Cornelia Sommer is a bassoonist, arranger, and educator based in New York City.
Current Projects
I'm looking forward to performing at the 2022 International Double Reed Society Convention in Boulder, CO. This performance will showcase repertoire on my upcoming album, New Enchantments: Fairy Tale Music for Bassoon, including three pieces I commissioned and one I arranged, all based on fairy tales from around the world. To learn more about my IDRS recital and fairy tale project, click here.
The recording of my lecture-performance for the 2021 International Double Reed Society Convention, called Stravinsky as Arranger: Pulcinella, Suite Italienne, and a New Arrangement for Bassoon, is now available to watch! In it, I discussed how Stravinsky arranged his own music and music by other composers throughout his career, and how his arranging expertise led to the creation of the many versions of Pulcinella. At the end of the lecture, you can hear my new arrangement of Pulcinella for bassoon and piano, available for purchase through TrevCo and Forrests. You can also watch the complete performance of the piece here.
I also post on my Instagram page every week under the hashtag #fairytalefridays. My dissertation at Juilliard focuses on music inspired by fairy tales, exploring the connection between the universal narratives embedded in the tales and the unique ways in which music conveys those narratives. Every Friday on Instagram, I share a little bit of my research and a short video of fairy tale music for the bassoon. Click below for a sample and follow me for more!
The recording of my lecture-performance for the 2021 International Double Reed Society Convention, called Stravinsky as Arranger: Pulcinella, Suite Italienne, and a New Arrangement for Bassoon, is now available to watch! In it, I discussed how Stravinsky arranged his own music and music by other composers throughout his career, and how his arranging expertise led to the creation of the many versions of Pulcinella. At the end of the lecture, you can hear my new arrangement of Pulcinella for bassoon and piano, available for purchase through TrevCo and Forrests. You can also watch the complete performance of the piece here.
I also post on my Instagram page every week under the hashtag #fairytalefridays. My dissertation at Juilliard focuses on music inspired by fairy tales, exploring the connection between the universal narratives embedded in the tales and the unique ways in which music conveys those narratives. Every Friday on Instagram, I share a little bit of my research and a short video of fairy tale music for the bassoon. Click below for a sample and follow me for more!
