It is unusual for a classical musician to record the work of a composer with the composer in the studio. But that is exactly what happened when Lamar University music department faculty member Kim Ellis recorded selections for the album New American Works for Clarinet Vol. II.
Ellis recorded works of composers William Thomas McKinley and Ed Marcus in the session in Boston. “Creating something new and having the composer there to inspire the performance is an incredible experience,” says Ellis, who teaches clarinet and saxophone at Lamar University. “We rehearsed briefly one evening and recorded the works the next morning. You just go and do it.”
Boston-based MMC Recordings produced the CD. MMC specializes in recording and promoting contemporary music. Ellis appreciates the mission of MMC: to give new composers more visibility and to establish an archive of modern classical music.
Compositions on the album include works by McKinley, Carl Vollrath, and Ed Marcus. Ellis performed a duet with Grammy-award winner Richard Stoltzman. “Richard is an amazing clarinetist. He is perhaps the most recorded clarinetist in the world,” she said.
In May 2008, Ellis recorded another CD with Richard Stoltzman in Bratislava, Slovakia with the Bratislava Radio Symphony Orchestra. This CD, scheduled for a summer 2009 release, will feature Ellis in a solo performance of Aaron Copland’s Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra with Harp and Piano. Also included on the CD are Clarinet Duet, Book II and Concerto for Two Clarinets and Orchestra performed by Ellis and Stoltzman and written by McKinley.
Ellis has received numerous honors, including the Lamar University Teaching Merit and Lamar University Outstanding Teacher Awards. The Rockford, Illinois, native has been principal clarinetist with the Symphony of Southeast Texas since 1990.
New American Works for Clarinet Vol. II may be purchased from Amazon.com or MMC recordings.com. Ellis also has some copies available for purchase in the music department at Lamar University. Please call (409) 880-8149 for more information.
To learn more about the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance at Lamar University, please visit http://dept.lamar.edu/cofac/deptmtd.
