October 31, 2017
Desert's Edge Duo to play K-State
Desert's Edge Duo, featuring Robert Spring, clarinet, and J.B. Smith, percussion, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 in Kirmser Hall at McCain Auditorium. At 2:30 p.m., Smith, professor of percussion at Arizona State University, will present a percussion clinic in 201 McCain Auditorium. The concert and clinic are free and open to the public.
Spring and Smith have been performing together since 1989. They performed at the 1991, 1996, 2002 and 2004 ClarinetFest International Conventions and the 1994 Music Educators National Conference. They also have performed at numerous U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities including the University of North Texas, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Ohio State University, the University of Illinois, Florida State University, University of Miami, Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, Ithaca College, Indiana University, the University of Texas, Rice University and Oberlin College.
Spring and Smith have commissioned and premiered several works including Glenn Hackbarth's "Points in the Sky," Norbert Goddaer's "Sonata for Clarinet and Percussion" — which are both included on their CD, "At the Desert's Edge" — and Edic Mandat's "Three for Two."