KerryTurner.com

Posted By kerryturner on December 1, 2009

Cowart-Gregory Flint) plus Cynthia Carr and Kathryn Krubsack will be performing Turner’s “Symphony of Carols” in Milwaukee at the Marcus Theater Uilhien Hall, home of the Milwaukee Symphony.

Dec 2 at 7:00 pm a master class with Cynthia Carr will be at 4:00 – large group rehearsal will be at 5:30 until 6:30 doors open at 6:45 with 7:00 concert time– it is expected that we may have 75 to 100 horns performing Hornsaplentychristmas music. The Conductor of the large ensemble is Don Krause– curator of Hornsaplenty christmas.

In Appleton, Dec 19th, “Symphony of Carols” by Kerry Turner will be heard again with (Geoff Winter-Lydia Van Dreel-Andrew Parks-Matt Di Pietro-Bruce Atwell-Gail Schumacher-Sarah Buechler-Kris Bryan-James Saunders-Austin Larson) concert time in Appleton 2:30, master class with Geoff Winter is at 11:00 am, large group rehearsal at 1:30 and the concert time will be 2:30. Geoff will be performing the Brahms trio. Lydia Van Dreel will be performing Villanelle by Dukas. Both concerts are free admission. A free will offering will all go to the Hornsaplentychristmas horn scholarship fund.

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Posted By kerryturner on November 14, 2009

It has been a while since I have written anything on this blog space. For those of you who check my blogs regularly, I apologize. I am in the process of changing my webmaster. Suffice it to say, things weren’t working out so well with the original one. Plus, I have been terribly busy. And I use the word “terribly” because I am not yet convinced that it is good to be this busy!

Anyway, a few months ago, I had written a tentative schedule of projects for this season (2009-2010) in a blog. I had also indicated that things were probably going to change somewhat, and that certainly other projects were going to be added. And this has most definitely taken place.

THE VIRTUOSO HORN DUO AND FRIENDS U.S. TOUR was a huge success. The hosts were all very gracious and perfectly organized. The students whom we coached were well prepared and enthusiastic. And Kristina, Kyle and Laurie- my esteemed colleagues on this tour- all played gloriously every night! Thanks to all who were involved in this project.

Upon arrival, I was thrust back into the stormy life I lead, trying to balance what are basically three different jobs: Luxembourg Philharmonic, Chamber music (American Horn Quartet and VHD), and composer. And the list of items to take care of and organize had grown substantially. But I shall manage somehow, in the end.

Here is an updated schedule of events which involve me playing the horn:

November 13-17, OPL, Tchaikovsky 2nd Symphony and Brahms 2nd Piano Concerto, in Luxembourg, on television, in Chalons and Grenoble in France.

November 23-28, OPL, music by Busoni, Kurtag abd Janacek

December 3-4, OPL, music by Gaubert, Tchaikovsky and Mahler 10, Luxembourg and Ettelbruck.

December 5, Recital and Lecture at the Trossingen State College of Music in Germany. Repertoire: Cherubini Sonata Nr. 2, Bozza En Foret, Beethoven Sonata, Turner “Entrada de los Caballeros”.

December 10-11, OPL, Brahms Violin Concerto and Rachmaninov Symphony Nr. 2, Luxembourg

December 11, Small Choral Christmas Concert.

December 13, Chamber music concert “Concert-Apéritif” at the Philharmonie, Glazanov Serenade for Horn and Strings Quartet, Turner Sonata for Horn and String Quartet.

December 15, Christmas Choral Concert “Lessons and Carols” at the Konvikt Centre, Luxembourg.

December 18, OPL, Prokofiev “Romeo and Julliette”, Rachmaninov “Symphonic Dances”.

January 6-8, OPL, Brahms Symphony Nr. 1, Piano Concerto Nr. 1

January 14-15, American Horn Quartet rehearsals in Luxembourg

February 4-7, Masterclasses and Concerto performance (Weber Concertino?) in Porto, Portugal.

February 11-12, OPL, Mahler Symphony Nr. 7.

February 22-March 7, American Horn Quartet, U.S. Tour.

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Posted By kerryturner on September 20, 2009

On October 14th, Kristina and I shall be boarding a flight for New York, where we will meet up with Lauretta Bloomer and Kyle Turner to rehearse the 2-week Virtuoso Horn Duo and Friends U.S. Tour. Although we are repeating some of the repertoire from the last tour that we did in the U.S., we are also adding some new pieces, as well as performing music from the various CDs which we have recently released. Here is a short list itinerary and the repertoire list for this tour. If you are free and in the area, please come to one of our concerts.

THERE IS A FACEBOOK PAGE WITH ALL OF THE CONTACT INFORMATION: http://www.facebook.com/commodore.pap?v=feed&story_fbid=153336082783#/pages/Virtuoso-Horn-Duo/137279973818?ref=ts (look under “events”.)

Friday, 16.10. New York City: Kerry & Kristina – brass master class, Manhattan School of Music, followed by private class for Erik Ralske’s students.

Saturday, 17.10. Montclair State New Jersey: Octubafest; 10:00-12:30 rehearse at Montclair State. 13:00 – short performance for Octubafest (Adagio & Allegro and Far & Away only.)

Monday, 19.10. State College, PA: 18:45-20:30: Kerry & Kristina give master class to horn students of Lisa Bontrager.

Tuesday, 20.10.Canton, Ohio:16:30-18:00 Acoustic rehearsal. 19:30 Concert at the Johnson Center, Malone University.

Wednesday, 21.10. Malone University: 9:00 Kerry & Kristina lecture “Living and Working in Europe”, Kyle lecture “25 Years in the Trenches”; Laurie – piano masterclass – chamber music.
10:30 Break – Meet the Artists
12:00 Lunch
13:00-14:30 Horn Masterclass, Tuba Masterclass (simultaneous in separate rooms)
15:30-17:00 Chamber and Horn Ensemble reading session (advanced level)

Thursday, 22.10. Malone University: 9:00 Brass Masterclass (chamber music emphasis)
11:00-12:00 Horn/Tuba Ensemble reading session (intermediate level)

Friday, 23.10. Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia, Kentucky: 19:00 Concert, Slider Humanities Center Recital Hall

Sunday, 25.10. University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri: 12:30-14:00 Laurie – coach 3 chamber music groups. 14:00-16:00 Brass Masterclasses: Start off with Kyle, Kristina & Kerry doing a short talk about life in Europe & New York, then break off into horn and low brass sections.17:00-18:30 acoustic rehearsal, warm-up etc. 19:00 Concert.

Monday, 26.10. Cincinnati Conservatory, Ohio: 20:00 Concert, Werner Recital Hall, College-Conservatory of Music Cincinnati.

Tuesday, 27.10. Cincinnati Conservatory: 10:00-12:00 Kerry, Kyle, Kristina – horn & tuba master class, Werner Recital hall.

Thursday, 29.10. University of Western Michigan, Kalamazoo: 16:00 3 K’s – Brass master class. Laurie – master class on vocal accompaniment. 19:30 acoustic rehearsal/set-up. 20:15 Concert

REPERTOIRE

20.10. Malone, 25.10. Columbia MO, 26.10. Cincinnati:
Concerto Grosso from l`Estro Armonico op.3 #1 Antonio Vivaldi arr. Zoltan Varga
• I. Allegro
• II. Allegro
• III. Largo e spiccato
• IV. Allegro
(Kerry, Kristina, Kyle, Lauretta)

Sonatina for Tuba and Piano Kerry Turner
• I. Allegro Brilliante
• II. Andante (not too fast)
• III. Allegro
(Kyle and Lauretta)

La Entrada de los Caballeros Kerry Turner
(Kerry)

Sonata for Horn and Piano Kerry Turner
• I. Allegro
(Kristina and Lauretta)

Far and Away John Williams
arr. Kyle/Kerry Turner
(Kyle, Lauretta, Kerry, Kristina)

Adagio and Allegro Robert Schumann
(Kyle and Lauretta)

Chaconne Kerry Turner
(Kerry, Kristina, Kyle)

Come Thou Fount Kerry Turner
(Lauretta)

Twas a Dark and Stormy Night Kerry Turner
(Kerry, Kristina, Lauretta)

Barbara Allen and Bonyparte from”4 American Folk Songs” Walter Perkins
(Kerry, Kristina, Lauretta)

All the Things You Are Jerome Kern (1885-1945)
Arr. K. Turner

Take the “A” Train Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967)
Arr. K. Mascher

23.10. Lindsey Wilson College:

Concerto in Eb for 2 Horns and Orchestra Joseph Haydn
I. Allegro maestoso
II. Romance
III. Allegretto
(Kerry, Kristina, Lauretta)

Adagio & Allegro Robert Schumann
(Kyle, Lauretta)

Sonata for horn & Piano Kerry Turner
I. Allegro
(Kristina, Lauretta)

La Viuda de Salamanca Kerry Turner
(Kerry)

Trio Louis-François Dauprat
(Kerry, Kyle, Kristina)

Far & Away John Williams
(Kyle, Lauretta, Kerry, Kristina percussion) arr. Kyle/Kerry Turner

Barbara Allen & Bonyparte from”4 American Folk Songs” Walter Perkins
(Kerry, Kristina, Lauretta)

Prelude in G minor op. 23 #5 Sergei Rachmaninov
(Lauretta)

Four Duos Kerry Turner
(Kerry, Kristina, Kyle)

All the Things You Are Jerome Kern
arr. K. Turner

Take the “A” Train Billy Strayhorn
arr. K. Mascher

29.10. Kalamazoo:

Concerto Grosso from l`Estro Armonico Vivaldi
(Kerry, Kristina, Kyle, Lauretta)

Sonatina for Tuba and Piano Turner
(Kyle and Lauretta)

La Entrada de los Caballeros Turner
(Kerry)

Sonata for Horn and Piano (1st mvt.) Turner
(Kristina and Lauretta)

Far and Away John Williams
(Kyle, Lauretta, Kerry and Kristina assisting)

Adagio and Allegro Schumann
(Kyle and Lauretta)

Come Thou Fount Turner
(Lauretta)

Chaconne Turner
(Kerry, Kristina, Lin Foulk – guest horn)

Two of the Four Duos for Tubas Turner
(Kyle, Deanna Swoboda – guest tuba)

Twas a Dark and Stormy Night Turner
(Kerry, Kristina, Lauretta)

All the Things You Are Jerome Kern
arr. K. Turner

Take the “A” Train Billy Strayhorn
arr. K. Mascher

17.10. Montclair State – Octubafest:
Adagio and Allegro Schumann
(Kyle and Lauretta)

Far and Away John Williams
(Kyle, Lauretta, Kerry and Kristina assisting)

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Posted By kerryturner on August 10, 2009

I would like to announce my interest in becoming a professor of horn and-or composition. I know it sounds a bit funny to put it like that. I have received a few very good offers throughout the past ten years or so, and I never accepted because I simply was not ready to teach. But after serious consideration and deep soul searching, I have finally arrived at a very comforting visualization of me teaching either horn, or composition or brass chamber music, or any combination of the three. During my 24 years with the AHQ, I have had the opportunity to teach or present masterclasses in horn and brass chamber music, and often times composition, at a multitude of institutes of higher learning, including the conservatories of music in Rotterdam, Zurich, Prague, Saarbrücken, Dijon, Versailles, Oslo, Stockholm, Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Melbourne, Cape Town, Manhattan Scool of Music, Julliard, University of North Texas, Florida State University, and many others.

It is however, a different thing to be in residence at one of these schools, as opposed to being the permanent teacher upon whom your students rely to assist them in their careers and goals. Quite frankly, my interest in the students was simply not keen enough to consider this path in my own career. I also had other responsibilities which occupied my full attention. It was just not an option. But this has gradually changed over the past year.

I am genuinely interested in the younger generation of horn players and composers and I recognize now the fact that I have an enormous amount of experience and knowledge to offer them. Students have been telling me this for years, but I myself didn`t really believe it. And now, I welcome with a satisfying smile, the possibility of passing on this plethora of experience and becoming sincerely involved in shaping the next generation of horn players and composers.

I don`t know how to proceed. I am posting this blog in the hopes that perhaps someone (the powers that be) will read it and consider my proposal. I would be happy to consider anything in most parts of the world. I can instruct well in English, German and French and my Italian isn`t half bad. Dutch and Spanish are also possible, but I would have to undertake measures of improvement to get them beyond tourist level.

If you know of any positions open or if you have any advice to offer, please do not hesitate to contact me at kdturner@pt.lu.

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Posted By kerryturner on July 12, 2009

I`ve just sent in the final texts for the liner notes to Albany Records. That`s the name of the label on which my newest CD will be released. The CD itself was sent off to be remastered onto SACD, or surround sound, about a week ago. If all goes according to plan, this fantastic CD recording should be available by October.

The program:

Karankawa, a tone poem for symphony orchestra
Introduction and Main Event for solo horn quartet and symphony orchestra
Concerto for tuba and orchestra
Concerto for low horn and chamber orchestra

The artists are Geoffrey Winter, Charles Putnam, David Johnson and myself (the members of the AHQ), Kyle Turner, Dariusz Wisniewski and the Sinfonia Iuventus of Warsaw.

The organizational side of this project has been rather tedious. The negotiations and designing of the CD has been a pleasure. But the actual artistic side has been nothing short of spectacular! So keep your eyes and ears open for the release of this CD on Albany Records- Kerry Turner`s Works with Orchestra!

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Posted By kerryturner on June 26, 2009

Hey everybody, check out Kristina`s blog page. She writes beautifully! And she has just posted a blog about the recent AHQ European Tour. There is also a recent post about the art of lip trilling. So go to:
www.onemoreindulgence.blogspot.com and enjoy it.

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Posted By kerryturner on June 14, 2009

Well, that was it then. The last, almost holy notes of Bach`s “Air-on-the-G-String” rang for nearly 5 seconds in the old, Gothic, pilgrimage church of Bleidenberg-Oberfell, high up overlooking the Mosel river valley. It was a sold-out audience that demanded three encores. We only had two in the folders on the stands. And we really had no lips left. But we tagged on our new encore, “Sabre Dance” to bring the listeners to their feet. Walking out of the church, we beheld a spectacular sunset in the direction of the German city of Koblenz. This was concert number ten on a long and drawn out 20th Anniversary European Tour with the American Horn Quartet.

We added some new works to the repertoire- “Hungarian Medley” by Walter Perkins and “Garota de Impenema” arranged by Morais- and revived an old one, Barboteu`s “Sologne”. The concerts all ended up being around an hour and forty-five minutes. A lot of intense playing at an ever-increasingly high level. Any free days on the tour (and there were a few) were spent slathering on various lip balms, tinkering with problematic mechanics on our instruments and, of course traveling. We put down close to 5000 kilometers on this tour!

We would like to thank all of our hosts on this tour who made each performance possible and contributed to a very successful tour.

Bei jedem Veranstalter, der bei dieser sehr erfolgreichen Tournee, etwas zur Aufführung getragen hat, und jedes Konzert ermöglicht hat, möchten wir uns ganz herzlich bedanken.

Nous voudrions remercier à tout les organisateurs, qui ont contribuè à le succès de cette tournèe et qui ont rendu possible chaque concert.

And now, we all take our places in our various orchestral jobs, for a few weeks anyway. It is always a strange feeling to go back to the orchestra after particularly intense activity with the AHQ. In the car on the way home last night, my wife Kristina, who played every concert with dependable valor and pizazz, made this comparison:

“When you are playing with the AHQ, it`s as if you are Superman. And then, when it`s time to go back to the orchestra, you comb down your hair, put on your old-fashioned suit and thick black glasses, and become Clark Kent again. And nobody has any idea what you`ve been doing.”

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Posted By kerryturner on May 26, 2009

Back in May of 1987, I found myself in the finals of the horn division of the Prague Spring International Music Competition. It had been a grueling week up until then. I did not have the option of bringing my own pianist, so I was obligated to use the staff accompanist. I had a one-hour rehearsal with Mrs. Ludmilla Cermakova on the Telemann Concerto and the mandatory Czech piece. And then we went into the room and played our tails off. To my sincere surprise I was advanced to the next round. I found out later I had placed first in this round! Mrs. Cermakova and I then had two days to prepare for the next round. I had chosen to play the Weber Concertino and another Czech work, the name of which I have unfortunately forgotten. I seem to remember that I played the Bujonovsky Sonata as my work in the unaccompanied work category. Once again, we were advanced to the next and final round. Ludmilla (I now called her Lida) had about one day to learn the Glière Concerto. And we put in the appropriate hours necessary to accomplish this. I was also obligated to play the Strauss 2nd Horn Concerto in the final round. Both concerti one after the other! The great horn class pianist Iva Navratova was appointed official expert on this challenging part and so I was granted all of about 30 minutes to have a run through with her. But no matter, as all parties concerned came through with flying colors and I won the 3rd Prize and Bronze Medal.

That was in 1987. I have, of course, been back to Prague many times since then. It is without a doubt one of the greatest cities of Europe. And it is indispensable in the international touring arena of professional musicians. But this past trip, right on the heels of the OPL tour to Italy, was the first time since my success at the 1987 competition that I have performed again at the Prague Spring Music Festival. So it was rather nostalgic really. Whereas I have played almost exclusively in the great Rudofinum throughout the years, I was playing this time in the famous Smetana Hall. The concert was packed. And the beer at the end of the evening in the Smetana Hall beer cellar was spectacular!

Two days later I was scheduled to perform in Luxembourg with the American Horn Quartet as part of the on-going 20th Anniversary European Tour.

After note: Lida Cermakova (and her lovely family) and I developed a long lasting musical and friendly relationship after that. We have played together many times since then. And I still run into Iva Navratova at various horn functions around the globe. Both are great ladies and great pianists!

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Posted By kerryturner on May 23, 2009

I have always loved Italy! I get there as often as I can. And if I can combine it with a performance either with the Luxembourg Philharmonic or the AHQ, all the better. This time it was the OPL (Lux Phil). I was scheduled to play only the Dvorak Symphony Nr. 2 (or 7) on 3 concerts- Brescia, Bergamo and Pavia. It`s a rather strange job to do. I sit around all day long, checking and rechecking my chops, board the bus to the hall, participate in a very short acoustic rehearsal, locate a practice and changing room for myself, go get a coffee, walk around the city a bit, enjoy a light dinner, back to the hall while the orchestra is already playing, warm up and then, at 10:30 at night, dive into 38 minutes of intense orchestral playing. After the concert, we bus it back to the hotel, enjoy a bottle of wine or beer, depending on which country you are in, sleep it off and get up the next day to exactly the same routine. Kristina, who has been holding down the 3rd horn chair all season was playing the Rachmaninoff 3rd Piano Concerto as well.

Now if any of you have been on tour to Italy, you must have experienced the magnificent old theaters there. Most of them were built in the 18th century, are somewhat shallow in the parterre, but then head straight up 7 or 8 floors of balconies, the lights of which reveal a beautiful ornate painting of some sort on the ceiling. Although the acoustics in these old theaters are inevitable dry as a bone, the visual joy of playing there to usually packed halls gives me that feeling of belonging to the cultural and artistic time continuum that I am ever seeking. It certainly wasn`t the first time that a chorus of “bravi” roared out from those deep, maroon carpeted boxes.

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Posted By kerryturner on May 11, 2009

Very often, the members of the AHQ are asked how we coordinate our horn quartet schedules with our busy orchestral schedules. Our answers usually revolve around the praising of a system which allows us to purchase, at our own costs, the necessary replacement in the orchestra. We also point out the fact that European orchestras very often employ up to 8 or 9 horn players. The latter is not the case with the Luxembourg Philharmonic which has 6, nor the Beethoven Orchestra in Bonn which has 7. And it does regularly happen that the events line up so that there is a direct conflict between our orchestras and the AHQ. Two weeks ago, for example, Kristina (who is substituting for Dave Johnson at the moment) and I played a Brahms 4th Symphony concert in Luxembourg, raced to Bonn, spent the short night, and met Charles and Geoffrey at the “Gästehaus Petersberg Königswinter”, performed for the National Association of Criminal Lawyers and raced back to Luxembourg to repeat the OPL concert from the previous evening.

The AHQ has just embarked on a large European tour, which includes concerts in Germany, Luxembourg, France and England. The peculiar thing about this tour is that we are actually returning back to our orchestras from time to time participate in projects where our services are especially needed. For instance, Kristina and I are, believe it or not, squeezing in a 6-day Italian (and Prague) tour with the Lux Phil right in the middle of this AHQ tour. Geoff and Charlie have been required to drive back a few times to Bonn in order to play Electra there at their opera house. I remember once returning for 4 days from an AHQ United States tour in order to play Einheldenleben. It just worked out that we had a 6-day hiatus in the U.S. tour which allowed me to make this bizarre commute. A similar thing happened years ago when I had to find the Lux Phil on the road in Slovenia and play a concert or two with them and then race back to continue a tour with the quartet. And now, I just found out that Kristina is obligated to do several things with her brass quintet- The Ni Ensemble- between rehearsals this week.

Tough and exciting times. The only things that really suffer are our poor lips!!!Kristina Mascher is replacing David Johnson on this tour.

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