Pressreleasedate:5April2018

BassoonistBramvanSambeekis‘Concerto’winneratBBCMusicMagazineAwards2018SebastianFagerlund:BassoonConcerto‘Mana’,WoodlandsKaleviAho:BassoonConcerto,SoloVBramvanSambeekbassoonLahtiSymphonyOrchestraDimaSlobodenioukconductor(Aho)OkkoKamuconductor(Fagerlund) BIS2206 (hybrid CD/SACD)

London5April2018:TheBorletti-BuitoniTrust(BBT)congratulatesDutchbassoonistBramvanSambeekonhis2018BBCMusicMagazineAwardinthe‘Concerto’category,forhisdebutrecordingontheBISlabeloftwobassoonconcertosbyFinnishcomposersSebastianFagerlundandKaleviAho.Bramcommented:“IwouldliketothankRobertvonBahratBISandSusanRiversattheBorletti-BuitoniTrustforbringingtogethertheperfectcircumstancestomakethishappen.Itwasadreamteamofcomposers,orchestra,conductors,recordingproducersandeverydetailthatisneededforsuchaproject.Ihaveactuallynotoftenexperiencedthiskindofspecialsynergy-andthefactthatitledtothiswonderfulrecognitionmakesmereallythrilled.”Havingembarkedonacareerasasolobassoonist,bothcommissioningandrecordingareimportantpartsofBram’squesttopromotehispassionfortheversatilityandexpressivityofhisinstrument.FagerlundandAhoputthebassoonistverymuchtotheforeoftheirconcertosandpushtheinstrument’sandplayer’scapabilitiestotheextreme.Anelementoftheinspirationfor‘Mana’camefromBram’sversionofHarlemNocturneblues(featuredonhisBassoonKaleidoscopeCD)andhisongoingquesttodevelopnewtechniquesonthebassoon.HerecentlyformedanewbandO.R.B.I.(OscillatingRevengeoftheBackgroundInstruments)whichisputtingtogetherarevolutionaryrockCDforBISRecords.BramwillalsorecordforBIStheMozartandWeberconcertoswiththeSwedishChamberOrchestra.BoththecommissioningoftheFagerlundconcerto‘Mana’andtherecordingweresupportedbyBBT.Bramhasusedremainingmoniesfromhis2011BBTAwardtocommissionanotherconcertofromKaleviAho-fortwobassoons-whichwillbepremieredin2019.TheannualBBCMusicMagazineAwardsaretheonlyclassicalmusicawardsinwhichthemaincategoriesarevotedforbythepublic.Ajuryofexpertcriticsselectedthisyear’s21nomineesacrosssevencategoriesfromover200longlistedrecordingsreviewedin2017byBBCMusicMagazine,theworld’sbest-sellingclassicalmusicmonthly.Fulldetailsofthewinnerscanbefoundathttp://awards.classical-music.comandintheMayissueofBBCMusicMagazine.FURTHERPRESSINFORMATION:DebraBorastonT.01424883307M.07989434388E.debra@henrymoorestudio.co.ukhttp://www.bbtrust.com/http://bramvansambeek.com

BRAMVANSAMBEEKbassoon• FirstbassoonisttoreceivetheprestigiousDutchMusicPrize(2009)• In2011hewonaBorletti-BuitoniAwardandwasadmittedtothe

ChamberMusicSocietyTwoProgrammeofNewYork’sLincolnCenter.• 2002-2011hewasprincipalbassoonistofRotterdamPhilharmonic

Orchestra,aposthelefttopursueasolocareer.• Asasoloisthehasperformedwith,amongothers,theGothenburg,

LahtiandOuluSymphonyOrchestras,NetherlandsChamberOrchestraandCombattimentoConsort.

• HeplaysregularlyasguestprincipalwithleadingorchestrassuchasLondonSymphonyOrchestraandMahlerChamberOrchestra.

• RegularchambermusiccollaboratorsincludeAlexeiOgrintchouk,JorgWidmann,RadovanVlatkovich,LizaFerschtman,ChristophPregardian,PekkaKuusistoNicolasAltstaedtandRickStotijn.

• Heembracesmanymusicalstylesincludingjazz,rock,heavymetalandworldmusicandhasworkedwiththelikesofJorisRoelofsattheNorthSeaJazzFestival,KinanAzmehintheMorgenlandFestival,andimproviserssuchasErnstGleruminthe‘ApplesandOlives’festivalinZürich.

• HeisafoundermemberofthebandO.R.B.I.(OscillatingRevengeoftheBackgroundInstruments).

• HeteachesandgivesmasterclassesthroughouttheworldincludingtheconservatoriesinRotterdam,AmsterdamandTheHagueandtheRoyalCollegeinLondon.HenowteachesexclusivelyattheHochschulefurMusikundTanzinCologne.

• Atthe2015HollandFestivalhelaunchedtheworldwide‘SavetheBassoon’campaign.

• Heplaysaveryspecialbassoonthathasbeenplayedformanyyearsbytwoofthemostimportantbassoonsoloistsintheworld:KlausThunemannandSergioAzzolini.

• SeeinterviewswithBramhereontheBBTwebsite:http://www.bbtrust.com/2011/awards/bram_van_sambeek.html?view=video

• SeeBram’spremiereperformanceofFagerlund’sManahere:http://www.classiclive.com/fagerlund-mana-full-video

• HarlemNocturneblues:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2On6gVzsZs

CriticalacclaimfortheBISCDofFagerlundandAhobassoonconcertos:"BramvanSambeektakeseverythinginhisevidentlyextensivestride.Theagility,conviction,impishhumourandsearingseriousnessallstemfromaremarkablyroundedmusicianship:talentandpersonalityinabundance,butatthesametimestronglyfocused."StephenJohnson,BBCMusicMagazineFebruary2017*****"Manarevealsonceagain[Fagerlund’s]fertileandcompellingmusicalintellect...Whilesoundingtaxingtoplay...itsdedicateeBramvanSambeekrelishesitsdemandsandisgivenwonderfulsupportbytheLahtiSymphonyOrchestra....ThereisalsoabreathtakinglyvirtuosoaccountofSoloV(1999),thebassooninstalmentinAho’smarvellousongoinginstrumentalseries.Stunninglyvividsoundthroughout,asweexpectfromBIS."GuyRickards,GramophoneFebruary2017"BramvanSambeek,ournationalbassoonhero,deliversontheBISlabelathrillingrenditionofthe[Aho’s]bassoonconcerto,apiecewithexcitingharmonicdevelopments,amagnificentpassacagliaandasparklingfinalmovement.“FritsvanderWaa,DeVolkskrant9December2016"VanSambeekmastersallthesetechnicaltricks…withimmaculateandexemplaryprecision…BramvanSambeekperformswithintenselypenetratingand,atthesametime,effortlesslyflexibleplaying."ChristophSchlüren,KlassikHeute9December2016