Yale professor Christopher Theofanidis, 48, has earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for his Bassoon Concerto. It’s his second nomination.
Theofanidis, a Texas native, composed the two “outer” concerto movements — “alone, inward” and “threatening, fast” (mvts. I and III respectively) — in 1997 for Martin Kuuskmann, an Estonian bassoon virtuoso and his friend from his undergraduate days at Yale. A third movement, “beautiful” (mvt. II), was added in 2002.
“Martin was always the last person out of the school of music at night, and I would often pass his practice room and wonder what drove him,” Theofanidis writes on his personal website. “I have known many musicians of an extremely high caliber in my life, but Martin really stands out from among even the most accomplished of those.”
Kuuskmann premiered the concerto in 2007, with the NYC-based Absolute Ensemble, under conductor Kristjan Järvi. A recording with the Northwest Sinfonia, conducted by Barry Jekowsky, was issued by Estonian Record Productions in 2015. It was subsequently nominated for an Estonian Music Award.
Before meeting Kuuskmann, Theofanidis hadn’t considered composing for the bassoon.
“Sometimes we are lucky as composers to encounter a ‘personality’ in music that transcends the instrument,” Theofanidis writes in an email. “This was the case with Martin. He is a very soulful person, and that comes out in his playing. It changed the way I thought about the bassoon from an affable and direct sound to something with great depth and a real voice.”
Theofanidis, who has been teaching at Yale since 2008, was previously nominated for a Grammy in 2007 for “The Here and Now,” an expansive work for soloists, chorus and orchestra. He’s the recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship, two fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and numerous other awards.
Over the years, Kuuskmann has premiered bassoon concertos by Erkki-Sven Tüür, Eino Tamberg, T nu K rvits, David Chesky, Gregor Huebner, Gene Pritsker and other contemporary composers, all of which were written for him.
Other nominees for Best Contemporary Classical Composition include works by Mason Bates, Michael Daugherty, Jennifer Higdon and C. F. Kip Winger.
The second Grammy nomination, Theofanidis writes, feels different than the first.
“I feel less like I have a real chance to win the lottery and more like I am along for the ride, which is a great place to be in. Last time, it was very exciting though — I met Joan Baez, Ornette Coleman, Paris Hilton, and Cristina Aguilera! This time I am very happy because four of my close friends are up for the same category — Jennifer Higdon, Mason Bates, and Michael Daugherty — so we are guaranteed to at least have a good time out there!”
