In this concert, Splinter Reeds presents an adventurous program of acoustic and electroacoustic works for reed quintet that highlight a range of extended techniques and vibrant sound worlds. The program comprises Irish premieres and world premieres that are a result of in-depth collaborations and reveal the unique musical vocabulary of the individuals within the ensemble.
Splinter Reeds, offer up a fascinating collection of compositions, embodying a kaleidoscopic world that can only be created by reed instruments...[Splinter Reeds] show their command of traditional and extended techniques as well as precise ensemble playing. [Mike Telin, clevelandclassical.com]
Splinter Reeds is the Bay Area's first reed quintet comprising five virtuosic musicians with a shared passion for new music. The ensemble is committed to presenting top tier performances of today's best contemporary composition, showcasing the vast possibilities of the reed quintet, and commissioning new works through collaboration with fellow musicians and artists.
Splinter Reeds formed in 2013 with the coming together of five colleagues highly active in the vibrant Bay Area music scene: Kyle Bruckmann (oboe), Bill Kalinkos (clarinet), David Wegehaupt (saxophone), Jeff Anderle (bass clarinet), and Dana Jessen (bassoon). Their dynamic instrumentation is an evolutionary detour from the traditional woodwind quintet with the advantages of a more closely related instrument family.
Explicitly committed to the cutting edge of contemporary composition, Splinter Reeds freely juxtaposes multiple styles and aesthetics in their programming in order to enthusiastically share adventurous new music with the widest possible audience. The quintet has worked closely with such composers as Eric Wubbels, Sky Macklay, Paula Matthusen, Marc Mellits, and Ken Ueno, while presenting North American premieres by European-based composers Dai Fujikura, Matthew Shlomowitz, and Yannis Kyriakides, among others.
Based in Oakland, CA, the ensemble maintains an active performing and teaching schedule at festivals, chamber music series, and educational institutions across the country. Highlights from recent seasons include engagements at Vancouver New Music, the Mondavi Center for Performing Arts, Chicago's Constellation, Festival of New American Music, Stanford University's CCRMA, Switchboard Music Festival, Blue Sage Center for the Arts, Lawrence Conservatory of Music, Northwestern University, San Francisco Center for New Music, and the April in Santa Cruz Festival of Contemporary Music.
The ensemble's recent album, Hypothetical Islands (2019), was released on New Focus Recordings and features their commissions from Sky Macklay, Eric Wubbels, Cara Haxo, and Theresa Wong, as well as premiere recordings of works by Matthew Shlomowitz and Yannis Kyriakides. The ensemble's debut album, Got Stung (2015), features two of their own commissions and four premiere recordings. The self-released album, on Splinter Records, comprises new works for reed quintet by composers Marc Mellits, Erik DeLuca, Ryan Brown, Kyle Bruckmann, Ned McGowan and Jordan Glenn.
This engagement is supported by Mid Atlantic Arts through USArtists International in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
PROGRAMME:
Fergal Dowling, Everything is Real (2022) (8') **
Siobhán Cleary, Veeve (2022) **
Yannis Kyriakides, Hypothetical Islands (2012) (13') *
- interval -
Eric Wubbels, Auditory Scene Analysis II (2016) (10') *
Gráinne Mulvey, Untitled (2022) (17') **
Paula Matthusen, Antenna Studies (2018) (12') *
*Irish premiere
**World premiere
PERFORMERS:
Kyle Bruckmann, oboe/english horn
Bill Kalinkos, clarinet
David Wegehaput, soprano/alto saxophone
Jeff Anderle, bass clarinet
Dana Jessen, bassoon
