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New to the collection:
bass clarinet for
recent graduates

Clarinetist Alberto Sánchez García (25) has only just graduated, but has already performed four times with the highly selective European Union Youth Orchestra. He now dreams of a job in an orchestra, and is therefore looking for an instrument a key lower. Fortunately, his request for a suitable bass clarinet was granted by the Musical Instrument Fund.

News
8 November 2023 by Indy de Vries

Lower and lower

Alberto Sánchez García, a recent graduate, is currently looking for a great job in an orchestra. To prepare himself well and make a strong impression, he submitted a request to us for a bass clarinet. He had already invested in an A, B-flat, and E-flat clarinet, but his heart is set on the bass. He has played as a substitute in many orchestras, but had to borrow a bass clarinet for those gigs or even turn down projects when the instrument wasn’t available. Now that he has graduated and can no longer use his school’s instrument, acquiring a new bass clarinet has become a matter of urgency.

Addition

Unfortunately, purchasing a bass clarinet is currently beyond Alberto’s means. The Musical Instrument Fund is therefore happy to come to his aid. Adding a bass clarinet to the fund’s collection is a wise move; future players will also benefit from this bass clarinet, as this instrument is always needed alongside an A and B-flat clarinet. Furthermore, the model Alberto is looking for is the most commonly used bass clarinet in many orchestras. In that regard, this instrument will always come in handy.

The sound speaks for itself

Alberto checked out various bass clarinets in Maastricht and Amsterdam, among other places. During a sound test at the Parisian clarinet manufacturer Buffet Crampon’s newly opened branch in Amsterdam, Alberto—assisted by two clarinetists from the Concertgebouw Orchestra—was able to make a final decision. Calogero Palermo (principal clarinetist) and Davide Lattuada (bass clarinetist) tried out four bass clarinets together with Alberto. One bass clarinet (Paris, 2023) stood out and won the young clarinetist’s heart.

Alberto writes to us: “The instrument has a wonderful legato when I play softly, which really made all the difference. It has a special sound that I can hardly describe. This clarinet really felt the best.”