Crane School of Music Welcomes Guest Bass Clarinetist Michael Lowenstern and Features Ensembles in Upcoming Concerts

SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music Welcomes Audiences for Upcoming Free Performances

Potsdam, NY (10/18/2024) — SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music will feature its talented students and world-renowned faculty artists in a series of upcoming live performances this month.

All performances are free, and the public is invited to attend.

The Crane Wind Ensemble will present its second concert of the semester on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m., in the Helen M. Hosmer Concert Hall. Among other highlights, the performance will include Alexander Arutiunian's "Concerto for Trumpet," featuring faculty member Luke Spence, trumpet. The ensemble will also present works by Gala Flagello, Arturo Marquez, Percy Aldridge Grainger and Ingolf Dal.

Guest artist Michael Lowenstern, a highly regarded bass clarinetist, will be in residence at The Crane School of Music next week as well. Lowenstern will present a special guest artist recital on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m., in Hosmer Hall.

Lowenstern is widely regarded as one of the most innovative bass clarinetists in the world, and has performed, recorded and toured as a soloist and with ensembles of every variety. Lowenstern's performance career has been eclectic; he was clarinetist with the Grammy Award-winning Klezmatics, while at the same time bass clarinetist with the Grammy-winning New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. He also performed and recorded regularly as a member of the Steve Reich Ensemble, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, John Zorn, Bang on a Can All-Stars, and Minneapolis-based Zeitgeist. In addition to his own large catalog of bass clarinet solo works, he has had over 150 pieces of work written for or dedicated to him, and has appeared on more than 60 recordings, three of which have won Grammys. Lowenstern has also released eight solo albums. In 1997, Lowenstern launched earspasm.com, initially as a website to market his first album, "Spasm." Since then, Earspasm has expanded into the most comprehensive online clarinet and bass clarinet shop in the world, serving single-reed players from across the globe. As an educator, he has served on the faculties of the Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music and New York University. But it was his work on YouTube that provided the outlet he was looking for: a place to reach players that were not necessarily interested in playing music for a living, but rather enjoying music for a lifetime. Over the past 14 years, Lowenstern has amassed a following of 60,000 subscribers, with 10 million views and counting. Lowenstern is a Backun Artist, having contributed to the design of their new bass clarinet, and plays Vandoren mouthpieces, ligatures and reeds.

The following week will kick off with two evenings of brass performances. The Crane Trombone Choir and Trumpet Ensemble will present a joint concert on Monday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m., in Hosmer Hall.

The following evening, the Crane Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble and Horn Choir will perform together, on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m., also in Hosmer.

The Crane Jazz Band will present its fall concert on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m., also in Hosmer.

The events are a community benefit of being home to one of the premier schools of music in the nation -- and thanks to livestreaming, anyone anywhere can watch and enjoy. For program details and more information on these and other upcoming performances, please visit www.potsdam.edu/cranelive.

About The Crane School of Music:

Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York's only All-Steinway institution and was one of the first Yamaha Institutions of Excellence. For more information, please visit www.potsdam.edu/crane.

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