Clarinet Music at a 'Crossroads'

---

Posted on January 28, 2019

Marketing and Communications

---

Kip Franklin, assistant professor of clarinet, has released his debut solo CD, “Crossroads: Twenty-First Century Music for Clarinet.”

Franklin, whose research interests are centered on commissioning and recording new pieces in the clarinet canon, chose the included works because they “represent the intersection of past and future, the junction of old and new, of retrospect and prospect – a crossroads.”

The CD is one of only a handful in the genre that contains solely 21st century music, and it features the work of major composers of 21st century music for winds. Two of the pieces had never been recorded before and were co-commissioned by Franklin in consortium with other clarinetists from around the country.

Franklin and Robert Holm, professor of piano, will perform one of these, David Biedenbender’s “Synchronicity,” at the International Clarinet Association Convention in 2019. Another unique aspect of the project is that it was completed entirely in-house, using university facilities and staff.

“Crossroads” was made possible by a College of Arts & Sciences summer faculty development grant and a seed grant to support the arts and humanities from the Office of Research and Economic Development.

---