Contemporary Music and Free Improvisation

Category: music 431

Connexion ARC welcomes award-winning Canadian bass clarinetist – May 23, 2015.

10383949_10152213940632035_5186739286689515865_nKathryn Ladano is one of Canada’s premiere bass clarinetists. She is a specialist of contemporary music and free improvisation and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across Canada and abroad. Several works have been composed for her and her ensembles from some of Canada’s most distinguished composers. Kathryn holds a masters degree in bass clarinet performance from the University of Calgary and an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the University of Waterloo. Her performance instructors have included Stan Climie, Tilly Kooyman and world-renowned bass clarinetist and improviser, Lori Freedman. Kathryn has participated in workshops and masterclasses from world-renowned musicians such as bass clarinetist Harry Sparnaay and legendary improviser and percussionist, Eddie Prévost. Kathryn has studied Electroacoustic Composition with Richard Windeyer and Jazz improvisation with Sundar Viswanathan and has also performed with internationally known musicians and improvisers such as Douglas Ewart, Richard Robeson, Ed Sarath, Billy Satterwhite, Michael Jefry Stevens, and Dong-Won Kim.

Kathryn is heavily involved in both educational and creative work. She is currently the Artistic Director of NUMUS concerts, the co- Director of ICE (Improvisation Concerts Ensemble) at Wilfrid Laurier University, and the bass clarinet instructor at the University of Waterloo. As an enthusiast of improvisation in the classroom and bass clarinet repertoire, she has guest lectured in university classes and conducted workshops across Canada for both teachers and students. Additionally, Kathryn has been a guest speaker and performer at various conferences such as the 2004 World Bass Clarinet Convention, 2013 Summit on Improvisation Pedagogy and Community Impact in Guelph, the 2014 McGill University Music Graduate Symposium, and the 2014 International Society for Improvised Music Conference in New York City.

Currently, Kathryn performs as a soloist and in a number of ensembles that specialize in new music and free improvisation such as In Orbit, Edges, and Stealth; her duo with famed TorQ percussionist, Richard Burrows; the duo will be releasing its debut CD in the fall of 2014. She was a 2008 KW Arts Awards nominee in the music category and a 2010 nominee for KW Oktoberfest Woman of the Year in the “arts and culture” category.

Kathryn’s debut CD “Open” was released in September, 2010 and was made possible by a grant from the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund. Her music has been featured on CBC radio 2, CISM in Montréal, CJSW in Calgary, CKMS in Waterloo, and on TienCC in The Netherlands. In the fall of 2011, Kathryn completed a Fall Creative Residency at the prestigious Banff Centre for the Arts and she is currently pursuing her PhD at York University under the supervision of Casey Sokol. Kathryn’s research interests include improvisation pedagogy and the use of free improvisation as therapy for musicians with various anxieties.

Surgery Series & Hard)s(Core present Kathryn Ladano | Connexion ARC | May 23, 2015 | Doors at 7:00 pm | Show at 7:30pm | $10

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