Here are a few highlights from a rich year making lots of music! It’s a comfort to be in a field where the goal is working together for beauty and to highlight our humanity.
All of us at Winsor Music are busy brainstorming about how to create the most joy through music. It’s a lot of work, but I’m so proud of what we continue to accomplish. My favorite part of the concert season was performing Golijov’s Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind with the composer in the audience.
Winsor Music performing at St. Paul’s Church in Brookline
Sharing a moment with Osvoldo Golijov after the performance
We also inaugurated Winsor’s opus 1 composition/mentorship project - another in our on-going community based programs. Project STEP students, with the guidance of Gabby Diaz, deVon Gray, and myself, wrote a brand new composition. The students were all first time composers, but their piece, cleverly named Jamboard, wowed our concert series audience - check out the video below.
Winsor also continued our monthly hospital concerts at Chelsea MGH playing in the lobby for patients, doctors, nurses and staff. Our hope is to make a stressful time a little more manageable.
Winsor’s Co-Artistic Director Gabby Díaz and me after an afternoon playing at Chelsea MGH
In the lobby at the hospital with Elise Blatchford
All of the amazing musicians listed here!
Rehearsals!
Also in May I took part in an epic concert at Carnegie Hall curated by composer and force of nature Tania Leon. I played in the premiere of pianist David Virelles’ stunning and deep new work Oro alongside a dream come true line-up of jazz greats - truly a highlight of my career.
with Tania Leon
Sound Check on stage
with a hero, Chris Potter
Post show vibes
David Virelles’ Oro in Zankel Hall
I joined the Wet Ink Ensemble to record Kate Soper’s opera Romance of the Rose which was released in November by New Focus Recordings. Here’s a New Yorker review of the live production of this show. Check out this super cool book with stunning artwork and definitely take a listen!
The City of Tomorrow’s first tour this year was to the Deep South. To our surprise the audience at the Mississippi Museum of Art stayed in their seats after the show without prompting to ask questions! They were curious about our programming which included George Lewis, Tania Leon, and our own Stuart Breczinksi.
Later in the year the quintet visited Avaloch Farm to workshop Brad Balliet’s new work Tanbark Ridge inspired by bird song. We played the piece all over campus - the woods, the basement, the concert hall, and eventually migrated to Boston were we gave the concert premiere on Winsor Music’s September concert. I think this gorgeous piece will have a long life with this group and others. Take a listen!
Getting ready to play a show at the Mississippi Museum of Art
The City of Tomorrow playing excerpts of “Tanbark Ridge” by Brad Balliet
It’s always a privilege to play Boston Symphony Hall with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. The highlight for me this year was one of my favorites: Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra along with the Brahms Violin Concerto with former concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, Guy Braunstein.
In the summer I had a blast as featured soloist with the Boston Landmarks Orchestra playing John Williams Viktor’s Tale at the iconic Hatch Shell on the Boston Esplanade. At about 5,000 people this is among the biggest audiences I’ve played for! Here’s a short clip of the end curtesy of my mother-in-law’s phone.
It’s my 17th year playing with the unparalleled musicians of Talea Ensemble. We performed at the Bowdoin International Music Festival in July. I was impressed by the excellent student concerts I heard there, the gorgeous campus of the University, the interesting programming and general vibe of the festival.
Hamming it up as “teacher” Rane in Derek Bermel’s “Language Instruction” at the Bowdoin International Music Festival
In October Talea played at the Pharos Contemporary Music Festival in Cyprus. This was a life changing trip for me - Roman ruins, turquoise waters, cats, halloumi, generous friends and the Cyprus premiere of Grisey’s Talea which was a very meaningful experience. It’s amazing where music can take you!
Playing Zosha diCastri from the balcony, Pharos Contemporary Music Festival, Nicosia, Cyprus
Roman columns in Paphos
Improbable Beasts played to a standing room only audience at the International Clarinet Association Festival in Dublin, Ireland. I got to meet a lot of great people and saw some fun concerts including clarinet greats Michael Lowenstern and Evan Ziporyn.
Dublin Convention center
A standing room show of all clarinetists waiting to hear the Beasts
I also started teaching at Tufts University and MIT. It’s so great to have so many people interested in learning about music and the clarinet. We’ll all keep learning, practicing, taking care of each other and making music in 2025!
Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!
