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Lori Freedman
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15cm of textual records and other materials
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Biographical history
Lori Freedman was born in 1958 in Toronto and is a composer and clarinetist. Having parents who were both musicians, from a very early age Freedman began to learn numerous musical instruments: piano, guitar, drums, and trombone. It is her mastery of the clarinet that has catapulted her to international acclaim and what she is most notably sought after and known for playing. Her compositions and performances have led Freedman to become a member of the international group known as “the renaissance musicians.”
Freedman studied clarinet at the University of Toronto, and after graduating in 1977 she continued her studies at the Academy of Woodwinds at the Banff Center for the Arts in Alberta. In 1981, two musicians, Pauline Oliveros and Eric Dolphy, would inspire her with their spontaneity and improvisation that would change her outlook on music completely. Their comfort with taking risks in their music would inspire her to begin studying with Larry Combs at the Chicago Civic Orchestra when she first started improvising with her own music. Improvisation would become a central component in her compositions and live performances of the clarinet and would bring her high acclaim.
Freedman has performed in over 100 cities in over 20 countries all around the world. With a packed touring performance schedule, it is not uncommon for her to have more than 75 shows in a single year. In the midst of her own full performance schedule tour, recording, and workshops, she also has been commissioned by numerous contemporary artists to create music for them to perform. She also composes musical scores for dance, theatre, cinema, and other visual arts. One of her accolades includes the Freddie Stone Award in 1988 for the “demonstration of outstanding leadership, integrity and excellence in the area of contemporary music and jazz.” In 2003, 2004, and 2006 she was awarded "Clarinetist of the Year" at the National Jazz Awards. Most recently, in 2017, she was elected to be a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada for “outstanding artistic achievement.” In addition, she has taught at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University in Montreal where she conducted classes on bass clarinet and coached the contemporary/improvised music ensemble.
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Scope and content
Series consists of musical scores, notes, sketches, concert programs, DVDs, and audio CDs pertaining to three distinct pieces composed by Lori Freedman: Reimsix, To The Bridge, and Concerto Now and Then. Each piece is unique and pertains to a specific era during Freedman’s long musical career. Reimsix was composed by Freedman in 2011 for the flute, clarinet, violin, cello, percussion and piano. To The Bridge was composed in 2014 for bass clarinet (clarinet in B-flat) and voice. This piece is composed of five miniatures connected by four bridges, hence the naming of the song. The bridge is where the miniatures arrive or depart from a place. Freedman explains her perspective as, “playing music is equally about composition as it is about interpretation and the spontaneous combination of the two — improvisation.” With this piece, Freedman wants to focus on the interconnection between the composer, the performer and the audience. Concerto Now and Then was composed in 2020 for any five musicians. It has previously been performed with a violin, clarinet, cello, alto saxophone, and double bass.