Dario Brignoli: Principal Clarinet, Tucson Symphony Orchestra
Monday, October 28, 2024,
2:30pm – 3:30 pm,
ASA Koffler Great Room and Zoom
Dario will be leading us on a two-part musical journey through the history of the clarinet, starting with its folk instrument predecessor, the two-keyed Chalumeau, through its evolution into the modern clarinet, with the 23 individual keys that extended its range and ability to play in all the musical keys with equal beauty and brilliance. The repertoire for the clarinet and the complexity of its mechanics go hand-in-hand, as Dario will demonstrate with examples of music ranging from the 18th century composer Carl Stamitz to Brahms, from Mozart to Stravinsky and Prokofiev, among others. We will learn how much has changed over four centuries in the clarinet’s expressive and virtuosic capabilities.
During the two lecture-performances, Dario will explain how the clarinet is different from the other instruments of the woodwind family (oboe, bassoon, and flute), show us how it works, and introduce the different members of the clarinet family: the Bb clarinet and A clarinet that he plays regularly in the orchestra, alongside the less frequently heard C clarinet, Eb clarinet and Bass clarinet.
Dario will describe the different skills required to play in orchestra and chamber music settings as well as in opera, using illustrative passages from Verdi and Puccini. He’ll reveal what weird and challenging new techniques he has encountered performing contemporary music, and why, ultimately, he decided to dedicate his life to this amazing instrument.
Dario Brignoli holds the Bachelor’s degree from the Milan Conservatory and his Master’s from the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen; he also studied at the Thornton School of Music at USC. Dario worked for many years with the Italian Youth Orchestra “Cherubini,” directed by Riccardo Muti, performing in many famous theaters in Europe and South America. The Tucson Symphony Orchestra’s principal clarinet since October 2017, Dario is also principal clarinet at the summertime Grant Park Music Festival Orchestra in Chicago.
Previewed by Suzanne Ferguson, Academy Village Volunteer
You can connect to Zoom either by using the following URL: https://zoom.us/j/95456511620?pwd=OC9GcnJRNmJpMTdXdXFhaUpCUkx4QT09 or by opening a browser to zoom.com/join and typing in Meeting ID: 954 5651 1620 and Passcode: 85747