Local musician shares his love of music

Martin Crook will perform during the Twilight Ensemble Recital next week

Music lovers will be treated to a program of classical works for clarinet, cello and piano at USQ next week (20 April).

The Twilight Ensemble Recital will feature Ensemble A250, bringing together Brisbane cellist, Matthew Kinmont and popular Toowoomba musicians Marilyn Meier-Kapavale (piano) and Martin Crook (clarinet).

A familiar face on the local music scene, Martin finds himself in a very enviable position; living and sharing a life of music.

Not only an accomplished ensemble and orchestral performer, popular front man of the Ergon Energy USQ Big Band and lecturer in music at USQ, Martin also has a very musical home life.

'Music has always been in our combined families, my wife Elizabeth is, and her parents, Keith and Shirley Bowtell were well known in the Toowoomba music scene and our daughter Megan is currently studying cello at the Conservatorium of Music and son, Alex, plays the clarinet,' said Martin.

'My mother was an accomplished mezzo soprano and my father dabbled in the oboe; so I guess it was natural progression for my siblings and I to follow in their musical footsteps. I first started playing the clarinet in 1967 on doctor’s advice that I take up a wind instrument to help control asthma.

'My parents immediately ruled out the trumpet on the grounds that they wished to maintain good neighbourly relations, and also not to offend the family dog that had acute hearing problems!'

To this day, the clarinet is still Martin’s favourite instrument, and after forty years of public performances, he still delights in the opportunity to revisit and extend his repertoire.

The Twilight Ensemble Recital will see Martin, Marilyn and Matthew perform three masterworks; one from France, one from Russia and one from late 19th century Vienna.

Opening with Pierre Poulteau’s quirky Sonatine (1978) for clarinet and cello, then Rachmaninoff’s incredibly beautiful yet mournful Vocalise, the program will conclude with Alexander von Zemlinsky’s unashamedly romantic Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano.

The one-hour recital will commence at 6pm on Wednesday 20 April in the USQ Arts Theatre. 

Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 concession, $13 student, $8 child and can be purchased through the USQ Artsworx Box Office on 07 4631 1111.

This recital is proudly hosted by the USQ Faculty of Engineering and Surveying.

Contact Details:
Michelle Fox, USQ Artsworx, +61 7 4631 1114 or 0439 911 623