Bassoon Solo - Level 4 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.983173

Composed by Craig Wadley. 21st Century,Chamber,Contemporary,Contest,Festival. Individual part. 5 pages. Wadley Publications #4980651. Published by Wadley Publications (A0.983173).

The title of Sonar’s Riddle is an anagram of Dr. Daniel Ross, and stands as a tribute to a musician known for both his kindness and humor. 

Dr. Daniel F. Ross (1944-2019) was a Professor of Music at Arkansas State University, where he taught the double reed studio from 1968 to 2018. During his illustrious career, he became known as not only a world-class musician, but an innovator in the field of reed-making with his Ross Gouging Machine. As a performer, he served as Principal Oboist with the Arkansas Symphony and performed with the North Arkansas Symphony, Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, Tupelo Symphony, Delta Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Nashville Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, and the St. Louis Chamber Music Society. He was a frequent soloist with the Forum Sinfonia of Krakow, Poland, touring with them in the United Stated and Europe. He held the title of Visiting Professor of Oboe at the Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland and has been a soloist with the St. Petersburg and Moscow Philharmonic orchestras in Russia.

As a teacher, Dr. Ross stressed the importance of expression. For him, being a musician was an extension of being human. In order to make music, one must cross the threshold from producing technically accurate sounds into a mysterious and sometimes elusive realm of heart, love, compassion, gentleness, and joy. In Dan Ross’ studio, one learned that a musician capable of evoking strong emotions must first be a person of great character.

Dan Ross excelled in all things musical, but more importantly, he was an excellent man. He may well be remembered as a great musician, a great performer and teacher, or as an innovator in the art of reed making. But his true legacy lies in the hearts that he touched and the lives that he molded.

I count myself fortunate to have been one of many.

Sonar’s Riddle is a brief musical portrait of Dr. Dan Ross, attempting to capture the essence of his kind spirit and boundless humor.