Vanessa Klassen

As a Saskatchewan native, Dr. Vanessa Klassen seeks to perform and promote Canadian clarinet compositions, many of which are seldom performed. She most recently performed the world premiere of Paul Suchan’s Middle of Somewhere (2023) for clarinet and jazz band alongside the University of Saskatchewan Jazz Ensemble. As a concerto competition winner in 2021, she performed Canadian composer Stephen Chatman’s Prairie Dawn as soloist with The Ohio State University Symphony Orchestra. Vanessa has performed and presented at festivals such as the International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest®, the Brandon University Clarinet Festival, and Klarinet Kerfuffle (Saskatoon, SK). As a member of the all-women Bella Clarinet Quartet, she is committed to emphasizing inclusion in music with current projects focused on elevating female composers. In addition to researching, performing, and teaching, Vanessa creates fun arrangements for clarinet ensembles and features her own recordings on her YouTube channel, ClarinetColours. Vanessa’s passion for music has emanated from her principal clarinet teachers: Dr. Caroline Hartig (The Ohio State University), Dr. Catherine Wood (Brandon University), and Steve Mealey (Kindersley, SK). Dr. Klassen’s appearance at the 2023 Brandon University Clarinet Festival is sponsored by SK Arts.

LOCATION: R.D. Bell Hall, Rm. 1-57, School of Music

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