Central Michigan University

CMU horn prof sharing musical 'Souvenirs' on new CD

Monday, January 28, 2008

Topics in this story: Arts and entertainment, Arts and events, College of Communication and Fine Arts, People, School of Music

A Central Michigan University faculty member and two colleagues spent a week of a recent summer making music together, and the "Souvenirs" from their journey will soon be available to the public.

"Souvenirs," a compact disc featuring Bruce Bonnell, assistant professor of horn in CMU's School of Music, with internationally known colleagues Vieri Bottazzini, flute, and Peter Green, piano, was recorded in CMU's Staples Family Concert Hall in 2005 and will soon be released on Centaur Records. The project was funded by a CMU Faculty Research and Creative Endeavors grant through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

"I'm so happy with what we have on this CD; it's well played and has a great energy level," said Bonnell, a member of CMU's faculty since 2000. "And CMU's School of Music was huge in its contribution by donating the use of the Recital Hall, recording facility and supporting personnel."

Scott Burgess, manager of audio production and music technology for the School of Music, was the producer, recording engineer and editor for the CD, which should be available by mid-February. It will be sold on the Centaur Records Web site, http://www.centaurrecords.com, and also will likely be sold by Internet retailer Amazon.com.

To celebrate the CD's impending release, Bonnell, Bottazzini and Green will perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 7 in the Staples Family Concert Hall in CMU's Music Building. The concert will feature works from the CD, as well as solo repertoire. Tickets are $3 for students and senior citizens and $5 for all others and can be purchased at the Central Box Office on the lower level of the Bovee University Center or by calling 989-774-3000 or 888-CMU-0111. In addition, tickets are available online at http://centralboxoffice.cmich.edu and also will be sold at the door.

While the recording of the CD marked the first collaboration of the trio &mdash and the first meeting of Green and Bottazzini &mdash Bonnell has longstanding relationships with both musicians. Green and Bonnell have known each other since freshman orientation at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and Bottazzini and Bonnell met as members of the Malaysian Philharmonic.

A chamber music specialist, Bonnell has enjoyed a successful career as an orchestral performer, soloist, clinician, and pedagogue on the horn and natural horn throughout North America and southeast Asia. He served as Second Horn in the Hong Kong Philharmonic from 1991 to 1994 and Principal Horn in the Malaysian Philharmonic from 1998 to 2000. Bonnell has performed with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, Ottawa Symphony, Hull Chamber Orchestra, Bloomington Camerata and Pan Asian Symphony. He presently is Principal Horn with the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra.

For more information about Bonnell, who also is a member of CMU's Powers Woodwind Quintet, visit his faculty Web site at http://www.mus.cmich.edu/faculty/bruce_bonnell.htm.