CBC Concert Recording of music by John Beckwith

Tonight I had the fun of playing in a Toronto concert of music by John Beckwith. Among the many intriguing works on the programme, I played his 'Solo' for bassoon, written in 2008 for George Zukerman but never previously performed. There were duos, a trio and a quartet and the larger group also played 'Eureka,' a complex, fluid nonet for three trios which move around on the stage. Ken Winter's review in the Globe and Mail is a good description of the full concert, though he did not realize that my 'Solo" was indeed a premiere (I'll forgive him this time).

It was a real privilege to have 4 serious rehearsals with John Beckwith. He is an exceedingly gentle yet searching individual... demanding yet flexible. There is enormous variety in his music, but nothing flirtatious or coy... it is oddly lyrical and intriguingly unique.