Andrew Sprung, Clarinetist & Educator

Mark your calendars for March 24, 2018 at 4pm – pianist Brad Blackham and I will perform a faculty recital in Conrad Recital Hall at Hillsdale College. The program consists of two staples of the clarinet & piano repertoire (sonatas by Bernstein & Poulenc) and two world premieres, including my latest bass clarinet transcription project. The recital is free and open to the public. 

Visit the Hillsdale College Music Department Facebook page for more details about concerts & recitals taking place at Hillsdale College.

My third transcription for bass clarinet and Piano is now available through Alea Publishing:

Concertino in B-flat Major, Op. 12 by Ferdinand David (originally for bassoon and orchestra)

Click here to visit Alea Publishing’s web site to learn more and/or to purchase.

Congratulations to the following members of my studio who made Michigan all-state bands this year:

Andrew Li (Junior) – 2nd chair clarinet, high school band
Olivia Welling (Senior) – 16th chair clarinet, high school band
Aditya Sinha (Sophomore) – 1st chair bass clarinet, high school band
Kyle Heslop (Junior) – 4th chair bass clarinet, high school band
Jaden Sheng (8th grade) – 13th chair clarinet, middle school band

The all-state ensembles concert will be in Grand Rapids on January 27, 2018.

I now have two publications available through Alea Publishing: transcriptions for bass clarinet and piano of Antonio Vivaldi’s Bassoon Concerto in G Minor RV 495, and Carl Stamitz’s Bassoon Concerto in F Major. See links below for more information or to purchase:

Vivaldi

Stamitz

Additional transcriptions featuring 19th-century composers will be available in the future.

I am very happy to announce that as of May 4, 2017, I have completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Clarinet Performance from Michigan State University. My document and lecture recital was to create three original transcriptions for bass clarinet and piano of works originally written for bassoon and orchestra, with composer biographies, formal analyses, and performance guides.

The transcriptions will be available for purchase in the near future. Details will be announced and a link posted when the publications are complete.

Upcoming performances for summer 2016 include:

Guest Soloist with Mason City Municipal Band
Thursday, June 30 @ 7:30 pm
Southbridge Mall, Mason City, IA

Music @FIRST! Guest Artist Recital Series
Sunday, July 3 @ 3:00 pm
First Congregational United Church of Christ
Mason City, IA

Jackson Symphony Orchestra
Saturday, June 9 @ 7:30 pm
Riverwalk Ampitheatre, downtown Jackson, MI

Chamber Music Concerts @ Fountain Point Resort
Tuesday, July 12 @ 7:30 pm
Tuesday, August 2 @ 7:30 pm
990 South Lake Leelanau Drive
Lake Leelanau, MI

Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp
Music Faculty Performances TBD
Twin Lake, MI

Elena Komesu, a freshman at Novi High School, won the “Outstanding Instrumentalist” award at the Big Apple Classic Music Festival last week. The NHS Symphony Band performed “Baron Piquant on Pointe” by Donald Grantham, a piece which featured many clarinet solos performed by Elena.

Congratulations to Elena on this outstanding achievement!

I will be visiting the Interlochen Center for the Arts for a performance and master class in the coming week.

On Wednesday, March 5, I will be performing the Dohnányi Sextet for Piano, Clarinet, Horn, Violin, Viola, and Cello with faculty members of the Arts Academy. The performance will take place at the Dendrinos Chapel Recital Hall at 7:30 pm.

The following morning, I will be coaching student ensembles of the Arts Academy in a chamber music master class. The student groups will be performing works by Hindemith, Ligeti, Nielsen, Ibert, Danzi, and others. This will take place on Thursday, March 6 from 8:30-9:40 am in The Shed.

I’m looking forward to spending time working with the very talented faculty and students of Interlochen in the coming days!

The Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, along with local choral organizations, presents Carl Orff’s masterwork Carmina Burana on February 21 & 22, 2014. Friday evening’s performance will take place at Albion College, while Saturday’s performance will be held at Kellogg Auditorium in downtown Battle Creek. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.

The Jackson Symphony Orchestra presents “Bits and Pieces” on Saturday, February 8 at 7:30 pm. The program features works by Handel, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Mahler, and more. For more information, visit the JSO web site.