Left Coast Chamber Ensemble presents Clarinet Party, bringing together three amazing musicians for an evening of clarinet virtuosity. Left Coast’s clarinetist Jerome Simas is joined by guests Jeff Anderle, a founding member of the ensembles Sqwonk and Splinter Reeds, and Carey Bell, principal clarinetist of the San Francisco Symphony.
"In my 20 years with the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, I have dreamed of putting together a concert like this that features the clarinet in all its shapes, harmonies and sizes in repertoire that runs the gamut from Mozart to David Garner to Boards of Canada,” said LCCE’s clarinetist Jerome Simas. “I am thrilled to play this fascinating repertoire with my esteemed colleagues and friends: Carey Bell, principal clarinetist of the San Francisco Symphony and Jeff Anderle clarinet soloist extraordinaire.”
The trio of Simas, Anderle and Carey will perform Mozart’s Divertimento for 3 Basset Horns, Olly Wilson’s Echoes and an arrangement by Anderle of the song Zoetrope. Anderle and Simas team up to play Seven Pasos by Sebastián Tozzola, and Bell is accompanied by LCCE’s pianist Eric Zivian in a performance of Peace by Jesse Montgomery.
Clarinet Party includes the world premiere of a new clarinet work by San Francisco composer and music professor David Garner. “I have long wanted to write a “modern” dance suite analogous to the Baroque dance suites of Bach, Telemann, Handel and others,” explained Garner. “These suites were not really meant to be danced to, but rather used the dance-form as a “jumping-off place” to explore the rhythm and affect of the dances.” For his “jumping-off place” Garner chose to explore five “modern” dances: the Charleston, the Stroll, Lindy Hop, Doo Wap, and Funk. Garner’s new composition Suite for Bass Clarinet and Piano will be performed by Jerome Simas (clarinet) and Eric Zivian (piano). “I am extremely grateful to Jerry and Eric for their hard work and artistry in bringing this suite to life,” added Garner.