An incredible amount of news has crossed my desk since the BNOI article in the Spring issue of The Double Reed, and I'll try to pass it all on to you.

First of all the I.D.R.S. would like to send congratulations to William Ludwig. Bill, who is associate professor of bassoon and chamber music at Louisiana State University, was awarded the Second Prize at the Louise D. McMahon Music Competition held April 3-4, 1987 in Lawton, Oklahoma. This year's competition, sponsored jointly by the McMahon Foundation, the Lawton Philharmonic Society and Cameron University awarded a first prize ($5,000 plus one-week residency), second prize ($3,500) and third prize ($1,500). First prize went to hornist Francis Orval from the University of Delaware and third prize was awarded to saxophonist Joseph Lulloff from the University of Illinois. Also participating as a semi-finalist in the competition was bassoonist Mark Romatz, principal bassoon of the DuluthSuperior Symphony Orchestra and faculty member at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Bill performed the Tansman Sonatine, J.S. Bach Suite No. III for solo cello, Hindemith
Sonate, Weber Hungarian Fantasy, Brahms Sonata in E Minor for cello and, as part of the final
round, Mozart Concerto, K191.

Also, as part of a research grant awarded by L.S.U., Bill was able to enjoy the unique opportunity to study the above Brahms and Bach cello works with Janos Starker at Indiana University. Over a period of three days in late April, he performed for Professor Starker in two private lessons and at a master class.

Congratulations also to I.D.R.S. President, William Winstead, who assumes his new position this fall as principal bassoon of the Cincinnati Symphony, succeeding Otto Eifert.

Another personnel change involves Charles Ullery, principal bassoon of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Along with his wife, Julie Bogorad, who is also principal flute in the SPCO, Charles and Julie will be visiting associate professors of bassoon and of flute at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music for the 1987-88 school year. David Sogg, principal bassoon of the Omaha Symphony, will replace Charles for the SPCO season. Charles is scheduled to return to St. Paul in May, 1988, however, to play the Panufnik Bassoon Concerto with the SPCO under the direction of Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, and to continue his activities along with David Sogg and contrabassoonist Bradford Buckley (St. Louis Symphony) as the bassoon section of the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson, Wyoming. Retiring Oberlin bassoonist, Kenneth Moore plans to go full blast into arranging and to live on his boat!

Viennese bassoonist Milan Turkovic will be in Kansas City for performances and a master class in February, 1988. He will perform the Mozart and Weber concertos with the Kansas City Symphony (William McGlaughlin, Conductor) on Friday and Saturday, February 5 and 6, at 8:00 p.m. (tickets are relatively limited for these performances), and on Sunday, February 7, at 2:00 p.m. For information, one can call the box office at (816) 471-7344. The master class will be held on Saturday, February 6, 1:00-3:00, at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, and is being co-sponsored by the Kansas City Symphony, U.M.K.C., and the Midwest Double Reed Society. For further information, contact Marita Abner, Center for Performing Arts, U.M.K.C., 4949 Cherry, Kansas City, MO 64110. (816) 276-2910.

The Chicago Bassoon Quartet, whose members are Rebecca Jemian, Carol Bernstorf, Susan Nigro, and Julia Griffin, performed a live broadcast over Chicago's classical radio station WFMT as part of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Marathon fund raising weekend, April 24-26, 1987. The quartet was joined by CBS Channel 2's Bill Kurtis in Miller and Carroll's arrangement of Peter and the Wolf. The half hour mini- concert, held in the fur salon of Neiman-Marcus, also included Last Tango in Bayreuth, Entrance and Polka of the Bassoon Players, Kolbinger's Romance, and Pink Panther as well as brief interviews with each of the players. The quartet, whose members freelance in the Chicago area, performed a school concert in February for 3-6 graders at the Christian Day School of St. Luke.

Last summer at Interlochen, I had the wonderful opportunity of working with bassoonist Jill Marderness of the Phoenix-based wind quintet Quintessence. Jill is a terrific bassoonist, and her quintet has been very active in recent years, participating in competitions in Indiana, Munich, Germany, and New York. They have also received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to commission new works from Lalo Shifrin, Keith Jarrett, and Joan Tower. I also had a chance to hear their new cassette tape recording of the Klughardt Quintet, the Ligeti Six Bagatelles, and the Roussel Divertissement with pianist Robert Peterson. Copies of this recording can be obtained by writing Quintessence, P.O. Box 56642, Phoenix, AZ 85079. Members of the quintet are: Nancy H.H. Miles, flute; Nancy Clauter, oboe; Ed Matthew, clarinet; Antonio Fernendez-Vinas, horn; and Jill Marderness, bassoon.

The Georgia Woodwind Quintet of the University of Georgia School of Music was recently chosen by the composer John Diercks to record his quintet compositions on the Spectrum label. The record, entitled For Winds and Piano.- Music by John Diercks (SR- 153) was released during the summer of 1987 as part of the label's "Hear America First" series. Diercks is composer-in-residence at Hollins College, Virginia.

The record's first side features the Georgia Woodwind Quintet in Diercks' Divertimento (1981), Wind Quintet (1955), and Concerto for Piano and Woodwind Quintet (1985). Richard Zimdars of the University of Georgia faculty is the pianist for the latter work, which was premiered by the Georgia Woodwind Quintet and Zimdars in 1985. The second side features Boston-based pianist Martha Anne Verbit performing Diercks' twelve sonatinas for piano. The album is available at Tower Record Stores throughout the country. It may also be ordered directly from Spectrum Records, Division of Uni-Pro Recordings, Inc., Harriman, New York 10926. If ordered from Spectrum, its cost is $5.95 plus $1.95 for postage and handling. The members of the Georgia Woodwind Quintet are Ronald Waln, flute; John Corina, oboe; Theodore Jahn, clarinet; William Davis, bassoon; and Kazimierz Machala, horn. Notable among the quintet's other recent activities are concerts at the national meetings of the Music Educators National Conference and the Music Teachers National Association, the North Wales Music Festival at St. Asaph Cathedral, and the Barbican Centre in London.

For those organologist members of the I.D.R.S., or anyone interested in historical musical instruments, an important date to note is March 3-6, 1988, when the American Musical Instrument Society (AMIS) will hold its 17th annual meeting at the Kenneth G. Fiske Museum of Musical Instruments at the Claremont College in Claremont, California.

The Double Reed Society of Finland held its annual meeting in Tempere on March 14, 1987. The program included a presentation by Lawrence Taylor of the new Fox oboes and the "European" model Renard bassoon. Larry also personally invited the Finnish to the I.D.R.S. Conference in Manchester in 1989. A concert in the Finlayson factory chapel had 13-year-old oboist Tanja Moilanen as its youngest performer, and Franz Schubert's Standchen in an arrangement for oboe, oboe d'amore, cor anglais, bassoon, and contrabassoon as its most unusual item. The evening ended with double-reed serenading in a restaurant. The summer's activities were concentrated in the Crusell week in Uusikaupunki with an oboe master class with Ingo Goritzki and a bassoon master class with DRS of F honorary member, Emanuel Elola. Further information about the Society is available from the Secretary, Markku Klemola, Kapytie 5, Tempere, SF - 33180, Finland.

From bassoonist Gary Echols (School of Music, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 65588-0100) comes word of his publication of a Double Reed Newsletter that he and U. of Nebraska oboist Bill McMullen have begun to publish. Aimed at the high school bassoonist and music teacher, its purpose is to promote double reed playing and teaching in the state of Nebraska. It does, however, contain a lot of practical and usable information for both the student and professional alike. Gary says he will be happy to send a copy to anyone interested in seeing them.

Seesaw Music Corp. (2067 Broadway, New York, NY 10023, telephone 212-874-1200) has announced the publication of an important contribution to the bassoon literature, Demiola for solo bassoon with computer processed digital sounds from the instrument by Karl Korte. The score and tape for the work, which has had great success with audiences, can be ordered from the publisher at the above address. Also a cassette of a full performance of the work is available from the composer, Karl Korte, Music Department, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, for $5.00.

The 18th annual international auditions for "East & West Artists Prize for New York Debut" will take place in New York City in March 1988. Open to classical instrumentalists, ensembles and singers who have not given a formal New York Debut. There is no age limit. The prize is a fully sponsored New York debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (formerly Carnegie Recital Hall) in the 1988-89 season. The deadline for submission of tapes and application forms is January 15. Also, the 6th annual international auditions for "East & West Artists Prize for Soloists" will take place in New York City in May 1988. The competition is open to classical singers and instrumentalists who have had at least one reviewed solo recital in a major hall in New York City. There is no age limit. The award is a fully sponsored solo recital at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in the 1988-89 season. The deadline for submission of tapes and application forms is April Ist.

For further information please send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Miss Adolovni Acosta, Director, East & West Artists, 310 Riverside Drive, #313, New York, NY 10025.

There is a correction to Marc Apfelstadt's fine article on Canadian bassoon music from the last issue of the I. D. R. S. journal: there are over 8500 works at the Canadian Music Centre, not merely 1500!

And finally, one of the most exciting announcements to come from the Las Vegas Conference was word of the publication of Bassoon Heritage Editions by William Waterhouse and Henry Skolnick. The plan is to publish xerox facsimile reproductions of some of the greatest works of the bassoon literature at a relatively inexpensive cost, because it will not be necessary to incur the usual costs of engraving, warehouse storage, etc. Also, having an exact facsimile of the original engraving will enable the performer to have the "Urtext" at his finger tips, so that he or she can see the composers original intentions as clearly as possible, and thus make performance decisions based on this knowledge. A brochure containing further information on this exciting new endeavor can be obtained by writing to Bassoon Heritage Edition, 4705 S.W. 89th Ave., Miami, Florida 33165.

Happy bassooning!

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