Noon Hour Concert: A moment in time

Dr. Kathryn Ladano has established herself as one of Canada’s foremost bass clarinetists. As a specialist of contemporary music and free improvisation, Ladano is a dynamic soloist and in-demand collaborator. She has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across Canada and abroad and has immersed herself in a wide variety of creative and collaborative projects. Kathryn holds a PhD from York University, a masters degree in bass clarinet performance from the University of Calgary and an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the University of Waterloo. Her performance instructors have included Stan Climie, Tilly Kooyman and world-renowned bass clarinetist and improviser, Lori Freedman.  

Kathryn is heavily involved in both educational and creative work. She is currently the Artistic Director of NUMUS concerts, the Director of ICE (Improvisation Concerts Ensemble) and instructor of improvisation studio at Wilfrid Laurier University, and the bass clarinet instructor at the University of Waterloo. As an enthusiast of improvisation in the classroom and bass clarinet repertoire, she has guest lectured in university classes, conducted workshops across Canada for both teachers and students, and has been a guest speaker and performer at a variety of international conferences. 

Currently, Kathryn performs as a soloist and in a number of ensembles that specialize in new music and free improvisation such as Stealth; her duo with famed TorQ percussionist, Richard Burrows. The duo released their debut CD, “…listen”, in the summer of 2015. 

Kathryn was the 2015 winner of the Cook Homes Music Award at the Waterloo Region Arts Awards. She has released two solo albums, “Open” (2010) and “Masked” (2019). Kathryn’s research interests include improvisation pedagogy and the use of free improvisation as therapy for musicians with various anxieties. 

Richard Burrows' extensive musical career has taken him throughout North America, Europe, Mexico, Australia, and Asia. Having earned two Master’s degrees from the University of Toronto, Richard has honed his craft to create a unique approach in both education and performance. He has also shared the stage with Nebosja Jovan Zivkovic, She-e Wu, Evelyn Glennie, and NEXUS. Closer to home, he plays regularly with numerous orchestras and choirs, and as a freelance percussionist has performed with ScrapArtsMusic, with famed bass clarinetist Kathryn Ladano in “Stealth,” with new music projects for InterArtsMatrix, and was as a member of the Toronto Raptors drumline. An avid educator, Richard gives masterclasses on improvisation, concert percussion and drumline throughout Ontario, and across Canada. He is also the artistic director of Open Ears Festival of Music and Sound, a festival dedicated to adventurous programming and transformative concerts.

Richard is also a founding member of the TORQ percussion quartet.  Described as “outstanding - no, make that astonishing!” (Ottawa Citizen) and as having a “sense of unbreakable continuity and energy” (Toronto Star), Canada’s TorQ Percussion Quartet continues to bring new vitality to percussion repertoire and performance. Richard Burrows, Adam Campbell, Jamie Drake and Daniel Morphy have given recital tours across Canada and the US and performed at Ottawa Chamberfest, Open Ears Festival of Music and Sound, Indian River Festival, Stratford Summer Music, the Music Garden Toronto, the Canadian Opera Company concert series, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, and many others. They have also performed as a featured soloist with the Toronto Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Orchestra Symphonique de Montréal (for which they were recently awarded the Prix Opus from the Quebec Music Council), Stuttgart Chamber Choir, University of Toronto Wind Ensemble, Ontario Honour Band and University of Saskatchewan Wind Ensemble (WASBE 2015), amongst others.