Nancy Braithwaite, clarinetist
Links:
Read here (in Dutch) about my concert series in Bunnik, The Netherands, see the concert schedule learn more about the Arto Ensemble and read about past concerts.
The Arto Ensemble initially was made up of two couples.
My husband Oane Wierdsma, who died of cancer in 2008, was our pianist, I am the clarinetist, Prunella Pacey is our violist and her partner Guus Fabius plays the cello. We all had young children when I started the series and it was intended as a family friendly enterprise. Arto stands for the names of our children:
Amarins, Rosina, Tsjalling ,Otto.
My daughter Amarins Wierdsma, violin, and Rosina Fabius mezzo -soprano (daughter of Prunella Pacey and Guus Fabius) are now both award winning professional musicians, are members of the Arto Ensemble and perform regularly in the series Kromme Rijn Concerten.
Amarins plays first violin in the Barbican Quartet which won 1st Prize in the prestigious ARD Competition in 2022.
Rosina Fabius received the Oratorio Prize at the International Vocal Competition In 'S Hertogenbosch in 2018.
The Rietveld Ensemble is based in the Utrecht, The Netherlands. Gerrit Rietveld(1888-1964) was a famous Dutch architect, graphic designer and furniture designer from Utrecht. Much of the music for our core ensemble which includes violin (Elisabeth Perry), viola (Richard Wolfe), cello (Matthias Naegele) and clarinet (Nancy Braithwaite) was written during Rietveld's lifetime. We also play music from the classical period and the romantic period and commission compositions from present day composers.
We program a variety of instrumentations from solo to nonet and we regularly perform with fabulous guest artists in our concert series in Utrecht.
I discovered the fantastic Uebel Superior Clarinets in July 2015 and fell in love with their warm colorful and even sound. I have found my voice!
The Silverstein Ligature lets the reed shine in all of its glory! The added depth in sound is amazng!
This is the link for the International Clarinet Association. Please join and get our wonderful quarterly magazine full of information about everything related to clarinet playing.
This is a link to the website of the Boston based composer, Thomas Oboe Lee.
I first met Tom when he wrote a piece for solo clarinet called 'Trinca de Choros for me to perform as a wedding gift for my sister's wedding in 1996. I liked his music so much that I invited him to write for our group, the Arto Ensemble.
Tom wrote 'Yo Picasso' for clarinet, viola, cello and piano in 1997 and came to The Netherlands to coach us and hear the premiere.
In 2012 Tom wrote an octet ( 2 violins, viola, cello, bass, clarinet, bassoon and horn) and again traveled to The Netherlands to attend the performances.
I have also performed and recorded his wonderful work for mezzo soprano, clarinet and piano , 'I Never Saw Another Butterfly' (1991) and
I commissioned a clarinet quintet from Tom Lee , which was premiered in The Netherlands in May, 2014.
Here is a list of works by Thomas Oboe Lee that were written for me:
1. Yo Picasso (1997) for clarinet, viola, cello and piano
2. Octet in D, opus 144 (2012) for clarinet, bassoon, horn, string quartet and double bass
3. Clarinet Quintet (2013) for clarinet and string quartet
4. La Serenissima (2013) 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 horns and 2 bassoons
5. Alice (2015) mezzo-soprano, clarinet, violin, viola and cello
6. B.A.C.H. (2018) for clarinet and piano
7. Vanessa ... Hommage à Maurice Ravel (2024) clarinet, violin, cello, piano
8. Nonet 2019
9.Trinca de Chôros (1996) Bb clarinet solo in three movements
Performed but not written for me:
10. I Never Saw Another Butterfly (1991) mezzo, Bb clarinet, piano
11. Septet, opus 77 ... "Variations on a Shaker tune" (1998) flute, Bb clarinet, F Horn, violin, viola, cello, double bass
This is a link to the website of the Utrecht based composer, Carlos Michans.
I first met Carlos when we had both just arrived in The Netherlands in 1982 and I performed his 'Musica Funebris' (1984) for clarinet, cello and piano during that period.
In 2010 I performed his 'Igoriana, Three Glances at the Rite of Spring' (2001) for clarinet, piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass at a concert in celebration of his 60th birthday.
In 2019 I performed his "Ricorrenze" (Concerto per cinque no.2) (1996) for oboe, clarinet, violin, viola and piano
In 2022 I performed his 'Fünf Kommentare zu Ich ruf zu dir' (2012) for clarinet and harp which also I recorded with the fantastic young Dutch harpist Joost Willemze for my 2nd CD.
In 2023 I performed his Trimurti for flute, clarinet & piano.
Here is a link to the digitally published music of Edith Hemenway.
I recorded an entire CD of her music "To Paradise for Onions, Songs and Chamber Works of Edith Hemenway" with Claron McFadden soprano, Roberta Alexander soprano, Michael Stirling cello and Vaughan Schlepp piano .
The music on the CD is all available here through Willemsmusiik
I recently recorded WIllem Wander van Nieuwkerk's Trio for violin, clarinet and piano with Amarins Wierdsma, violin and Bas Verheijden, piano, a work that was written for my Bartok Trio in 2004 . This recent recording is included in my 2nd CD.
In addition I performed 'Bergidylle' (2010) for soprano, clarinet and piano and commissioned and performed "Aan de Bruid" (2016) with the Arto Ensemble.