Composer and Bass Clarinetist Brad Baumgardner earned a B.A. in music from Western Kentucky University in 2003, a M.M. in composition from the University of Louisville in 2006, and is currently pursuing a D.M.A. as the graduate teaching assistant in composition at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. Brad’s music has been featured all over the United States, most recently by the Trio Bel Canto, the Liberace Winds, and the avante garde ensemble thingNY. Brad remains active as a performer both as a solo artist and as a member of prominent area ensembles. His playing has been described by the Kansas City Star as “effortless” and “unearthly”. Recent engagements include performances of Adam Hardin’s Echolalia at the Electronic Music Midwest and SPARK festivals, multiple featured performances with the Kansas City Electronic Music Association, performances for the Charlotte Street foundation at Kansas City’s fabled Blue Room, and a performance as a soloist with the UMKC student orchestra on the premiere of his own concerto for bass clarinet and orchestra.
Brad also remains active as an educator. Recent teaching positions at UMKC include, listening lab, ensemble for composers, and advanced orchestration. Brad also serves as the assistant director for the UMKC new music ensemble, Musica Nova. His creative programming and leadership was rewarded with the Kauffman Foundation Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award in 2010. Prior to relocating to Kansas City, Brad was an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville and taught orchestration in addition to working for the department of bands.
Brad continues to foster the development of contemporary and experimental art music both as a composer and as a performer. In the fall of 2007, he commissioned seven local composers to create new works featuring the bass clarinet. These works were presented as a part of the (De)Constructions concert series. He co-founded the University of Louisville Improv ensemble in the fall of 2007, plays with the Blackhouse Improvisor’s Collective, and continues to explore improvisatory and experimental music, often creating his own hybrid instruments. During his time in Kansas City, Brad has played on the premiere performances of over thirty new works. Brad is currently forming an experimental music group, Digital Honk Box Revival, that will focus on music that features electric and acoustic influences and open collaborations with multidisciplinary artists.
His recent awards include an individual artist grant from the Kentucky Arts Council, a residency as an associate artist at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, and the Kauffman Foundation’s 2010 excellence in graduate teaching award.
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