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Max Christie
Clarinet
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Clarinetist Max Christie is recognized as one of Canada’s most capable and adept performers of contemporary music. He has recorded the works of Harry Somers, Brian Current, Melissa Hui, Rudolph Komouros, Brian Cherney and many other prominent composers. His CD of the MC McGuire double concerto for Clarinet and Oboe, “Spawn of Abe”, has just been released, and his performance of “Gra” for solo clarinet by Elliot Carter, is available on the Naxos label. He is a sought-after collaborator whose facility on all the members of the clarinet family has become his calling card.
As a member of Contiuum Contemporary Ensemble, he recently returned from a succesful tour of Britain and the Netherlands. The ensemble works on the broadest and most eclectic array of contemporary compositions, often incorporating elements of theatre into their performances. Their recent CD includes music by Martin Arnold, Richard Ayres, Linda Smith and Michael Oesterle.
He has been principal clarinet with the Esprit Orchestra for the past dozen years, in which time he has performed as a soloist and recorded numerous discs and film scores. Paul Gross’ celebrated movie Passchendael, and the documentary film “Inside Hanna’s Suitcase”, part of the 2009 Hot Docs festival, are just two of the most recent scores performed by Esprit.
As a member of New Music Concerts ensemble he has worked with some of the most celebrated composers on the international scene, including Pierre Boulez, Heinz Holliger, Roger Reynolds, and Elliot Carter. His performance of Michel Gonneville’s “La Cheminement de la Baleine”, a double concerto for clarinet and Ondes Martenot, drew unqualified praise from the composer.
He works in the medium of Opera as well, having collaborated with Soundstreams on Harry Somers’ “The Death of Enkidu”, Tapestry New Opera on “Elsewhereless” by Rodney Sharman, and Queen of Puddings “The Midnight Court”. The next such project will be the premier of Omar Daniel’s “The Shadow” in the Spring of 2009.
He has for nearly 20 years been the Principal Clarinet of the National Ballet Orchestra, performing in the pit some of the most beloved music of the classical repertoire, and at times joining the dancers on stage to perform Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in James Kudelka’s ballet “Musings” Recently he performed Stravinski’s Ebony Concerto in the Eric Bruhn dance competition
hosted by the National Ballet.
Mr. Christie teaches and coaches at the University of Toronto and privately.
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