Flight Path
A gaggle of geese, a school of fish, a murder of crows – a monsoon of bassoons?
The bassoonists of Crow Ensemble have found a cheerful and spirited platform for this unsung bass windpipe. The ensemble was formed in 2020 with the idea that all music is created equal – except in a bassoon ensemble, which is more equal than others. These players bring out the jaunty, the moody, the serene, and the serious nature of the instrument with an easygoing and open style. The enthusiasm is infectious as the group performs and chats with the audience. What’s a double reed? You “crow” a reed? Wait, it’s eight feet long? Is a contrabassoon really eighteen feet long? Hold on – is that an accordion up there? You might just get lucky.
As for credentials, the group has multiple graduate degrees and years of study with prestigious musicians and so on and etc. Between the group, we have toured Europe, performed solos with major orchestras, been part of Grammy-nominated ensembles, and of course, trekked through the work-a-day world of the freelance musician. But that is not what makes the group fun and extraordinary. It’s the music.
Crow Ensemble is especially well suited to intimate settings in which the audience and performers have a moment to exchange thoughts as well as to listen to this lesser-known beauty of the orchestral winds.
What’s really needed is a bit more fun now, and here it is.
Bassoonists of Crow Ensemble:
J.D. Ferrigno
Karen Kelland
Diane Lipartito
Cornelia McGiver
the unexpected bassoon
Crow Ensemble of Bassoons is dedicated to showcasing the instrument’s versatility, ranging from the jaunty, doleful, and stately to the playful and lyrical, all blended with rich expressiveness. With charm, wit, and remarkable musicianship, Crow Ensemble brings an infectious enthusiasm to their extraordinary performances. One cannot help but be engaged and delighted. Our mission is bassoon everything.
CROWS HERE
Cornelia McGiver
The youngest of ten children cannot be shushed - ask any older sibling and be met with a sigh of “Oh her…” Chaos ruled not just number ten but the other nine as well, and the mountain hamlet struggled to withstand the bedlam: Kickball, softball, gift-wrapped boxes of cow manure with birthday cards set out for unsuspecting drivers in the dark of night. Enter the large butler’s pantry of instruments in the music department, and number 10 now has a focus. Since then: BA, MA, Carnegie Hall, 92nd Street Y, Lincoln Center, Fisher Center, big halls and small living rooms, Orchestras, Ensembles, Quartets, Trios, Duos, and so much live and recorded music. Did the accordion come up yet? How about the music venue she runs? If you ask her, be prepared (panthercreekarts.com). Still can’t stifle number ten.
(914) 388-2516
J.D. Ferrigno
The oldest of seven, JD Ferrigno grew up surrounded by animals—including his six siblings, chickens, pigs, goats, and sheep. And if you think “bossy older sibling” might describe him, just ask Cornelia. She’ll probably tell you the phrase doesn’t quite do him justice. Perhaps in an effort to escape the sights, sounds, and unmistakable aromas of farm life, JD eventually found refuge in a quiet corner of the music department. There, he began whittling away at reeds for his newly rented bassoon—and an entirely different kind of adventure began. Somewhere along the way, pigs and goats gave way to B.M., M.M., and D.M.A. studies, followed by performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Symphony Center in Chicago, and concert halls and stages throughout Europe and Central America. Not bad for a kid who started out hiding from the barnyard with a rented bassoon. These days, JD has left the barnyard behind…mostly. He now shares his life with hundreds of exotic Love Birds and has even found his way onto the judging panel for the African Love Bird Society. After all the degrees, concert halls, travels, reeds, and Love Birds, JD discovered that Dorothy Gale had it right all along: “There’s no place like home.” Today, he is happy to call the beautiful Hudson Valley home.
(914) 388-2516
Karen Kelland
Karen holds Bachelor's and Masters Degrees from The Juilliard School and has traveled the world with various orchestras and chamber music ensembles. She has performed at La Scala, Vienna's Musikverein, and various concert halls across Russia, Siberia, China, Iceland, and South Africa. A performance at the American Embassy in Sweden and a concert in Jordon honoring Queen Noor were some of the highlights of her international experiences. Locally, Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and Merkin Hall are included in the concert venues. Her other pursuits include commissioned portraits (pets and people), reading classical literature, and the care of her own concert hall- in her dollhouse. She has a profound love and respect for animals. "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." – Anatole France
(914) 388-2516
Diane Lipartito
Grew up in Vineland, NJ in an Italian American family of six kids, all of whom played instruments, with a father who loved jazz, musicals and the Phillies and a mother who loved dancing, swing music and keeping us all organized, one way or another. Diane's musical journey began not only with the influence of her parents and older brothers who were constantly playing their records in the bedroom next door, but even more so through top 40 pop radio of the 1960's and '70's, out of which grew and eclectic taste in music and life. A two letterman in high school, art and design projects, baking, poetry and other interests made pursuing music not an obvious decision, but once the resolve set in, it was full steam ahead towards a BA at Rowan U, MM at SUNY Stony Brook, regional orchestras, teaching, TUNDI Opera and other theater and lots and lots of chamber music, including improvisation. Diane now lives in Holyoke, MA with her orange cat Giovanni who rules the house with the air of an aristocratic Don, but who is often more akin to the jokester, Gianni Schicchi (shhh), and she has recently developed an intense interest in the study of performance psychology/physiology and music practice techniques.
(914) 388-2516