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A native of Tennessee, BIXBY KENNEDY is recognized as one of the most versatile clarinetists of his generation, admired by the Albany Times Union for his “marvelous ringing tone.”
Bixby has appeared as concerto soloist with orchestras including The Houston Symphony, The Minnesota Orchestra and New Haven Symphony Orchestra. As a sought-after orchestral musician, he has performed with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and New York Philharmonic, in addition to regular engagements with the Albany and New Haven symphony orchestras.
A highly regarded chamber musician, Bixby has performed throughout the United States and Europe in distinguished venues, among them New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ Alice Tully Hall, Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Library of Congress, Prague’s Dvorák Hall, Germany’s Kölner Philharmonie and Sweden’s Konzerthuset Stockholm. He has been a collaborative guest artist with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, The Knights, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Currently, he serves as the clarinetist for the “explosive” New York City-based chamber ensemble Frisson, with which he tours the country.
Bixby is a frequent guest artist at many of the country’s most distinguished chamber music festivals, among them, Bowdoin, Bridgehampton, Caramoor, Chamberfest Dubuque, Chamber Music Northwest, Kneisel Hall, Lake Champlain, Marlboro, Music@Menlo, Music from Angel Fire, Music in the Vineyards, Norfolk, Oregon Bach, Sarasota and Sewanee. He has collaborated with the Alexander, Argus, Parker and Verona string quartets.
Bixby is a former member of Ensemble Connect, a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education. This two-year fellowship program prepares extraordinary young professional classical musicians for careers that combine musical excellence with teaching, community engagement, advocacy, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Passionately devoted to musical education, he now works as a teaching artist throughout the country.
On period instruments, Bixby has performed classical repertoire on original and replica instruments throughout the United States with Grand Harmonie Orchestra. As an arranger, his scores have been performed by Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Connect, Ensemble Schumann, Frisson Ensemble, Oregon Bach Festival and Symphony in C.
Bixby accomplished his undergraduate studies at Indiana University. He earned his Master’s of Music in Clarinet Performance degree at Yale University, followed by Post-Graduate Fellowship with Ensemble Connect at Carnegie Hall. Bixby’s principal teachers were Charles Neidich, David Shifrin, Howard Klug and Eric Hoeprich.
Bixby Kennedy and his wife, Emily, live with their son and daughter in New York City. He loves traveling, trying new foods, hiking and tennis. He performs exclusively on Backun instruments.
[CHAMBER ENSEMBLE REPERTOIRE FOLLOWS CONCERTO LIST]
BERNSTEIN
Clarinet Sonata (arr. S. Ramin)
Prelude, Fugue & Riffs
BRAHMS
Clarinet Sonata (arr. L. Berio)
BUSONI
Concertino, Op. 48
CARTER
Concerto
COPLAND
Concerto
CRUSELL
Concerto #2 in f, Op. 5
DEBUSSY
Premiére rapsodie
FRANÇAIX
Concerto (1968)
GARZA, Kevin
Concerto (world premiere)
GERSHWIN
Three Preludes
KROMMER
Concerto in E-flat, Op. 36
Concerto for 2 Clarinets, Op. 91
LUTOSLAWSKI
Dance Preludes
MENDELSSOHN
Konzertstück #1 in f, Op. 113 (for 2 clarinets)
Konzertstück #2 in d, Op. 114 (for 2 clarinets)
MERCADANTE
Concerto #1 in E-flat, Op. 76
MILHAUD
Scaramouche, Op. 165
MOZART
Concerto in A, K. 622
NIELSEN
Concerto, Op. 57
PROKOFIEV
Concerto (from Sonata, Op. 94; arr. K. Kennan)
ROSSINI
Introduction, Theme & Variations
SHAW, Artie
Concerto
SPOHR
Concerto #1 in c, Op26
STAMITZ
Concerto #3 in B-flat
STARER, Robert
Concert a Tre (for clarinet, trumpet, trombone)
TOWER
Concerto
VERDI/Lovreglio
Fantasy on Themes from La Traviata
WEBER
Concertino in E-flat, Op. 26
Concerto #1 in f, Op. 73
Concerto #2 in E-flat, Op. 74
| BACEWICZ, Grażyna | Quintet for Wind Instruments |
| BARBER | Knoxville: Summer of 1915 Summer Music |
| BARTÓK | Contrasts |
| BEACH | Pastorale for Wind Quintet, Op. 151 |
| BEETHOVEN | Piano Trio #7 in B-flat, Op. 11 |
| BIRTWISTLE | Tragoedia |
| BORISOVA-OLLAS | Seven Singing Butterflies (clarinet & string quartet) |
| BRAHMS | Clarinet Trio in a, Op. 114 |
| BRUCH | 8 Pieces for Clarinet, Viola & Piano, Op. 83 |
| CARTER | A mirror on which to dwell |
| COLEMAN, Valerie | Afro-Cuban Concerto (woodwind quintet) |
| COPLAND | Appalachian Spring (13 instrument version) |
| CUONG, Viet | Fine Lines |
| D’RIVERA, Paquito | Aires Tropicales (wind quintet) |
| DANZI | woodwind quintets |
| DAVIDOVSKY | Flashbacks (1995) |
| DVORÁK | Serenade for Winds in d, Op. 44 |
| FERRENC, Louise | Trio, Op. 45 (clarinet. cello, piano) |
| FRANÇAIX | Divertissement |
| GLINKA | Trio pathétique in d for Clarinet, Bassoon & Piano (1832) |
| HARTKE, Stephen | The Horse with the Lavender Eye (clarinet, violin, piano) |
| HIGDON | Dash (flute, clarinet, piano) |
| HINDEMITH | Quartet for Clarinet, Violin, Cello & Piano (1938) |
| HUMMEL | Quartet in E-flat (clarinet & strings) |
| IBERT | Deux Mouvements (wind quartet) |
| LEÓN, Tania | De Memorias (wind quintet) |
| LIEBERMANN | Fantasy on a Fugue of J. S. Bach (woodwind quintet) |
| LIGETI | Six Bagatelles (wind quintet) |
| MACKEY, Steven | Micro-concerto (percussion & small ensemble) |
| MESSIAEN | Quartet for the End of Time |
| MILHAUD | La Cheminée du Roi René, Op. 205 |
| MOZART | Trio in E-flat for Clarinet, Viola & Piano, K. 498 (“Kegelstatt”) |
| NIELSEN | Serenata in vano |
| PIAZZOLLA | Histoire du Tango |
| POULENC | Trio (arranged for clarinet, bassoon & piano) |
| PROKOFIEV | Overture on Hebrew Themes, Op. 34 |
| RAFF, Joachim | Dectet |
| REICHA | quintets for winds |
| RIES, Ferdinand | Clarinet Trio, Op. 28 |
| RIHM, Wolfgang | Chiffre IV |
| ROREM, Ned | Ariel (soprano, clarinet, piano) |
| SCHOENBERG | Chamber Symphony, Op. 9 |
| SCHUBERT | Octet The Shepherd on the Rock, D. 965 (soprano, clarinet, pian |
| SCHUMANN, Clara | Three Romances, Op. 22 |
| SCHUMANN, Robert | Adagio & Allegro, Op. 70 |
| SPOHR | Quintet in c, Op. 52 (piano & winds) |
| STRAUSS | Serenade in E-flat for 13 Wind Instruments, Op. 7 |
| STRAVINSKY | L’Histoire du soldat |
| TOWER | Island Prelude |
| WAGNER | Siegfried Idyll |
| WEBER | Quintet in B-flat, Op. 34 (clarinet & strings) |
| WEBERN | 6 Lieder nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl, Op. 14 |
| WUORINEN | New York Notes (1981/82) |
Clarinet and first violin shine in Parker Quartet performance at Bowdoin [headline]
Bixby Kennedy played with admirable suppleness and beauty of tone. He was unquestionably the star of this performance, although Schubert gave plenty of top drawer material to the first violin as well, yielding magnificent dialogues between Kennedy and Chong.
ALLAN KOZINN
THE PORTLAND PRESS HERALD
Music Review: Youth and Veterans make Marlboro Unique [headline]
The silken sound of Bixby Kennedy’s clarinet was a particular standout.
TIMES UNION (Albany, NY)
July 17, 2018
Clarinetist Bixby Kennedy, cellist Allessio Pianelli and Cynthia Raim on piano gave the Adagio of Beethoven’s Clarinet Trio, Op. 11 a deep expressiveness and an irresistible warmth.
RUTLAND HEARALD
November 11, 2018
Some of the most impressive performances at Marlboro in recent years were from Bixby Kennedy who elevated the musicianship of everyone in his ensembles He is a rising star!
SALLY CHISHOLM
VIOLIST, PRO ARTE QUARTET
August 3, 2019
Mr. Kennedy is a fantastic musician and performer with a beautiful sound and excellent technique. I have always believed in Bixby and know that he will go on to do incredible things. I cannot recommend him highly enough.
KURT MUROKI, PROFESSOR OF MUSIC
JACOBS SCHOOL OF MUISC, INDIANA UNIVERSITY
| 6/2/2024 (4pm) | Private Concert (Fort Lee, NJ) Bernstein: Clarinet Sonata |
| 6/15/2024 (5:30pm) | GREY TOWERS HISTORIC SITE (Milford, PA) Pool Pavilion with Frisson Ensemble |
| 6/18/2024 | TENNESSEE GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS T. Earl Hinton Music Hall, Middle TN State University (Murfreesboro) Gershwin/Kennedy: 3 Preludes |
| 7/21/2024 (3pm) | Private Concert (Boston, MA) Bernstein: Clarinet Sonata |
| 8/4/2024 (6pm) | BRIDGEHAMPTON CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL (NY) Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church |
| 8/6/2024 (6pm) | BRIDGEHAMPTON CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL (NY) Parrish Art Museum (Water Mill) |
| 9/14/2024 (8pm) | RINGWOOD FRIENDS OF MUSIC (NJ) Community Presbyterian Church with Frisson Ensembl |
| 10/27/2024 (3pm) | MUSIC AND MEANING Baltimore Hebrew Congregation (MD) Berger: Quartet for Winds |
| 11/13/2024 (3pm) | FAIRMONT CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY (WV) St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church with Frisson Ensembl |
| 11/16/2024 (7:30pm) | CIVIC MUSIC (Corning, NY) The Corning Museum of Glass with Frisson Ensembl |
| 12/1/2024 | THE EMELIN THEATRE (Mamaroneck, NY) with Frisson Ensembl |
| 12/5/2024 | VESPER CONCERTS (Omaha, NE) with Frisson Ensembl |
| 12/14/2024 | (Newport, RI) with Frisson Ensembl |
| 12/17/2024 | WILLOW VALLEY COMMUNITIES (Willow Street, PA) with Frisson Ensembl |
| 1/25/2025 (2pm) | CORE MEMORY MUSIC 103 North Road, Wakefield, RI with Steven Beck, pianist |
| 1/28/2025 (7:30pm) | FORT MYERS COMMUNITY CONCERT ASSOCIATION Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall (Cypress Lakes, FL) with Frisson Ensemble |
| 3/16/2025 (4pm) | OTTERBEIN GRANVILLE SENIORLIFE COMMUNITY (OH) Amelia Room with Steven Beck, pianist |
| 3/30/2025 (5pm) | CHAMBER MUSIC MARIN (CA) Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church (Mill Valley) with Frisson Ensemble |
| 4/4/2024 (7:30pm) | MUSIC FOR A GREAT SPACE (Greensboro, NC) Christ United Methodist Church with Frisson Ensemble |
| 4/5/2025 (7pm) | NORTH GREENVILLE UNIVERSITY (Tigerville, SC) Carolyn Gillespie Hamlin Recital Hall with Frisson Ensemble |
| 4/6/2025 (4:30pm) | RED BANK CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY (NJ) Trinity Episcopal Church Auditorium with Frisson Ensemble |
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Ursula Mamlock: Polyphony I (1968) |
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Will Rowe: Triptych Mvt. III |
|
Gershwin/Kennedy: Three Preludes |
|
Stravinsky: Three Pieces |
|
Busoni: Concertino for Clarinet, Op. 48 |