Music
Double Reed Faculty
Grand Valley State University
Music Department
7th Annual Double Reed Day
November 10, 2012
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GVSU FACULTY
John Clapp joined the Grand Valley State University music faculty in the fall of 2003. He is currently Assistant Principal/Second Bassoonist of the Grand Rapids Symphony. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Contrabassoonist of the Grand Rapids Symphony for six seasons. John has also held the position of Contrabassoon with the Charlotte Symphony, in Charlotte North Carolina. A native of Philadelphia, Mr. Clapp received his undergraduate degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a master’s degree from the Juilliard School of Music. He has performed with the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Harrisburg Symphony, and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic.
With a doctorate from the University of Illinois, Marlen Vavrikova has performed in Sarasota, Hot Springs, Banff, and Ostrava New Music festivals, the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music and International Double Reed Society conferences, and has been a soloist with the University of Illinois New Music Ensemble, the Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana, and the Janacek Chamber Orchestra. Besides receiving a stipend from the Czech Musical Fund and travel grants from the Ostrava City Council and the Civic Foundation, Marlen won the Presser Musical Award and the Kate Neal Kinley Musical Fellowship, and was awarded the Fellowship for the Creative and Performing Arts at the University of Illinois. A member of the Sarasota Opera Orchestra 2005, she has taught chamber music and oboe at the AMEROPA international festival in Prague and the Illinois Summer Youth Music Festival. Her primary teachers include Nancy Ambrose King, Richard Killmer, Daniel Stolper, and Josef Zidek.
GUEST ARTISTS
Jeffrey Rathbun joined The Cleveland Orchestra as assistant principal oboe in 1990. From 2001 to 2003, he served as principal oboe. Prior to joining the Orchestra, he served in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (1988 to 1990), San Francisco Symphony (1986 to 1988), Oakland Symphony (1984 to 1986), and Honolulu Symphony (1983 to 1984). Born in Lockwood, Missouri and raised in Texas, Jeffrey Rathbun began studying oboe in the fifth grade. He earned a bachelor of music degree from the University of North Texas, where he studied with Charles Veazey. Subsequently, he received a master of music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with John Mack, then principal oboe of The Cleveland Orchestra. Mr. Rathbun received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2003 and from the University of North Texas in 2004. Mr. Rathbun is a faculty member of the Cleveland Institute of Music, Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music, and Kent/Blossom Music. He also teaches masterclasses throughout the United States. He won first prize in the 1988 Lucarelli International Competition for Solo Oboe Players, held at Carnegie Hall. The Cleveland Orchestra has performed three of Mr. Rathbun’s compositions: Daredevil, Three Psalms of Jerusalem, and Motions for Cellos,the last of which was commissioned by The Cleveland Orchestra. Mr. Rathbun’s orchestral compositions have been conducted by Christoph von Dohnányi, Leonard Slatkin, Jahja Ling, and Franz Welser-Möst. His solo oboe CD titled Color Factory is available at the Cleveland Orchestra store and dNote.com.
Barrick Stees is the Assistant Principal Bassoonist of the Cleveland Orchestra. He teaches at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the University of Akron. Sought after world wide as a performer and teacher, he has concertized extensively in Europe, South America and Asia, including a solo tour of Hong Kong and China. His appearances at international music festivals include the Santo Domingo Festival in the Dominican Republic, the Festival Y Escuela de Santa Fe de Bogota, the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy, and the 2000 International Double Reed Society Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has given recitals throughout the United States. His solo appearances include performances with the Hartford Symphony, the South Bend Symphony, the Brevard Music Center Orchestra and the Cass City Bach Festival.Awarded the 2001 Presidential Scholar Teacher Recognition Award from the United States Secretary of Education, he has taught at Michigan State University, the Interlochen Arts Camp, the Interlochen Arts Academy, and the Brevard Music Center. He was previously Principal Bassoonist with the Hartford Symphony and has played with the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Detroit Symphony. Stees received a bachelor's degree and performer’s certificate from the Eastman School of Music where he studied with K. David Van Hoesen. He has commissioned and premiered many new works for the bassoon, including Windows, a concerto for bassoon and orchestra by Daniel McCarthy, premiered in 2005 at the Brevard Music Center. His first compact disc recording, The Romantic Bassoon, with pianist Philip Hosford, was released in 1994. His second recording, Opera Fantasies and Paraphrases, a compact disc of music from the opera for Claves Records was released in 1999. His latest recording, Nostalgica, comprised of music he commissioned for bassoon and string quartet by composers Charles Ruggiero, Daniel McCarthy and Miguel del Aguila, represents the culmination of his efforts in commissioning new music for the bassoon. His website, www.steesbassoon.com, contains a wealth of information for bassoonists. Barry lives in South Russell, OH with his wife, Melinda and two daughters, Grace and Maddy. He enjoys running, gardening and roasting coffee in his spare time.
Grand Rapids Symphony Musicians
Principal oboist Ellen Sherman joined the Grand Rapids Symphony in September 2001 after moving from New Zealand, where she held the position of principal English horn with the New Zealand Symphony. In previous positions, she has served as principal oboe with the Memphis Symphony, Virginia Symphony, New Hampshire Symphony, Santiago (Chile) Philharmonic, and Utah Symphony. A native of Boston, Ms. Sherman received her undergraduate degree from the New England Conservatory of Music and a master's degree from the Juilliard School of Music. She has appeared as soloist in Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, and participated in numerous music festivals around the country, including the Colorado Music Festival, Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and the Carmel Bach Festival. She also has played with the Boston Ballet and Opera Company of Boston, the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, and the Boston Classical Orchestra. Ms. Sherman has toured Europe with the Shleswig Holstein Music Festival and Leonard Bernstein, and recorded for New World, Telarc, Koch, and Naxos.
Kathleen Gomez, oboe and English horn, has been a member of the Grand Rapids Symphony since 1981. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse and a Master of Music degree in woodwind instruments from the University of Michigan. Her principal teachers were Richard Killmer, Rhadames Angelucci, Arno Mariotti and Treva Womble. Ms. Gomez has performed with the Chicago Civic Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony, where she studied with Ray Still and Grover Schiltz. Ms. Gomez performs in a chamber group, Wind and Wood. An instructor of oboe, she teaches at Grand Rapids Community College and maintains a private studio.
GREEN PROGRAM
Dan Ruggles has performed with the West Shore Symphony Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphonic Band, Midland Symphony Orchestra, Saginaw Symphony Orchestra and is active with Grand Rapids Civic Theatre and Community Circle Theatre as a pit musician. As a private instructor his students consistently hold principal positions in the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony and St. Cecilia Youth Orchestra. In addition, they are regular participants in MMEC All State Band and Orchestra, MYAF Band and Orchestra and various university honors bands. Since 2001 eight have been nominated to MYAF solo competition. Dan graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy and attended Central Michigan University. His primary teachers were Gail Warnaar, Dan Stolper and Roger Rehm.
Rose Wiersma received a Bachelor of Music from Western Michigan University with a major in instrumental music education and minors in clarinet performance and music theory. Wiersma earned a Master of Music as a woodwind specialist from WMU including study at Michigan State University and woodwind performance training at the College of Bromley, in London, England. As band director at Coopersville Area Public Schools Rose taught and directed all levels of the band program, including recruitment, concert bands, marching bands, and jazz ensembles. The teaching assignment also included various levels of elementary general music, junior high and senior high choirs. The assignment included Music Department Chair for many years. Upon retirement from Coopersville Schools, Grand Valley State University hired Wiersma to instruct to woodwind classes for music education majors. Current performance opportunities include all woodwind instruments in area community bands, theater pit bands, churches, and handbell choirs. As a member of the Michigan Band and Orchestra Association Rose continues as a sought after adjudicator for solo and ensemble festivals as well as band and orchestra festivals.
INSTRUMENT and REED-MAKING EQUIPMENT EXHIBITION
Carlos E. Coelho Woodwinds
Born in Brazil, Carlos Coelho studied Oboe in the United States at the Manhattan School of Music; SUNY Purchase (State Univ. of New York);Temple University (Philadelphia); and CUNY City College of New York), where he is a candidate for the Doctorate in Oboe Performance degree. His teachers included Henry Schuman, Elaine Douvas, and Louis Rosenblatt. He also studied with Ingo Goritzki at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover, Germany. Carlos' first Oboe teacher was his father, who was director of the Conservatorio Musical de Tatui, one of the largest music schools in South America. Carlos and his father are not the only musicians in the family. His brother Tadeu is a professor of Flute at the North Carolina School for the Arts. Brother Benjamin, formerly the Principal Bassoonist of the Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro, is now a Bassoon professor at the University of Iowa School of Music. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, brother Luiz is a band director in Cleveland, Ohio. Formerly the Principal Oboist of the Campinas Symphony Orchestra and faculty member of the University of Campinas in Brazil, Carlos has also performed with the International Chamber Music Ensemble of the Associazione Musicale Riky Haertelt from Torino, Italy. Mr. Coelho is one of only two craftsmen in the United States trained in the F. Lorée factory in France. Since he established his business in 1992, he has repaired professional Oboes and English Horns for clients from his workshop, and has been a clinician at several master classes at universities across the United States and in Brazil. Mr. Coelho has designed Oboe and English Horn shaper tips, which are used by some of the world's top players. These shaper tips are made using computer-guided machines, which ensure great accuracy and precision. Carlos Coelho Woodwinds in Indianapolis, Indiana provides a full range of repair and appraisal services. Carlos E. Coelho Woodwinds has recently been authorized an official F. Lorée dealer, joining only a handful of American dealers who receive their instruments directly from F. Lorée.
Miller Marketing
Justin Miller is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Bassoon 1973 and a student of the renown Dr. Sol Schoenbach. Having been principal bassoon in the Trenton Symphony, Main Line Symphony, and the Lansdowne Symphony, he currently performs with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and other professional groups in the Philadelphia area. In 1994, Justin Miller started the Miller Marketing on the premise of offering only the highest quality double reed instruments and supplies.
Page last modified August 12, 2012
