Hannah's Bass Clarinet Adventure in Italy

Outside of my work with DEBUT, I am a bass clarinet specialist and busy performing musician!

Myself and my pianist duo partner Viola Lenzi, were invited to Italy by DEBUT regular cellist Riccardo Pes, to present a recital on the theme of rivers, for the ‘Un Fiume Di Note’ festival.

Let me take you with us for our magical trip!

Flying with a bass clarinet is never the most stress-free experience, but the flight went smoothly. We landed at Marco Polo Airport in Venice late on Friday, 11th October. The next day, we took a scenic train ride north to the town of Sacile, where our incredibly friendly host, Karen, picked us up and brought us to our beautiful BnB in Polcenigo.

We had the day to unwind, enjoy the sunny 20-degree weather, savor some delicious pasta, and even sample the local limoncello, before warming up at our accommodation.

Karen arrived to pick us up and gave us a tour of the village where we'd be performing that evening before taking us to the venue. Our concert was held at the local community theatre, where we were met with an incredibly enthusiastic audience who called for not one, but two encores!

The festival had a unique theme, so I had to get creative with the programming for our recital. We ultimately titled the programme "Some Rivers," inspired by a beautiful composition of the same name by American composer David Bennett Thomas.
Other pieces included Hannah's arrangement of Saint-Saëns' The Swan and Paisaje Folklorico Nr. 2 by Sebastián Tozzola.

The next day, our plans to get to Venice were disrupted by Tren Italia strikes. However, after 5 hours and two bus rides, we finally made it!
We then spent a whirlwind 24 hours exploring and savoring everything Venice had to offer.

Unfortunately, there was no safe place at our accommodation to store my bass clarinet, so it ended up joining me in exploring the sights of Venice!

Our next concert adventure abroad is in March 2025 - Lanzarote!

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