Paris has been a place of encounters for generations of artists and musicians. On the 5th floor of the FEU, many collaborations lifelong friendships emerge, both between American students studying abroad and between many different nationalities. The FEU is proud of this creative Alumni Network and delighted to host their concerts and events.
For me, music and friendship have always been interconnected. One of the reasons I began playing clarinet was to be with my friends in the school band, and I am so fortunate to have made countless friends throughout my musical journey. Through the help of my blog (Jenny Clarinet), I have made friends around the world, all connected through music. During my time here in Paris living at the Fondation des États-Unis, I made several lifelong friends.
I am delighted to welcome a few of my musical friends to join me in this concert, both as performers and composers. Music has a unique power to bring people together, and the program of this concert reflects this intersection between friendship and music. I invite you to celebrate great music and long-lasting friendships during this concert! ~Jenny Maclay
N.B.: Unfortunately, Grégoire Blanc will no longer be able to perform on Thursday, the program will be adjusted accordingly.
Practical Information
Date : March 24 | Time : 7:30pm | Facebook Event
Covid: According to the latest announcements, you will be asked to present your COVID Vaccination Certificate. We can no longer accept a negative test result. Please respect the general physical distancing guidelines. Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance.
Program
Zach Neece (b. 1954)
Cat Dreams for clarinet and piano
I. Kitten Antics
II. Lap Cat
III. Cat Eyes
IV. Catnip
V. Best Friends
Jenny Maclay, clarinet
Orlando Bass, piano
Orlando Bass (b. 1994)
Statement for clarinet and piano
Jenny Maclay, clarinet
Orlando Bass, piano
Páll Sólstein (b. 1964)
It’s lonely out in space
Jenny Maclay, clarinet
Orlando Bass, piano
Barney Johnson (b. 1988)
Pop!
Jenny Maclay, clarinet
Yann Tiersen (b. 1970)
Comptine d’un autre été
Jenny Maclay, clarinet
Orlando Bass, piano
Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
Chemins de l’amour
Grégoire Blanc, theremin
Orlando Bass, piano
Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
Improvisation No. 15 in C Minor (Hommage à Edith Piaf)
Jenny Maclay, clarinet
Grégoire Blanc, theremin
Orlando Bass, piano
Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864)
Hirtenlied
Jenny Maclay, clarinet
Grégoire Blanc, theremin
Orlando Bass, piano
Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)
Musikalisches Blumengärtlein und Leyptziger Allerley
Jenny Maclay, clarinet
Will Cravy, double bass
Paul Schoenfeld (b. 1947)
Sonatina for Klezmer Clarinet
Jenny Maclay, clarinet
Orlando Bass, piano
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
Milonga del Ángel
Jenny Maclay, clarinet
Grégoire Blanc, theremin
Will Cravy, double bass
Orlando Bass, piano
The Musicians
Vandoren Artist-Clinician Dr. Jenny Maclay enjoys a diverse career as a clarinet soloist, recitalist, orchestral player, chamber musician, pedagogue, and blogger. In 2021, she was the Visiting Instructor of Clarinet at Brandon University (Canada) and was Visiting Lecturer of Clarinet at Iowa State University in 2020. Online, she is known as Jenny Clarinet, where she created her eponymous popular blog Jenny Clarinet, and she is also the Social Media Coordinator for the International Clarinet Association. In addition to teaching and performing, Jenny is also interested in travelling and researching clarinet cultures around the world. To date, she has visited and performed in over 30 countries, and she enjoys meeting other clarinetists during her travels. Recently, she was selected by the Council of Faroese Artists as an artist-in-residence in Tjørnuvík, Faroe Islands, where she performed and promoted clarinet compositions by Faroese composers. She has also been named an Artist-in-Residence Niederösterreich, and she will study the clarinet compositions of Ernst Krenek and his wife Gladys Nordenstrom during her residency in Austria in 2022. YouTube | Facebook | Instagram
William McClain Cravy graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Southern California where he studied with David Allen Moore. He is currently studying at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Olivier Thiery, Burak Marlali, and Shunske Sato after replacing Professor Nicholas Walker for his sabbatical at Ithaca College for the 2019-2020 school year. Will has performed concerti with the Colorado and Culver City Symphonies and numerous youth orchestras in Colorado and California. He was awarded 2nd place in both the 2015 Aspen Music Festival Low Strings Competition and the 2015 Pasadena Showcase House Instrumental Competition, and 3rd place in 2016 the Jefferson International Young Artists Competition. Will has appeared as acting principal of l’Orchestre de Toulon and the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra and as a substitute bassist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Canada), Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, the Helsinki Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic (UK), the New World Symphony, and the Las Vegas Philharmonic. Will began the double bass in Colorado with Ken Harper and Susan Cahill. He spent his summers on fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival, Domaine Forget, Lake George Music Festival and Wabass. Will completed the NAC Institute for Orchestral Studies under Joel Quarrington in 2015. From 2017 to 2018 Will was a recipient of the Harriet Halle Woolley Artist’s Fellowship from the Fondation des Etats-Unis to study in Paris with double bass virtuoso François Rabbath.
Orlando Bass , born in 1994, is a Franco-British pianist, harpsichord player, composer and improviser. He holds master’s degrees in solo piano (R. Muraro) and chamber music (I. Golan), compositional techniques (under F. Waksman, J.-B. Courtois, T. Escaich and A. Mabit), and piano accompaniment (J.- F. Neuburger and E. Guiomar), from the Paris CNSM. In recent years he has obtained prizes in a number of International competitions; these include the Grand-Prix at the Paris CFRPM Festival-Competition for Modern Piano Repertoire (April 2016), first prize at Les Virtuoses du Cœur (March 2016) and winner of the Bologna Harpsichord Competition (Italy) run by the Paola Bernardi Foundation (November 2015). As a composer, his catalogue mainly includes instrumental chamber music, works for solo piano and two operas – to which should be added regular live improvisations to silent films. On a musicological front, he has particularly championed the work of French composer, engraver and painter Michel Ciry through on-going recordings and analytical research papers. Whether as a soloist or chamber player, Orlando Bass is a keen interpreter of modern and contemporary music and has given numerous first performances of new works. Among his recordings are: 4 CDs of transcriptions for 2 harpsichords with fellow-harpsichordist Mireille Podeur for Maguelone publishing company, a CD of 20th and 21st century Preludes and Fugues for solo piano with indéSens, and a CD of world premieres for solo piano with DUX. He is since June 2019 a laureate of the Banque Populaire foundation.
Young French musician Grégoire Blanc is one of today’s rare “virtuosos” of the theremin, a very special musical instrument. After his studies at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers and receiving a Master en sciences de la musique (ATIAM) at IRCAM, he decided to devote himself fully to music at the end of his program’s internship. His artistic project evolved towards a search for expressiveness in electronic music, with classical music as a starting point. An eclectic repertoire made up of transcriptions and original works give him the opportunity to perform in concert around the world with various instrumental formations: piano, orchestra, organ, various chamber music ensembles. YouTube | Facebook | Instagram