Concert Notes by Brian Post

Members of the HSU Music Department and North Coast music community will be performing on Saturday, September 26 at 8pm, in Fulkerson Recital, to honor Deborah Clasquin with a Memorial Concert benefiting a newly established scholarship in her name. With her extraordinary gift for teaching, and her passion for the arts, Deborah transformed the way people listened to music.

Performers for this concert have chosen their material to reflect Deborah’s love of the arts and passion for good music. One work titled “Shibui--A dirge in memory of my mentor, Deborah Clasquin, “ composed by Dante de Silva, a student of Deborah’s from the late 1990’s, will be performed by Ryan MacEvoy-McCullough, another student of Deborah’s who is now performing internationally.

Written for solo piano, this piece has an austere quality combined with underlying feelings of joy and loss, resulting in a truly poignant musical statement by Mr. de Silva that pays homage to his mentor. Mr. MacEvoy-McCullough will also be performing “Nocturne in B major,” op. 62 no. 1 by Frederic Chopin (1810-1849). This was one of the last pieces he played for Deborah as her student. It is also of one his most favorite piano pieces to perform in public.

Other performances will include a piano transcription performed by pianist Daniela Mineva of Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of the Faun.” This is probably one of Debussy’s most loved and popular pieces and was inspired by the poem Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune by Stephane Mallarmé (1842-1898). The transcription was created by Ms. Mineva and will be having its world premiere at this concert.

Eugene Novotney will be performing a piece that he composed titled, “A Minute of News.” This work has been used as the test piece for numerous snare drum competitions, including the Concours International de Caisse Claire - Conservatoire National de Region de Paris 2004 & 2007; Paris, France. The piece is meant to be an alternative to the standard approach of composition for the snare drum. It also acts as a tribute to the fine percussionists of the Afro-Cuban tradition, who are often asked to gain many sounds out of very limited instrumentation.

Clarinetist Dr. Paul Cummings will be performing with pianist Valerie Reed on “Solo de Concours (Contest Solo)” by Henri Ribauld. Written for clarinet and piano this piece has been popular ever since its composition in 1901. It is so entirely in the idiom of the instrument, and is as endearing as any piece of music ever written for the clarinet. It was composed for the graduation and solo competition of the Paris Conservatory, and was used again for the competition in the years 1908, 1915, 1925, and 1937.

Inkling, a local jazz quartet featuring Susie Laraine, flute, Jill Petricca, flute, Shao Way Wu, bass and Brian Post, piano, will perform themes from “Coconino Suite,” composed by Shao Way Wu. This piece offers a somewhat open ended approach for performers to creatively express their reflections of the American archetype: Krazy Kat.

Other works and performers on this special evening will include; Andante from the “Piano Quartet in C minor, op 60”, by Johannes Brahms, “Three Pastoral Songs” by Roger Quilter (1877-1053), and “Premiere Rhapsody for Clarinet and Piano” by Claude Debussy 1862-1918 with performances by Kenneth Ayoob on clarinet, John Chernoff on piano, Karen Davy on viola, Cindy Moyer on violin, Elisabeth Harrington, voice and David Davis on cello.

The concert will be held in Fulkerson Recital Hall on September 26 at 8:00 pm. and tickets are $20. Also, any and all donations towards the scholarship fund will be gladly accepted. Please join the HSU Music Faculty, and members of the North Coast music community in celebrating the life and creative spirit of Deborah Clasquin.