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Ocotillo
Winds
"effortless
virtuosity" The Instrumentalist Magazine
The Ocotillo Winds are a refreshingly entertaining breeze from the desert Southwest.
Their fast paced programs are packed with the dynamic energy of
three virtuosos: oboist Martin Schuring, clarinetist Robert Spring and
bassoonist Albie Micklich.
With repertoire from the French countryside, the Brazilian rainforest
and downtown Phoenix, their concerts are anything but dry.
Martin
Schuring
Schuring's breath
control was stunning, his technical skills nearly unbelievable… Arizona Republic
Martin Schuring, Associate Professor of Oboe, has held orchestral positions with
the Hong Kong Philharmonic, The Florida Orchestra and the Phoenix Symphony
Orchestra. Since 1980, Schuring has been a regular participant at the Grand
Teton Music Festival, playing English horn and oboe in the Festival Orchestra
as well as making frequent appearances on the Festival's chamber music series.
In other summer activities, he has participated in the Bach Aria
Festival, served as professor of oboe at the Londrina Music Festival in
Brazil, and performed as principal oboe of the Orchestre Philharmonique
Rhodanien and professor of oboe at the Academie EuropeZnne de Musique in
Tournon-sur-Rhne, France. Schuring has recorded for Philips, Koch International,
MMC, and Summit Records, both as soloist and as an orchestral player, including
the world premiere recording of Oboe Concerto, Op. 57 by Eric Funk with
the Prague Radio Symphony on the MMC label.
As editor, Schuring has prepared a new edition of the Barret Oboe
Method for Kalmus. Articles on pedagogical topics have been published in
The Double Reed, Flute Talk, and the Texas Bandmaster's Journal. He has
performed at every Conference of the International Double Reed Society since
1997, including featured concerto performances at the 2000 and 2001 conferences.
As a member of the wind trio Ocotillo Winds, and as soloist, Martin regularly
performs and gives master classes at universities and concert venues throughout
the country. Martin Schuring serves on the executive board of the IDRS,
holding the office of Secretary. Together with bassoon colleague Jeffrey
Lyman, he hosted the 1998 IDRS Conference at Arizona State University. Mr.
Schuring studied at the Curtis Institute of Music with John de Lancie.
Robert
Spring
Robert Spring’s technical
prowess is undeniable….
BBC Journal
Robert Spring has
been described as "one
of this country's most sensitive and talented clarinetists", Arizona Republic, "dazzled his audience...flawless technique", The Clarinet Magazine, and "a formidable soloist...played with great emotional life" Copenhagen, Denmark, Politiken. Spring's recording of Grawemeier Award winning
composer Joan Tower's works for clarinet was described by The Clarinet Magazine
as "truly outstanding....one would be hard pressed to find better performances of
contemporary music....first rate music performed with the highest professional
standards." The Instrumentalist Magazine says of his recording, "Dragon's Tongue", a CD of virtuoso music for clarinet and wind band, "His musicality and technique make this recording a must for every CD collection." Fanfare Magazine says of the CD, "Tarantelle", music that the famous violinist Jascha Heifetz recorded on violin, being performed
on clarinet, "This recording was meant to amaze and, man, it succeeds."
The America Record Guide writes about his recent recording of
the Copland Clarinet Concerto,"Spring
is fabulous in the Copland. His phrasing is elegant swing tailored
with great flow and a spread of tone colors and expressive subtleties.
His low-
and mid-range are especially warm, rich, and embracing and highly
effective in the introduction and in the bridge to the jazzy finale. And
boy what
a finale! The pace is neatly judged to pick up at critical junctures
so that, by the end, it feels like an improvised jam session."
Spring attended the University of Michigan where he was awarded
three degrees, including the Doctor of Musical Arts degree. He
was recently awarded the "Citation
of Merit Award" from th School of Music Alumni Society. His teachers included John Mohler, David
Shifrin and Paul Shaller. Spring has performed as a recitalist
or soloist with symphony orchestras and wind bands in the United
States, Canada, Europe, Asia and South America, and has been
heard in the United States on National Public Radio's, Performance
Today.
He frequently serves as clinician and adjudicator and teaches
on the faculties of several summer music festivals. He has published
numerous articles on multiple articulation and other contemporary
clarinet techniques.
Spring was President of the International Clarinet Association
from 1998-2000 and has performed for twelve International Clarinet
Association conventions. He hosted the 1995 International Clarinet
Association ClarinetFest at Arizona State University where he is
presently Professor of Clarinet. Dr. Spring is also principal clarinet
of the ProMusic Chamber Orchestra of Columbus, OH. He is a Buffet
Artist, and plays the Buffet Greenline Clarinet exclusively
Albie
Micklich
 ...plays
with admirable smoothness and fulsome tone, and seems to
relish the unfamiliar music he is playing.
Fanfare Magazine
Dr. Albie Micklich joined Arizona State University in 2006 as Associate
Professor of Bassoon. Prior to this appointment Micklich has been on the
faculty of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Missouri-Columbia,
Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Michigan State University.
An active member in the International Double Reed Society, Micklich
performed at the conferences in Ithaca, NY (2007), Muncie, IN (2006), Melbourne,
Australia (2004), University of North Carolina-Greensboro (2003) and University
of West Virginia (2001). An active chamber musician, Micklich recently performed
at the College Music Society conferences in San Antonio (2006), Quebec City
(2005) and Alcalá de Henares (2005) and the International Clarinet Association
conference in Tokyo, Japan (July 2005). He has performed in solo and chamber
music recitals and masterclasses throughout the United States, Europe, Bermuda
and Brazil.
As winner of Juilliard's concerto competition, Micklich gave his
Avery Fisher Hall solo debut performing the New York premier of Ellen Taaffe
Zwilich's Bassoon Concerto with Stanislaw Skrowaczeski conducting. Micklich
can be heard on the recordings Wind Chamber Music of Theodor Blumer,Vol.
3 (to be released in 2007) and vol. 2 with the Moran Quintet, David Maslanka's
Woodwind Quintet #3 and Music for Dr. Who for bassoon and piano with the
Missouri Quintet and Roger Daltry - A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend
and The Who with such artists as The Who, The Chieftains, David Sandborn
and Sinead O'Connor. He has contributed on three PBS specials; The Road
is All, The Monkey Trials (winner of a 2003 George Foster Peabody Award)
and Distant Melodies, Postcards for Europe (1993) and also the CD-ROM The
Juilliard Music Adventure (1995).
Dr. Micklich received his Doctor of Music from Michigan State University,
Master of Music from The Juilliard School and Bachelor of Science from Indiana
University of Pennsylvania. His primary bassoon teaches were Barrick Stees,
David Carroll and David Borst. He has performed with such orchestras as
the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony, the Lansing Symphony
Orchestra, the West Virginia Symphony, the Johnstown Symphony, the Juilliard
Orchestra, to name a few.
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