This last recital of the Printempo series will feature Wilson Poffenberger, one this year’s Harriet Hale Woolley music scholars. His concert program Paths of Obscurity is a musical reflection of his experience living and studying in Paris: through many struggles and many successes, his path has been both obscure and clear.
Program
Simone Movio (b. 1978)
Incanto XIII (2015)
Florence Garneau, tenor saxophone
Alexis Bacon (b. 1975)
Ötzi (2017)
Christian Lauba (b. 1952)
Tadj from Neuf Études pour saxophones (1992-1994)
Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933)
XX. In Modo Dorico
VII. Toccata (in tre parti)
Christophe Havel (b. 1956)
BreakDissidence 1b (2007/12)
Edison Denisov (1929-1996)
Sonata for alto saxophone and piano (1970)
Nicky Purser, piano
François Rossé (b. 1945)
Wend’Kreis (2015)
Nicky Purser, piano
The Musicians
Saxophonist Wilson Poffenberger is quickly establishing himself as a soloist, educator, and chamber musician. As a recipient of the 2016-2017 Harriet Hale Woolley award, Mr. Poffenberger is living in Paris, France and studying with Jean-Michel Goury at the Conservatoire de Boulogne-Billancourt. As a soloist, Mr. Poffenberger has performed with the Dana Symphony Orchestra, Youngstown State University Percussion Ensemble, and Hagerstown Municipal Band. He has presented recitals at the International Navy Band Saxophone Symposium (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016), North American Saxophone Alliance Biannual Conference (2014), Duquesne Saxophone Day (2014), and the Fondation des Etats-Unis. Recent accomplishments include first prize at the 2014 Dana Young Artist competition, semi-finalist in the 2014 International Saxophone Symposium and Competition, semi-finalist in the 2014 North American Saxophone Alliance Collegiate Solo Competition, and finalist in the 2013 Butler Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition. A strong advocate for new music, Mr. Poffenberger has premiered works by Guillermo Lago, Gregory Wanamaker, Robert Lemay, Alex Miller, and Aaron Lockhart. He has maintained a private studio in the Youngstown, Ohio area, providing lessons to students of all levels. Mr. Poffenberger received his Masters of Music degree from Youngstown State University and his Bachelors of Music Education degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He has performed in masterclasses with Otis Murphy, Chien-Kwan Lin, Michael Ibrahim, Timothy McAllister, Vincent David, Claude Delangle, Arno Bornkamp, Masataka Hirano, and Christian Wirth. His primary teachers include James Umble, Keith Young, Kent Engelhardt, and Zach Shemon. Mr. Poffenberger performs exclusively on Selmer Paris saxophones and mouthpieces.
Since january 2016, Florence Garneau is doing a master in saxophone performance in Université de Montréal where she is working with Jean-François Guay. However, she passed the scolar year 2016-2017 in Paris where she studied with Jean-Michel Goury in the Pôle Supérieur Paris Boulogne-Billancourt (PSPBB). Interested in new music, research-creation, and improvisation, the young saxophonist already partcipated in many creation projects. Among others, she collaborated with the saxophonist Jennifer Lachaîne and the composer Charles-Philippe Tremblay-B. to present a new piece at the 17e Congrès et Festival mondial du saxophone à Strasbourg in july 2015. Back in Montreal soon, she will finish her master in december 2017 while continuing her work as a chamber musician and teacher.
American pianist Nicky Purser holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and performer diploma from Indiana University Bloomington, as well as Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music in the United Kingdom and a diplôme supérieur d’enseignement and diplôme supérieur de musique de chambre from the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris. In 2016 she received the diplôme d’études musicales (D.E.M) from the Conservatoire of Boulogne-Billancourt. Her primary teachers have been Edmund Battersby, Jean-Louis Haguenauer, Erik Berchot, Pavlos Yallourakis, Valerica Maican, and Julien LePape. In 2015 she received the accompanist prize by a unanimous jury at the Young Soloists Competition of the Sorbonne in Paris. From 2015 to 2016 she was a musician in residence at the Cité Internationale des Arts of Paris. She was previously a recipient of the Harriet Hale Woolley scholarship from the American Foundation of Paris (2012-2013) and a scholarship from the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. During her studies at Indiana University she was awarded second prize in the piano concerto competition. In 2009 she performed W.A. Mozart’s Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467 with orchestra. During her post-graduate studies she was an associate instructor for the Indiana University Department of Music Theory, and she pursued concentrations in chamber music and conducting. Recent appearances include concerts at the Philomuses association in Paris, a benefit concert for the International Chamber Orchestra of Washington, D.C., a concert with the Nishi Duo at the Impromptu Festival in Chambon-sur-Lignon, and a performance of Iannis Xenakis’ Thalleïn at the Philharmonie of Paris. She has collaborated with members of the ensemble tm+, the National Orchestra of France, and the Radio France choir. She has also worked in collaboration or in masterclasses with coposers Don Freund, Alexandros Markeas, Simone Movio, François Rossé, Betsy Jolas, Carlos Grätzer, and Denis Levaillant. She is a founding member of the Nishi Duo with saxophonist Noa Mick, and is active in the Paris area as music instructor and collaborative pianist.