It was with a great deal of personal sadness that I learned of the death of bassoonist Rox Lee in Madison, Wisconsin, on April 28, at the age of 60. Rox was principal bassoonist of the Janesville/Beloit Symphony, and was well known in the Southern Wisconsin region as one of the area's leading artists. When I was a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin in the 60s, I got to know Rox personally, and we played a few jobs together in the area. He was a fine bassoonist, a very warm human being, and a born leader. Readers will recall that he recently gave the world premiere of Variations on a Medieval Hymn for Orchestra with Bassoon Principal by Max Yount on November 19, 1985, with the Janesville/Beloit Orchestra. (See The Double Reed, Vol. 8, No. 3, Winter 1985, p. 16.) Rox will be sorely missed by the many orchestras and ensembles of southern Wisconsin in which he so ably served.

From Chicago Symphony bassoonist (and composer) Willard Elliot, comes word that he has started his own publishing company to make his compositions and arrangements for wind instruments available to the general public. The Bruyere Music Publishers (9538 Central Park, Evanston, IL 60203, Ph. (312) 674-6977) already has eight works in its catalog, with plans for more available soon.

Bassoonist Michael Hope, assistant principal bassoon of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra of Canada is also an accomplished baritone soloist, and has appeared a number of times in that capacity in recent years both in solo recitals and with the CPO. Who says all bassoonists are monolithic?!

The 1987 Miller/Skinner Bassoon Symposium will take place at Towson State University, Towson, Maryland, from June 21-27. The special guest artist for this 4th annual event will be Knut Sonstevold, recording artist and principal bassoonist of the Stockholm Philharmonic. More information can be obtained by writing symposium founder and director Gene Griswold, Music Department, Towson State University, Towson, MD 21204 or calling (301) 321-2839.

The April, 1986, issue of the Musicians Union paper, the International Musician, contained the repertoire list for symphony auditions. These are the tapes that aspirant auditioners must prepare to send with their resume. The following instructions accompany the repertoire lists: "When preparing cassettes, please record the excerpts first, in the order listed, then record your choice of solo material, not to exceed seven minutes in length. Adherence to this procedure will greatly facilitate the work of the review committees listening to the tapes." The double reed lists in the correct order are:

OBOE

Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin (Suite d'Orchestre),
First Movement - Prelude, Bars 1-13, Bars
66-70 (5 bars after "8" to "9"). Rossini: La
Scala de Seta, Bars 4-22, Bars 37-53. Brahms:
Symphony No. 1, Second Movement, Bars
17-23, 38-43. Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77, Second Movement, Bars 2-32 (top line). Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 ("Eroica"),
Second Movement, Bars 8-16, 36-47, 50-65.

ENGLISH HORN

Dvorak: New World Symphony, Second Movement, Bar 7 to 2 bars before Reh No. " 1 ". Franck: Symphony in D Minor, First Movement, letter "0" to 9 bars before letter "I"', Second Movement, Letter "A" to "B". Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Fourth bar of " 3 2 " to " 3 5 ". Third bar of "86" to fourth bar of "87". Strauss: Don Juan, letter " P " to 11 bars before " Q'.

BASSOON

Mozart: Marriage of Figaro (Overture), (Breitkopf and Hartel Edition, First Bassoon, a. First 7 bars, b. 6 bars after "B" to 12 bars after "B", c. 22 bars after "C" to 29 bars after "C". Berlioz: Fantastic Symphony (Breitkopf and Hartel Edition), Fourth Bassoon, a. 10 bars after 50 to 17 bars after 50, b. Bars 52-54. Bizet: Suite No. I from the opera "Carmen" No. 4, "Les Dragons d'Alcala" (Breitkopf and Hartel Edition), Second Bassoon, a. Beginning to "A", b. 5 bars after "B" to 5 bars after "C ". Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra, (Boosey and Hawkes Edition), Third Bassoon, Second Movement, ("Giuoco Delle Coppie"), Bars 165-181.

CONTRABASSOON

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, (Breitkopf and Hartel Edition), Fourth Movement, a. 3 bars after "A" to 18 bars after "A", b. 23 bars after "B" to 33 bars after "B" (second ending). Brahms: Symphony No. 1, (Breitkopf and Hartel Edition), First Movement, a. "E" to 25 bars after "E", b. I bar before "I" to "K", Fourth Movement, a. "C" to 5 bars after "C", b. " D " to 4 bars after " E". Ravel: Ma Mere L'Oye (A. Durand and Son Edition), Fourth Movement, "The Beauty and the Beast", a. Bars 2 through 3, b. Bars 4 through 5.

Bassoonist Andrew Cordele has continued to maintain a busy performance and teaching schedule. The winner of the 1974 Geneva International Competition currently principal bassoon of the Springfield (Mass.) Symphony, a faculty member at Nyack College, and, with flutist Renee Krimsier and harpist Catherine White, a member of the Aurora Trio, under the Columbia Artists Management of New York. Mr. Cordele is also a composer and arranger, as well as an accomplished clarinetist and harpist. He has recorded for Orion Master Recordings.

From bassoonist Martin Gatt comes word of his recent activities. For the past two and one half years Mr. Gatt has been Resident Head of Wind and Brass at the new Academy of Performing Arts in Hong Kong and very active in the musical life of the region. With Chinese pianist Margaret Lynn he has performed a number of works from the solo bassoon literature in numerous recitals. He has also had time to complete two recordings which include his own transcriptions of the 3 Fantasiestucke (from the clarinet), the 3 Romances (from the oboe), and the Adagio and Allegro by Robert Schumann; Donizetti's Una Festiva (arr. by Sol Schoenbach); and the Saint-Saens Romance. A third recording, including the Marcel Bitsch Partita, the Rachmaninoff Vocalise, and other works is in the hopper for the fall. Mr. Gatt plans to return to the musical activities in London when his three-year residency in Hong Kong ends in July, 1987.

Parisian bassoonist Alexandre Ouzounoff has maintained a very active musical career over the past few years as a solo recitalist, as well as a member of the trio d'Anches "Ozi" of Paris, in conjunction with oboist Claude Villevielle and clarinetist Lucien Aubert. As a specialist in contemporary music, Mr. Ouzounoff recently published his excellent treatise, Actuellement le basson, in conjunction with Editions Salabert (22, rue Chauchat - F. 75009 Paris, France). This work, written for the French bassoon is the definitive word for the performance of contemporary techniques (multiphonics, etc.) on that instrument, and I recommend it highly to all players of the French instrument. In recent correspondence with Mr. Ouzounoff, he has expressed a strong interest in performing a program of contemporary music at a future I.D.R.S. Congress. It is hoped that we can work toward that goal in the near future.

The Second Annual Louise D. McMahon International Music Competition for Woodwinds, Brass and Mallet Percussionists has been announced. The event is sponsored by Cameron University and the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra. Semifinals and finals will be held April 3 and 4, 1987 in Lawton, Oklahoma. First prize will consist of $5,000 in cash plus one week in residency at Cameron University and a concerto performance with the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra. Second prize is $3,500 and third prize is $1,500. Performers must be 25 years of age and over. Application and tape deadline is January 15, 1987.

For information concerning rules, selection of music, etc., call or write:

Double reed instruments are getting a lot of attention in the Columbus, Ohio, public school system. Sparking all this activity are the Columbus Public Schools' double reed specialists Laura Evans and James Bailey. Both teachers play oboe and bassoon and visit schools regularly to teach the double reed students, coach chamber ensembles and aid instrumental teachers with double reed problems.

Early in the school year a competition is held to award deserving students with the use of professional model instruments owned by the school system. This year's winners, oboists Sharon Holford and Debbie White, and bassoonist Cindy McIntosh performed a double reed trio at the Christmas concert on their prize instruments.

At Christmastime a double reed choir of more than forty oboists and bassoonists played seasonal selections at the Ohio Center, Columbus's convention center, for an appreciative crowd of shoppers, convention -goers and parents. The ensemble was conducted by George Wilson, formerly bassoon professor at The Ohio State University in Columbus.

On Thursday May 29th, 1986, Christopher Weait, professor of bassoon at The Ohio State University School of Music, conducted a performance of G. F. Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks. Eighteen oboists and twelve bassoonists, also performed Three Dances by Paul Puerl. The instrument prize winners' double reed trio played Hungarian Dances from the Seventeenth Century. The concert took place at the Gazebo at the Park of Roses in Whetstone Park, Columbus. Also participating were some area adult double reed players.

One final note of interest: bassoonists Chris Weait and Ed Lacey are filling in for Sidney Rosenberg who is on leave from Indiana University for the 1985-86 school year. Chris is commuting from Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State), and Ed from Evansville, Indiana (Evansville University). Both are former I.D.R.S. officers and meeting hosts - "A rarefied club, indeed," in Chris' words!

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