Lyndon Watts
Encyclopedia
Lyndon Watts is an Australian bassoon
ist. He is principal bassoonist of the Münchner Philharmoniker and an academic teacher.
from 1992 to 1993, winning prizes at Australian competitions. From 1994 he studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München
with Eberhard Marschall and, in 2000, finished his Master's degree
with distinction.
In 1997 Watts won the international music competition pacem in terris of Bayreuth. In 2000 he was awarded the Yamaha Scholarship for Woodwind Instruments, which he used to study Baroque bassoon from 2001 to 2005 with Alberto Grazzi in Verona. He won a third prize at the ARD International Music Competition
in 2002, he was the first Australian woodwind player in the competition's history to win a prize, and an "award for the best interpretation of the commissioned work by Heinz Holliger
", Klaus-ur from Three Pieces for bassoon. Holliger's composition was recorded by the Bayerischer Rundfunk
on the CD 21st Century Instrumental Solos, a collection of works commissioned by the ARD competition since 2002. On another recording of the prizewinners of 2002 he plays Mozart's bassoon concerto
with the Münchener Kammerorchester.
Since 1998 Watts has been principal bassoonist of the Münchner Philharmoniker. He has also performed as a soloist with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
and the Münchener Kammerorchester. At the 2004 conference of the International Double Reed Society
(IDRS) he appeared with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
. He is a supporter of the Australian World Orchestra, founded in 2010.
As a chamber musician, he commissioned and first performed in 2001 the first of four quartets for a woodwind instrument and string trio, called "Finnische Quartette", by Jörg Duda
. In 2003 he premiered the Bassoon Quintet
of Graham Waterhouse
at the Gasteig
. At the 2009 IDRS conference in Birmingham he played in several recitals, for example with bassoonist Thomas Eberhardt Lacrimosa of Louis Andriessen
, Holliger's Three Pieces, Sofia Gubaidulina
's Duo for two bassoons, and the premiere of Bernd Redmann
's Secret doors for two bassoons and orchestra. In December 2009 he took part in the festival of contemporary music Klangaktionen in Munich. In 2011 he premiered Redmann's Migrant for bassoon and string quartet in Munich.
Playing a Baroque bassoon built by Peter de Koningh after Eichentopf, Watts recorded arrangements of arias from Handel
's operas, "The Gentleman's Flute", in an ensemble with Stefan Temmingh, recorder, and his wife Olga Watts, harpsichord
, among others.
Watts was one of 16 bassoonists in the concert The Proud Bassoon, celebrating William Waterhouse on 16 April 2011 in Wigmore Hall
. He played Waterhouse’s arrangement for two bassoon choirs of Giovanni Gabrieli
's Sonata Pian' e Forte, Anton Reicha
's Quintet for bassoon and strings, on an 1807 instrument from Waterhouse's collection, and the Divertissement
for bassoon and string quintet of Jean Francaix
, dedicated to Waterhouse.
Watts taught the bassoon at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München
between 2002 and 2007, and has worked as a professor at the Bern University of the Arts since October 2005. He has conducted regular courses in Switzerland and Germany, and masterclasses in England, Portugal, Australia, Japan, China and Korea, such as a masterclass of the Australasian Double Reed Society in 2008. He has been a teacher for the Junge Münchner Philharmonie.
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
ist. He is principal bassoonist of the Münchner Philharmoniker and an academic teacher.
Professional career
Watts studied the bassoon from 1988. He collaborated with the Sydney Symphony OrchestraSydney Symphony Orchestra
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra , commonly known as the Sydney Symphony, is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Sydney...
from 1992 to 1993, winning prizes at Australian competitions. From 1994 he studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München
Hochschule für Musik und Theater München
The Hochschule für Musik und Theater München is one of the most respected traditional vocational universities in Germany specialising in music and the performing arts. The seat of the Hochschule is the former Führerbau of the NSDAP, located at Arcisstraße 12, on the eastern side of the Königsplatz...
with Eberhard Marschall and, in 2000, finished his Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
with distinction.
In 1997 Watts won the international music competition pacem in terris of Bayreuth. In 2000 he was awarded the Yamaha Scholarship for Woodwind Instruments, which he used to study Baroque bassoon from 2001 to 2005 with Alberto Grazzi in Verona. He won a third prize at the ARD International Music Competition
ARD International Music Competition
The ARD International Music Competition is the largest international classical music competition in Germany. It is held once a year in Munich.-History:...
in 2002, he was the first Australian woodwind player in the competition's history to win a prize, and an "award for the best interpretation of the commissioned work by Heinz Holliger
Heinz Holliger
Heinz Holliger Heinz Holliger Heinz Holliger (born 21 May 1939 is a Swiss oboist, composer and conductor.-Biography:He was born in Langenthal, Switzerland, and began his musical education at the conservatories of Bern and Basel. He studied composition with Sándor Veress and Pierre Boulez...
", Klaus-ur from Three Pieces for bassoon. Holliger's composition was recorded by the Bayerischer Rundfunk
Bayerischer Rundfunk
Bayerischer Rundfunk [Bavarian Broadcasting] is the public broadcasting authority for the German Freistaat of Bavaria, with its main offices located in Munich. BR is a member of ARD.- Legal foundation :...
on the CD 21st Century Instrumental Solos, a collection of works commissioned by the ARD competition since 2002. On another recording of the prizewinners of 2002 he plays Mozart's bassoon concerto
Bassoon Concerto (Mozart)
The Bassoon Concerto in B flat major, K. 191/186e, written in 1774 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is the most standard piece in the entire bassoon repertory...
with the Münchener Kammerorchester.
Since 1998 Watts has been principal bassoonist of the Münchner Philharmoniker. He has also performed as a soloist with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, in German Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks is the internationally renowned orchestra of the Bayerischer Rundfunk , based in Munich, Germany. It is one of the three principal orchestras in the city of Munich, along with the Munich Philharmonic...
and the Münchener Kammerorchester. At the 2004 conference of the International Double Reed Society
International Double Reed Society
The International Double Reed Society is a Finksburg, Maryland-based organization that promotes the interests of double reed players, instrument manufacturers and enthusiasts....
(IDRS) he appeared with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Melbourne, Australia. It has 100 permanent musicians. Melbourne has the longest continuous history of orchestral music of any Australian city and the MSO is the oldest professional orchestra in Australia...
. He is a supporter of the Australian World Orchestra, founded in 2010.
As a chamber musician, he commissioned and first performed in 2001 the first of four quartets for a woodwind instrument and string trio, called "Finnische Quartette", by Jörg Duda
Jörg Duda
Jörg Duda is a German composer of classical music.-Professional career:Duda was influenced by the church music of Scheyern Abbey. He took lessons in organ and improvisation with Harald Feller, in theory and composition with Dieter Acker. From 1988 to 1992 he studied church music at the...
. In 2003 he premiered the Bassoon Quintet
Bassoon Quintet
Bassoon Quintet is short for the Quintet of Graham Waterhouse, composed in 2003 for bassoon and string quartet.- History :...
of Graham Waterhouse
Graham Waterhouse
Graham Waterhouse is an English composer and a cellist. He is known for chamber music and for unusual scoring, such as Piccolo Quintet, Bright Angel for three bassoons and contrabassoon, Chieftain's Salute for Great Highland Bagpipe and string orchestra, and works for speaking voice and cello,...
at the Gasteig
Gasteig
Gasteig is a cultural center in Munich, opened in 1985, which hosts the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. The Richard Strauss Conservatory, the Volkshochschule, and the municipal library are all located in the Gasteig...
. At the 2009 IDRS conference in Birmingham he played in several recitals, for example with bassoonist Thomas Eberhardt Lacrimosa of Louis Andriessen
Louis Andriessen
Louis Andriessen is a Dutch composer and pianist based in Amsterdam. He teaches composition at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague...
, Holliger's Three Pieces, Sofia Gubaidulina
Sofia Gubaidulina
Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina, is a Russian composer of half Russian, half Tatar ethnicity.Gubaidulina's music is marked by the use of unusual instrumental combinations...
's Duo for two bassoons, and the premiere of Bernd Redmann
Bernd Redmann
Bernd Redmann is a German composer and musicologist.-Professional career:Bernd Redmann studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, music pedagogy and composition with Dieter Acker, and music theory. He was also enrolled for musicology at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München...
's Secret doors for two bassoons and orchestra. In December 2009 he took part in the festival of contemporary music Klangaktionen in Munich. In 2011 he premiered Redmann's Migrant for bassoon and string quartet in Munich.
Playing a Baroque bassoon built by Peter de Koningh after Eichentopf, Watts recorded arrangements of arias from Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
's operas, "The Gentleman's Flute", in an ensemble with Stefan Temmingh, recorder, and his wife Olga Watts, harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, among others.
Watts was one of 16 bassoonists in the concert The Proud Bassoon, celebrating William Waterhouse on 16 April 2011 in Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
. He played Waterhouse’s arrangement for two bassoon choirs of Giovanni Gabrieli
Giovanni Gabrieli
Giovanni Gabrieli was an Italian composer and organist. He was one of the most influential musicians of his time, and represents the culmination of the style of the Venetian School, at the time of the shift from Renaissance to Baroque idioms.-Biography:Gabrieli was born in Venice...
's Sonata Pian' e Forte, Anton Reicha
Anton Reicha
Anton Reicha was a Czech-born, later naturalized French composer. A contemporary and lifelong friend of Beethoven, Reicha is now best remembered for his substantial early contribution to the wind quintet literature and his role as a teacher – his pupils included Franz Liszt and Hector Berlioz...
's Quintet for bassoon and strings, on an 1807 instrument from Waterhouse's collection, and the Divertissement
Divertissement
Divertissement is used, in a similar sense to the Italian 'divertimento', for a light piece of music for a small group of players, however the French term has additional meanings....
for bassoon and string quintet of Jean Francaix
Jean Françaix
Jean René Désiré Françaix was a French neoclassical composer, pianist, and orchestrator, known for his prolific output and vibrant style.-Life:...
, dedicated to Waterhouse.
Watts taught the bassoon at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München
Hochschule für Musik und Theater München
The Hochschule für Musik und Theater München is one of the most respected traditional vocational universities in Germany specialising in music and the performing arts. The seat of the Hochschule is the former Führerbau of the NSDAP, located at Arcisstraße 12, on the eastern side of the Königsplatz...
between 2002 and 2007, and has worked as a professor at the Bern University of the Arts since October 2005. He has conducted regular courses in Switzerland and Germany, and masterclasses in England, Portugal, Australia, Japan, China and Korea, such as a masterclass of the Australasian Double Reed Society in 2008. He has been a teacher for the Junge Münchner Philharmonie.
External links
- Lyndon Watts website
- Lyndon Watts Münchner Philharmoniker
- Romantische Bläsermusik auf Originalinstrumenten Deutsches MuseumDeutsches MuseumThe Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany, is the world's largest museum of technology and science, with approximately 1.5 million visitors per year and about 28,000 exhibited objects from 50 fields of science and technology. The museum was founded on June 28, 1903, at a meeting of the Association...
2010