BRANDON, MB – Clarinet players at Brandon University’s School of Music demonstrated in 2014 that they are among the best in North America, with exceptional showings in important festivals in Canada and the US.
Four of the seven clarinets selected for the 2014 National Youth Band of Canada were Brandon University (BU) students, says Dr. Catherine Wood, Associate Professor at the School of Music.
“To have more than half of the clarinets in a national ensemble, including the section leader, coming from BU is remarkable,” says Dr. Wood, an award-winning clarinetist who has performed and taught throughout Canada, the United States and France.
Also In 2014, the BU Clarinet Choir performed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the International Clarinet Association’s biggest and most prestigious annual conference. One of the pieces played was commissioned through a Manitoba Arts Council grant and another was a composed by School of Music Masters graduate Chris Byman.
“That was a great research experience,” says Dr. Wood, who accompanied a dozen of her students to Clarinetfest. “They saw the top players. They rubbed elbows with over a thousand clarinet players. They saw all the latest products. It really opens their eyes to the larger scene.”
“Manitoba has a strong high school band program, contributing to the extraordinarily talented group that we have at BU,” says Dr. Michael Kim, Dean of the School of Music. “Our role is to cultivate that talent through teaching and mentorship, and exposure to the exciting world that is professional music.”
Brandon University, founded in 1899, promotes excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship; educating students so that they can make a meaningful difference as engaged citizens and leaders.
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