Barry C. Trent

Tickets: $10

“The Fantastic French, Bassoon music from the Paris Conservatory”
Barry C. Trent, bassoon
Lura Johnson, piano

PROGRAM:

Solo de Concert - Gabriel Pierne, 1898
Sarabande et Cortege - Henri Dutilleux, b. 1916
Sonate Op. 168 for bassoon and piano - Camille Saint-Saens, 1921
Sicilienne et Allegro Giocoso - Gabriel Grovlez, 1930
Sonatine - Alexandre Tansman, 1952

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Bassoonist, Barry C. Trent is a native of Maryland and a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory. The winner of ten competitions, he has appeared as a soloist with the Baltimore, CAPAB, Peabody and University of Maryland Symphony Orchestras. Mr. Trent served as Principal Bassoonist in the CAPAB and National Orchestras in the Republic of South Africa and locally, has appeared with the Baltimore and National Symphonies, the National Philharmonic, Concert Artists of Baltimore, the Baltimore Chorale Arts, and at the time of its’ unfortunate demise, had completed over twenty seasons, mostly as Principal Bassoonist of the Baltimore Opera Orchestra. A former faculty member of the University of the Witswatersrand in South Africa and the Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia, Mr. Trent currently teaches a most amazing studio of aspiring bassoonists in Howard County. Mr. Trent and Ms. Johnson have been invited for the third consecutive year, to perform at the annual convention of the International Double Reed Society, this year in Norman, Oklahoma.

Pianist Lura Johnson has established herself as one of Baltimore/Washington’s most prominent pianists. Hailed as “brilliant” by the Washington Post, Ms. Johnson is celebrated for her passionate and insightful interpretations of the standard repertoire, and esteemed by colleagues for her uncommon sensitivity and skill as a collaborative partner. Trained by luminaries Leon Fleisher and Robert McDonald, she performs regularly in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the pleasure of Maestra Marin Alsop.

Devoted to chamber music from an early age, Johnson fields a steady stream of invitations to play in ensembles, most frequently with colleagues in the BSO, including concertmaster Jonathan Carney, with whom she presented the complete Brahms violin sonata cycle.

Johnson was most recently appointed Artistic Director of Baltimore chamber music series Music in the Great Hall, a well-established Baltimore area series with performances by both emerging and established artists.

Equally at home with contemporary music, Johnson plays with VERGE Ensemble, who are in residence at Washington’s Corcoran Gallery and have rapidly established a commanding presence in the new music community both nationally and abroad.

A chamber music disc she released in 2001 with award winning flutist Christina Jennings won praise from critics, and in April 2010 Centaur Records will release her second chamber music disc, a recital with BSO violist Peter Minkler. The recording features sonatas by George Rochberg and Dmitri Shostakovich as well as short pieces by Britten and Arvo Pärt.

Ms. Johnson can also be heard on several recordings released by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, including the August 2009 release of the Bernstein Mass, which has been nominated for a Grammy award. A committed teacher, Johnson serves on the faculty of Peabody Conservatory.