From Clarineat.com: “Join Kornel Wolak and Michael Bridge from the Bridge&Wolak for an exclusive peek into what it’s like rehearsing and arranging music for their unique ensemble. They share valuable insight into their orchestration methods, why picking a key is important for resonance on the clarinet, and how they innovate with the electronic accordion.”
Listen/Subscribe to the August 29, 2018 podcast at clarineat.com/92, itunes, Google Play, Spotify or Stitcher.
From Clarineat.com: “Dr. Kornel Wolak is a prominent international performer, member of the “Bridge&Wolak,” is actively involved with the Speech-Language Pathology Department at University of Toronto, and is the author of a new book called “Articulation Types on Clarinet” which is the main focus of today’s conversation.”
Listen/Subscribe to the December 18, 2017 podcast at clarineat.com, itunes, Google Play, Spotify or Stitcher.
EXCERPT:
In its objective to provide diversity and excellence during the 2015-16 concert series, the North Okanagan Community Concert Association (NOCCA) believes it has succeeded with its next performance.
The upcoming concert duo of Kornel Wolak and Chris Donnelly will take to the Vernon Performing Arts Centre stage Sunday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Armed with a clarinet, a piano and their personable stage presence, Wolak and Donnelly present a remarkable blend of traditional classical and jazz music rarely heard in live performance.
Their musical expertise coupled with their humour and personal interaction engage the audience in a very entertaining manner. In short, they make a great team.
Fresh from their successful concert tour of eight border states earlier this year, Wolak and Donnelly look forward to their time with the Vernon audience.
As Wolak humourously suggests, “come and see the weirdos!”
Throughout the program, Wolak and Donnelly also showcase their talent as solo artists.
Highly praised on two continents for his glorious tone, precise technical control, and musical imagination, Polish-born Wolak began piano lessons at age six and took up the clarinet when he was 12.
“I was not forced into music by my parents, both classical musicians. I was encouraged on a regular basis,” he said.
Wolak’s successful university studies in Europe won him a scholarship at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where he earned a master’s in music. He then pursued advanced orchestral studies at the Glenn Gould School of Music in Toronto in the fall of 2005, earning an artist’s diploma.
“I was inspired not by individual clarinet players, but by former clarinet teachers,” said Wolak.
Tickets for the March 20 performance are available at the Ticket Seller box office, 250-549-7469, www.ticketseller.ca. More info. is at www.nocca.ca.
Steven Fielder, Barrie Examiner (Oct. 2015)
“…The first Barrie Concert of the 2015 season — the Bridge&Wolak on Saturday — turned all these pre- and misconceptions of both the compositions of classical composers and their 21st-century classical music performers on their ears. The entire evening was, quite simply, superbly professional, relaxed and fun.
This first concert of the Barrie Concerts series played to a packed house at what is arguably the best concert venue in Barrie, Hi-Way Pentecostal Church, and it was an incredible evening. It was billed as a “Bridge&Wolak, from Bach to Benny” featuring music from Bach to the present, and featuring accordionist Michael Bridge and clarinetist Kornel Wolak.
Accordion? Read on, and join the 21st century.
The duo presented a wonderful evening of music (either their own transcriptions or on-the-spot improvisations) from the music of Bach, Scarlatti, Tchaikovsky, Paganini, Bechet, Balkan folk tunes, Brahms, Benny Goodman, de Abreu, Rossini and Acker Bilk.
And their performances were fresh, exciting and fun, dispelling any of the old preconceptions about classical music being stuffy and outdated. This duo brought every composition from the past to 21st century to life. It was a great evening.
The performances by Michael Bridge on the Roland digital accordion throughout were exciting, superbly performed, and perhaps his solo performance of the 1812 Overture (Tchaikovsky), complete with bells and cannon (yes, from his accordion) was the most eye-opening of what this new instrument could do.
It’s one thing to have 21st-century technology available in the instrument, but it’s quite another to have an extremely talented young musician like Mr. Bridge to make use of technology and to explore it’s possibilities for the future. Did I happen to mention he was just having fun in his performances?
Clarinetist Kornel Wolak was superb, and showed why he is one of the best clarinetists of our time. His duo and solo performances were exciting, subtle and so sensitive, his improvisations were exquisite. He is a brilliant performer.
This Double-Double Duo was the best of new, young “classical” musicians opening the windows to fresh air and bringing their own style of intellect, expertise, talent and just plain fun to a new 21st century audience.
The audience at this concert enjoyed every minute. A great start to the Barrie Concerts series.”
by Tony Potter Staff Writer, January 31, 2015
Hibbing Daily Tribune, Virginia
Pianist Chris Donnelly and Clarinetist Kornel Wolak perform in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre in November 2011.
VIRGINIA — A duo armed with a clarinet, a piano and their personable stage presence is coming to Virginia High School’s Goodman Auditorium.
“Expect the unexpected,” said Chris Donnelly. “We come from two different traditions of music. I’m a jazz pianist and Kornel (Wolak) is a classical clarinetist. We try to find common ground between the two, and put a different spin on them.”
Although the pairing may seem a bit unusual, those who attend the Mesaba Concert Association (MCA) performance at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1, will hear some familiar sounds.
“Our music is very recognizable,” said Donnelly. “We’re sure to include lots of recognizable melodies. If you go to a concert and don’t recognize any of the music, it’s hard to get into it.”
From revered classical pieces, such as Mozart’s “Clarinet Concerto” in A Major to Gershwin’s famous “Rhapsody in Blue” and Oscar Peterson’s classic “Hymn to Freedom,” the duo strives to captivate audiences with virtuosity, familiar melodies and a profound passion for music and performing.
“We always play the same program … or so we think,” Donnelly said. “Even after all these years, I never know what’s going to happen. Kornel will often be making up a story as we go, and I’ll find myself laughing along.
The duo has been performing together since 2011. They met when they each applied at a touring network, which helps budding musicians book shows.
“It’s really not that exciting of a story,” Donnelly said. “They told us ‘we’re not sure solo jazz piano or solo classical clarinet would sell, but we bet we could put you together to make something that will.’ That’s what planted the seed and got us together.”
Wolak and Donnelly now travel worldwide looking for new venues to perform at and new audiences to win over.
“Why do musicians go anywhere?” he asked. “You take your art to wherever you can go and share it with whoever you can and see what happens. Every audience is different so we enjoy the challenge of making our performances reflect each community we go to.”
They’re just happy to be performing for others.
“We enjoy interacting with people — whether it be with music, conversation or the Q and A will hold at the end of each show,” Donnelly said. “We’re there for the audience, and I’m sure everyone will have a good time.”
•••
If you go …
What: Clarinetist Kornel Wolak and Pianist Chris Donnelly in concert, presented by Mesaba Concert Association (MCA)
• When: 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1
• Where: Goodman Auditorium, Virginia High School
• Admission: Free for MCA members. Guest tickets available for $20.
Canadian orchestras and musicians are becoming more recognized in Italy, despite the federal government cutting back support for Canadian artists touring abroad.
…But the symbolic apex of Canadianism was witnessed in Rome, where the Accademia Filarmonica Romana hosted a Canada Day celebration in July as part of its annual Festival of Nations.
Ann Summers Dossena of Toronto’s International Resource Centre for Performing Artists organized the festivities in the Accademia’s historic home and gardens in central Rome. It was only the latest of a series of projects through which the part-time Italian resident has fostered relations between the two countries, including a Canadian festival mounted in L’ Aquila several years ago.
For Canada Day, she brought together a number of classical musicians, including the Borealis String Quartet from Vancouver, violinist Guillaume Tardif from Edmonton, Toronto clarinetist Kornel Wolak and Montreal soprano Jana Miller with pianist Jordan de Souza. Several Canadian compositions were featured, most of them receiving first performances in Italy.
