October 20th
@ Terrace, 62 Washington St. Princeton NJ; 9 PM. FREE!
Sqwonk
The San Francisco-based Sqwonk bass clarinet duo is a dynamic and adventurous ensemble devoted to exploring the full expressive range of the bass clarinet, from deep resonances to raucous wails. Though grounded in the classical tradition, Sqwonk plays music that draws on a wide range of influences, from klezmer to heavy metal to blues to avant-garde improvisation, creating a repertoire that is both contemporary and broadly accessible to a wide audience.
Formed in the Spring of 2005 by Jeff Anderle and Jonathan Russell, Sqwonk has given over twenty performances throughout the San Francisco Bay Area in the past three years at a wide range of venues and events, including Old First Church, the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Berkeley Arts Festival, the Outsound Music Series, and Classical Jam at the Revolution Café. As a consequence of its mission to develop a new repertoire of bass clarinet duos, Sqwonk has already premiered or commissioned works by some twelve composers, including Ben Gribble, Jonathan Russell, Ian Dicke, Damon Waitkus, Ryan Brown, Ben Phelps, Ken Thomson, Marc Mellits, Aaron Novik, Cornelius Boots, James Holt, and Dan Becker. In 2006, Sqwonk received a Faculty Development grant from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music to fund its first CD, which was released in the fall of 2007. Also in the fall of 2007, Sqwonk received a Northern California Composers Commissioning Program grant to fund a new work by composer Ryan Brown.
Sounds & Links:
http://sqwonk.com/Enter.html
Harrison Frye
more information coming soon!