News Archives - 2001

Augsburg College presents a guest recital featuring Robert Spring, clarinet, and J.B. Smith, percussion, on Tuesday, March 27 at 8 p.m.

The concert will be in Sateren Auditorium in the Music Building at 22nd Ave. and Riverside Ave. It is free and open to the public.

Robert Spring and J. B. Smith have been performing together since 1989. They performed at the 1991 and 1996 Clarinet Fest International Conventions and the 1994 Music Educators National Conference. They have performed at numerous US 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.

They have commissioned and premiered several works including Glenn Hackbarth's Points in the Sky and Norbert Goddaer's Sonata for Clarinet and Percussion; both are included on their new CD, At the Desert's Edge.

Robert Spring, has been described as "one of this country's most sensitive and talented clarinetists," by Arizona Republic; "dazzled his audience...flawless technique," said The Clarinet Magazine; and "a formidable soloist...played with great emotional life" said the Politiken, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Spring attended the University of Michigan where he earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree. He has performed as a soloist with symphony orchestras and wind bands in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, as well as serving as clinician and adjudicator.

Spring, recently elected President-elect of the International Clarinet Association, has performed for the 1988, 1991, 1995 and 1996 International Clarinet Association conventions. He is a Buffet Artist, and plays the Buffet Green line Clarinet exclusively.

Dr. J. B. Smith is presently an Associate Professor of Music and the Coordinator of Percussion Studies at Arizona State University. He has performed and recorded with Ensemble 21, The Daniel Lentz Group, Summit Brass, and the Phoenix Symphony. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas where he studied with Dr. Robert Schietroma.

He has written articles for The Instrumentalist, Percussive Notes, and The Canadian Band Journal and has served as president of the Arizona chapter of the Percussive Arts Society. Dr. Smith is also active as a composer, with numerous works published by Whole-Sum Productions.