KELLAN TOOHEY

• Emily Rutherford: Three Poems - I. Poem No.1

“Kellan Toohey, a gifted young clarinetist from Colorado, has bestowed a lovely gift upon composers ‘who are either from Colorado, or who have lived here for some part of their life’... [this] music inspired by the beauties of the state’s natural landscape...is unfailingly mellow, engages the listener with genuine affection and a distinctive voice, and he knows how to make a clarinet sound very fine... Toohey infuses his beauty of tone and gradations of nuance with thrilling flights of virtuosity, with Suyeon Kim always effectively and often quite gorgeously at his side.”

Laurence Vittes, Gramophone [November 2018]

"The program is a delight, moving in accessible tonal genres from classicism to modernism and displaying serious compositional merit. Toohey offers a pleasing legato, some nice phrasing, and excellent fingers and articulation... He easily grasps the spirit of each piece. Kim is solid at the keyboard, adeptly meeting both the style and technical requirements of each score and following closely the lead of the soloist."

Hanudel, American Record Guide [September/October 2018]

“Kellan Toohey and Suyeon Kim are an excellent performing pair for all the works, playing them with fine attention to the subtleties of the music and a willingness to explore all the emotional highs and lows of every piece on the disc.”

Mark J. Estren, InfoDad [August 2018]

“[Kellan Toohey] reflects his roots in this program of inspiring new works by composers associated with Colorado, with most of whom he has worked closely on the compositions we have here... Along with his recital partner Suyeon Kim he takes obvious delight in exploring [Three Poems'] dominant moods, ranging from pathos to exuberance... [there are] flavorful timbres and rich interaction of Toohey’s clarinet and Kim’s piano that help make the harmonies [in Five Scenes from Our Aspen Grove] work so well... Superb collaboration between Toohey and Kim makes the various moods of [Two Orchids] come alive as a continuous experience.”

Phil Muse, Atlanta Audio Club [June 2018]

Growing up in Colorado has given me a great love for the beauty of my natural surroundings. The mountains, the plains, the enormous sky, and the vibrant sunsets have all found their way into my soul. I am continually inspired by the grandeur of this place which I am happy to call home. Scenes from Home is the culmination of a project that has been underway for several years now. I have had many opportunities to work with talented composers here in Colorado, and the thought of collecting and commissioning music for clarinet and piano from some of them to feature together on a single album came very naturally. These are the premiere recordings of five pieces of music written by friends of mine who are either from Colorado, or who have lived here at some time during their lives. Composers have always composed music inspired by their homelands, and with these recordings, I present music inspired by my own homeland, Colorado. Bringing these pieces to life has given me much joy, and it is my hope that they will also bring joy to audiences and clarinetists alike.

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Clarinetist Kellan Toohey maintains a varied career that includes recitals and solo appearances, chamber music, teaching and orchestral playing. He is the principal clarinetist of the Boulder Chamber Orchestra, and also plays in many other orchestras and ensembles in the Colorado region. He has performed across the United States, Europe and in Asia, and holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado. His teachers include Daniel Silver, Bil Jackson, Jon Manasse, Yehuda Gilad and Burt Hara.

Suyeon Kim is a versatile and sought-after collaborator, with significant instrumental and vocal accompanying experience. Currently a lecturer in Collaborative Piano at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Kim earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and a Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano in Korea. She also earned a Master of Music degree in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music from the Eastman School of Music, and a Doctorate in Collaborative Piano from the University of Texas at Austin, studying with Kihoon Yang, Jean Barr, Anne Epperson and Jonathan Feldman.


Kellan and Suyeon are Christian artists, and strive to glorify God through their music. As Johann Sebastian Bach stated, “the aim and final reason of all music should be none other than the glory of God.” With this album, Kellan and Suyeon celebrate not only the beauty of the creation, but also the magnificence of the Creator himself.
  EMILY RUTHERFORD (b.1993)
THREE POEMS for Clarinet and Piano (2012)
I. Poem No. 1
II. Poem No. 2
III. Poem No. 3

CONOR ABBOTT BROWN (b.1988)
EARLY WINTER SPIRES for Clarinet and Piano (2015)

DAVID MULLIKIN (b.1950)
SUITE ANTIQUE for Clarinet and Piano (2016)
I. Sinfonia
II. Air
III. Gigue
IV. Lament
V. Finale

ANDREW HALLADAY (b.1982)
FIVE SCENES FROM OUR ASPEN GROVE for Clarinet and Piano (2008)

GREG SIMON (b.1985)
TWO ORCHIDS for Clarinet and Piano (2015)
 



MSR Classics