In the Footsteps of Oxenvad

The title of the concert “In the Footsteps of Oxenvad”, performed at RDAM on October 4th 2021, was intended as a tribute to the great Danish clarinettist Aage Oxenvad, who inspired Carl Nielsen to write his clarinet concerto.

In fact, the title is a little misleading, as it is not a matter of following in someone’s footsteps when – as in this concert – you perform premiere music on your instrument. All music has once been new music; that’s what Oxenvad understood – hence this tribute to him.

In a two-part podcast series, the concert’s soloist and organiser, clarinettist John Kruse, reflects together with composers and musicians on the impact of Carl Nielsen on the clarinet, and on the community that can develop between composer and performer when music is written with a particular musician in mind.