'Song Of The Redwood-Tree: The Music Of Sunny Knable' Concert Comes to Weill Recital Hall

MSR Classics presents a concert of music by award-winning composer Sunny Knable in celebration of his album "Song of the Redwood-Tree: Bassoon Works of Sunny Knable". Featured performers include bassoonist Scott Pool and pianist Natsuki Fukasawa who commissioned Song of the Redwood-Tree and The Busking Bassoonist. Also included are new works for New York ensembles Parhelion Trio, Trio Cabrini, and Elizabeth Pitcairn, violinist of the "Red Mendelssohn" Stradivarius, with pianist Barbara Podgurski.

a??As Knable writes about his upcoming album: "If you had asked me 10 years ago what my second composition album would consist of, I would probably give you a lofty answer, like an opera or a symphony. Though I have written those as well, I didn't know that this decade would define me as the composer of multiple successful pieces for bassoon. I had written for the often-underused bass instrument in woodwind quintets and large ensembles but had never fully explored its soloistic capabilities until I had the good fortune of meeting the rollicking performer that is Scott Pool. What emerged from our friendship was the commissioning of two of my most proud and personal achievements: Song of the Redwood-Tree and The Busking Bassoonist which have been performed multiple times by Scott with his long-term collaborator Natsuki Fukasawa. Both pieces were published by TrevCo-Varner Publications. Since then, I have gone on to write for bassoon in odd combinations including for the singing-bassoonist Gina Cuffari and for the saxophone/bassoon group, Xelana Duo. It's safe to say that this is only the beginning of a long relationship I will have with this instrument." Other works on this program will include Knable's chamber works which represent his versatile and high-caliber output from this past decade.

ALL SUNNY KNABLE PROGRAM:

The Green Violin (2019) - an Irish-inspired fantasy

Elizabeth Pitcairn, violin; Barbara Podgurski, piano

...the Place of Longing* (2019) - exploring themes of immigration: loss, memory and the city

Trio Cabrini: Nuno Antunes, clarinet; Gina Cuffari, bassoon/voice; Vlada Yaneva, piano/accordion

The Busking Bassoonist (2013) - a theatrical sonata bringing the streets of NYC to the concert hall

Scott Pool, bassoon; Natsuki Fukasawa, piano

*world premiere

INTERMISSION

Sundog (2014) - representing a parhelion, the refraction of ice crystals in the earth's atmosphere

Parhelion Trio: Sarah Carrier, flute; Ashleé Miller, clarinet; Andrea Christie, piano

Song of the Redwood-Tree (2013) - a California-inspired song cycle on the poetry of Walt Whitman

Stefanie Izzo, soprano; Scott Pool, bassoon; Natsuki Fukasawa, piano

Tickets: www.carnegiehall.org

More info:www.sunnyknablecomposer.com/song-of-the-redwood-tree