BAAM Solo Sessions: Ken Thomson

BAAM’s second Solo Sessions is shaped by the restless, genre-agnostic spirit of clarinetist and composer Ken Thomson, a core member of Bang on a Can and one of the defining voices of today’s international new-music scene. The program brings together works by key 20th- and 21st-century composers with Thomson’s own innovative music, tracing a direct lineage from post-minimalist and experimental traditions to a vibrant, urgent urban sound that resonates with the energy and creativity of Berlin. This performance highlights Thomson’s fearless approach to genre and collaboration, offering a deeply personal survey of the clarinet’s evolution across the last century and into the present.

Igor Stravinsky: 3 Pieces for Clarinet Solo
Ken Thomson: Burst
David Lang: Press Release
Leonard Bernstein: Clarinet Sonata*
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Ken Thomson: Keep Your Head Down*
Anna Clyne: Zero at the Bone
Steve Reich: New York Counterpoint

Ken Thomson, clarinet and bass clarinet
*with Chelsey Padilla, piano