Ben Roidl-Ward, bassoon
This recital features two new solo works written for me by composers from Mexico: Luis Fernando Amaya and José-Luis Hurtado. Amaya is my colleague at Northwestern University, where he is a PhD candidate in composition. I met José-Luis Hurtado, who teaches at the University of New Mexico, through another colleague at Northwestern and have been collaborating with him since November of 2019.
The title “Quimera” is borrowed from the title of Amaya’s work, and represents the ever-changing soundworlds of both pieces, spanning from iridescent sonorities at the threshold of audibility to relentless waves of raucous multiphonics. Both works push the limits of what the bassoon can do and present important innovations in technique and notation. This program reflects my ongoing efforts to expand the solo and chamber repertoire of the bassoon. I am extremely proud to champion these new works, and aim to raise their prominence through this performance.
The title “Quimera” is borrowed from the title of Amaya’s work, and represents the ever-changing soundworlds of both pieces, spanning from iridescent sonorities at the threshold of audibility to relentless waves of raucous multiphonics. Both works push the limits of what the bassoon can do and present important innovations in technique and notation. This program reflects my ongoing efforts to expand the solo and chamber repertoire of the bassoon. I am extremely proud to champion these new works, and aim to raise their prominence through this performance.