kyle Hovatter World Premiere Knee Gas (On) Ryan Brown INTERMISSION Black Marc Mellits KlezDuo Jonathan Russell Toccata and Fugue in d minor J.S. Bach (arr. Russell) Bass Clarinet Double Concerto Jonathan Russell Caitlin Poupard, Eb clarinet Olivia Moonitz and Kristi Hanno, 1st clarinets Shengwen Wu and Brittany Johnson, 2nd clarinets Abby Lloyd and Seu/a Lee, 3rd clarinets Evangeline Bradley, She/be Olson, and Shuang Zhu, 4th clarinets Patrick Englert, 1st bass clarinet Jack Liang, 2nd bass clarinet Jeremy Ruth, contra bass clarinet Mark Alpizar, conductor ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY School of Music Sqwonk The San Francisco-based Sqwonk bass clarinet duo is a dynamic and adventurous ensemble that "pushes the envelope of what bass clarinet music can be" (Clarinet Magazine). Sqwonk is devoted to exploring the full expressive range of the bass clarinet, from deep resonances to raucous wails. While grounded in the classical tradition, Sqwonk's music draws on a wide range of influences, from klezmer to heavy metal to blues to minimalism to free improvisation, creating a repertoire that is strikingly contemporary, yet broadly accessible to a wide audience. Sqwonk has been hailed for its "extraordinary ... deftness and dynamic range," (San Diego News) and its "perfect production of complicated interwoven lines, acrobatic leaps, and sensitive lyricism in difficult registers" (Clarinet Magazine). Sqwonk's playing has been described as " ... technically strong and very tight" (New Music Box) and "literally danceable" (Lucid Culture). Sqwonk has created an entirely new repertoire of bass clarinet duos from scratch, and has released two CDs featuring newly commissioned works by some of America's most exciting up-and-coming composers. Sqwonk has given performances throughout the San Francisco Bay Area at a wide range of venues and events, ranging from CalPerformances at Zellerbach Hall, to the Switchboard Music Festival, to Cafe du Nord. Sqwonk has also performed around the country at venues such as The Stone in New York, Sushi's Outsound Series in San Diego, the Bang on a Can Summer Institute in North Adams, MA, and the 2010 ClarinetFest in Austin, TX. Also passionate about education and outreach, Sqwonk has led numerous workshops and masterclasses at schools, conservatories, and universities around the country. Sqwonk has received grants from the Northern California Composers Commissioning Program, the American Composers' Forum's Subito program, the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Jeff Anderle Jeff Anderle is a pioneer in the world of low reeds, helping to popularize the role of the modem clarinet and bass clarinet through his innovative and diverse performances, ensembles, and commissions. He is a founding member of both Splinter Reeds, the Bay Area's first reed quintet, and REDSHIFT contemporary music ensemble, as well as a member of the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players and the Paul Dresher Electro/Acoustic Band. He is half of the bass clarinet duo Sqwonk, which has commissioned and premiered a significant body of work that infuses aspects of classical, folk and popular music into its own distinct style. As a member of the virtuosic, heavy metal bass clarinet quartet Edmund Welles, he has been featured nationally at festivals and masterclasses. Jeff is a founding co-director of Switchboard Music, a presenting organization which has featured hundreds of innovative musicians through its annual marathon and concert series. In addition, he makes regular guest appearances with a wide range of music institutions from orchestras to diverse chamber music ensembles. Jeff teaches clarinet, bass clarinet, chamber music, and entrepreneurship at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and has given masterclasses across the country on these topics. He has been on the faculty at U.C. Berkeley and as a member of REDSHIFT holds a guest artist residency at California State University East Bay. He holds a M.M. from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a B.A. from University of California at Los Angeles. Jonathan Russell Jonathan Russell is a composer, clarinetist, conductor, writer, and educator, known for his versatility, creativity, and passion. His wide-ranging and eclectic compositions build on influences from all over the musical map, unified by their directness of expression, emotional power, and visceral musicality. His works have been commissioned and performed by orchestras, chamber ensembles, and choirs around the world. Jonathan approaches performing with the same intensity, directness, and omnivorous appetite as composing. Trained growing up as a classical clarinetist, he also plays klezmer music, freely improvises, and is especially known for his unique and innovative bass clarinet playing. He is a member of the heavy metal-inspired Edmund Welles bass clarinet quartet and the Sqwonk bass clarinet duo, and is a co-founder of San Francisco's Switchboard Music Festival. Jonathan frequently conducts his own compositions, as well as premieres of works by student and emerging composers. He has served on the Music Theory Faculty at San Francisco Conservatory and on the Composition Faculty at the Conservatory's Adult Extension and Preparatory Divisions. He has also written concert reviews for the San Francisco Classical Voice and Bachtrack. He has a B.A. in Music from Harvard University and an M.M. in Music Composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He is currently a PhD Candidate in the composition program at Princeton University and lives in London, UK.