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actuelleradioLori Freedman (Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1958) • residence: Montréal, Québec • composer • performer (clarinet, bass clarinet) — member of: FReC • Queen Mab • Queen Mab Trio • Transmission
Conspicuously described as “a musical revolutionary”, she is known internationally as one of the most provocative and creative performers in her field. Her work includes contemporary, improvised and electroacoustic music, and frequent collaborations with dance, theatre and visual artists. Over forty-five composers have written solo bass clarinet music for her and her work has been recorded on 28 CDs most recently Plumb (duo with Scott Thomson, trombone on Barnyard), 10 situations précaires (Rimouski Quartet on Tour de bras), 3 (Montreal Trios on Ambiances Magnétiques), Thin Air and See Saw (Queen Mab Trio on Wig), Close (Queen Mab Duo on Spool). Just prior to the release of her debut feature solo album Huskless! (Artifact) she received the 1998 Freddie Stone Award for the “demonstration of outstanding leadership, integrity and excellence in the area of contemporary music and jazz”. That CD won her the nomination for the Prairie Music Award, 2000 for the “Most Outstanding Classical Recording”. The National Jazz Awards nominated her as Clarinetist of the Year 2003, 2004 and 2006. Her second solo album, À un moment donné (Ambiances Magnétiques) has been receiving critical acclaim since its release and was nominated Best Recording of Musique Actuelle by the Prix Opus 2003. Since 1981 Freedman has been collaborating with an eclectic mix of musicians including Toru Takemitsu, Iva Bittova, John Oswald, Helmut Lachenmann, Joëlle Léandre, Mauricio Kagel, Pauline Oliveros, Ana Sokolovic, Steve Lacy and George Lewis. Highlights from her most recent activities include performances with Frances Marie Uitti, Misha Mengleberg, Maggie Nichols, Evan Parker, Mark Dresser, Suzie Ibarra, Eugene Chadbourne, Fred Frith, Ab Baars, Luc Houtkamp, Joe McPhee, Barry Guy, Diane Labrosse, Jean Derome and Peggy Lee. Recently Freedman was featured on three concerts in the first edition of Musiques Nouvelles de Montréal in addition to an invitation by Toronto’s ArrayMusic to be one of three featured artists in their Scratch Festival, and she was one of three Canadian clarinetists performing in Clair et Net at Montréal’s théâtre La Chapelle. In each of these festivals she was commissioned to compose new works. Another recent commission was from Shakespeare in the Ruins (Winnipeg): to write and direct the music for their 2004 production of Macbeth. Freedman was also busy with two collaboration involving electronics with Wende Bartley (Amsterdam/Toronto) and Monique Jean (France/Montreal), as composer-in-residence at the Leighton Artist Colony at the Banff Centre, and developing/performing original music for two Montreal-based projects Double Duo Plus and 3, Highlights from her most recent solo activities include: the Toronto performance of Échange by Iannis Xenakis (New Music Concerts — SoundaXis ’06 Festival); the Paris performance of Kya by Giacinto Scelsi (with the 2e2m ensemble); premiering her new bass clarinet composition Brief Candles; the concert productions Dehors en dedans/There, in here (featuring works written for her, by her and by Canadian composers Ana Sokolvic, Bradshaw Pack, Monique Jean, André Ristic, Jacquie Leggatt and Jean Derome) and Solor (for the 2009 Mode Record release of her first solo DVD showing her work as interpreter and improviser of contemporary music); solo improvisation performances at the World Bass Clarinet Conference (Rotterdam), the International Clarinetfest (Vancouver), and the International Jazz Festivals in Guelph, Vancouver and Montreal. Recent and ongoing ensemble highlights: Queen Mab Trio (Lines of Descent: 30-city Europe/North America tour); Freedman/Uitti Duo (La Tourette ’07, Soundaxis ’08); the Joëlle Léandre Quintet (France tour ’07). Recently returned from a 4-month repertoire development residence in Paris, Freedman’s current activities include: a solo concert of repertoire and improvisations at the Solus Festival (Vancouver) and at Stanford University (California); solo and ensemble music at the Couvent de la Tourette (France) with French musicians Françoise Rivailand (percussion), Benny Sluchin (trombone) and Indian musicians Rohan de Saram (cello) and Rajesh Mehta (trumpet/electronics); the 2008-09 concert season of the new, conductorless contemporary music sextet Transmission (Montreal). [viii-08] actuellecd.com Lori Freedman: biography |
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