Carol Robinson will be in residence for several days in mid October.
To say that Carol Robinson is a Franco-American clarinetist and composer is perhaps too restrictive to describe her experience and passion. Trained as a classical clarinetist, she graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory before continuing her study of contemporary music in Paris thanks to a H. H. Woolley grant. Whether playing repertoire or experimental forms, she performs in major venues and festivals the world over (Festival d’Automne, MaerzMuzik, Archipel, RomaEuropa, Wien Modern, CTM Berlin, Geometry of Now, Crossing the Line, Huddersfield…), and works closely with musicians from a wide stylistic spectrum. A fervent improviser, she prefers the most open musical situations and regularly collaborates with choreographers, video artists and photographers.
Author of over sixty works, she began composing by writing music theater pieces. She has received commissions from institutions such as Radio France and the French Ministry of Culture, in addition to numerous ensembles and international festivals. She often composes pieces that combine acoustic instruments with electronics. Three of these pieces (Nacarat for electric guitar, Black on Green for double bass and Les si doux redoux for basset horn) will soon be released on MODE RECORDS.
Robinson’s recent discography reflects the breadth of her work. Beyond her compositions like Billows or Laima for clarinets and live electronics, or Cross-Currents an unending aleatoric mix composed with Cathy Milliken, there are award winning monographic recordings of major twentieth century composers (Giacinto Scelsi, Luigi Nono, Morton Feldman, Luciano Berio, Eliane Radigue, Phill Niblock, Jürg Frey…) as well as classical music, jazz or alternative rock for various labels.
In addition to giving master classes to the graduate students, she will give a colloquium talk and a concert at CNMAT on Friday Oct. 14, 8 p.m. Both the colloquium and concert are free and open to the public on a first come first serve basis.
Carol Robinson, bass clarinet invites
Sarah Grace Graves, voice
Danielle DeGruttola, cello
OCCAM XVI (2014) 19’ Éliane Radigue
for solo bass clarinet
Back into the Gaping Again-ness (2020) 9’ Carol Robinson
for fixed media, with a vocal proposition by Sarah Grace Graves
Howl Alive (2022) 12’ Sarah Grace Graves
for voice and bass clarinet
A Then Compendium for Carol Robinson (2022) 9’ Edmund Campion
with bass clarinet improvisation
trio improvisation (10’)