My bass clarinet duo Sqwonk primarily performs new pieces that we commission, but occasionally we come across an old piece that seems like it would fit in well with our general aesthetic outlook. J.S. Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor is one such piece. Though originally composed for the organ, the deep resonances, free-wheeling […]
Runion
Runion was composed for the Edmund Welles bass clarinet quartet, and it is heavily inspired by the music of its bandleader and composer Cornelius Boots. Boots’ music, due to his heavy metal roots and many years of experience with the rich, deep sound of four bass clarinets, has a visceral and sonic directness and intensity […]
Sqwonkzoforus Rex
Sqwonkzoforus Rex was composed for my bass clarinet duo, Sqwonk, and the piano duo ZOFO. It came about when Sqwonk and ZOFO decided to split a concert program at Old First Church in San Francisco, and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to combine the two groups together in a new composition. As I thought about […]
Sonata for Bass Clarinet and Piano
The Sonata for Bass Clarinet and Piano was composed for my good friend, pianist Kate Campbell. She asked me to write something for a piano recital she was giving, but rather than writing a solo piano piece, I thought it would be fun to write something we could play together. The resulting piece contrasts jazzy […]
Bass Clarinet Double Concerto: clarinet choir version
My basic idea for the Bass Clarinet Double Concerto was of Weber’s clarinet concertos meeting heavy metal. I am intimately familiar with both genres, through extensively practicing the Weber concertos in high school, and performing heavy metal bass clarinet tunes as a member of the Edmund Welles bass clarinet quartet. When it came to writing […]