Driftwood Trio

Artists
Program
Preview
Performances (Free Tickets)
Artist Bios

Artists

Driftwood Trio

Kelly Smestad, oboe
Joshua Phillips, clarinet
Garrett Brown, bassoon

DriftWood Trio is a New York based reed trio that is committed to exposing the beautiful blend of Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon to various audiences. Formed in 2018, Kelly Smestad (oboe), Joshua Phillips (clarinet) and Garrett Brown (bassoon) are all in their Doctoral studies in Music at Stony Brook University. DriftWood won Second Prize in the 2020 ENKOR International Music Competition and performed for the Staller Center for the Arts 2019 Gala starring International Soprano and Opera Superstar, Renée Fleming. In August of 2019, DriftWood performed at the Orlando Festival for two weeks in the beautiful Limburg region of The Netherlands. Since returning, the trio has performed many concerts in the Long Island/NYC area, including being selected to participate in the Decoda Integrative Performance Residency at Stony Brook University. DriftWood has also been invited to perform a recital at the 2021 International Double Reed Society in Boulder, Colorado where they will premiere two new works commissioned for them by Chelsea Loew and Alan Hankers.  ​

Program

Sinfonia No. 2 in C minor, BWV 788
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Hungarian Folk Song From the Cisk District, Sz. 35a
Béla Bartók (1881-1945)

III. White Lily 

Selections from Mass for Three Voices
William Byrd (1540-1623)

I.Kyrie
II.Gloria 
III.Credo 
IV. Agnus Dei 

Divertimento in C Major Hob IV:1
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

I. Allegro Moderato
II. Andante
III. Vivace 

Cinq Pieces en Trio
Jacques Ibert (1890-1962)

I. Allegro
II. Andantino
III. Allegro Assai 
IV. Andante
V. Allegro quasi marziale 

Suite for Reed Trio
Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)

I. Entree et Rondeau
III. Musette 
IV. Serenade
V. Fanfare
VI. Rondeau
VII. Menuets 
VIII. Le Coucou

Wein bleibt Wein!
Johann Schrammel (1850-1893)
Arr. Greg Ruetch

Preview

Performances

Musicivic Everywhere: November 29 (3:00 PM), December 2 (7:30 PM)  
Free Tickets

Ambler Musicivic: November 29 (3:00 PM), December 2 (7:30 PM), December 5 (7:30 PM)
Free Tickets

Three Village Chamber Players: November 29 (3:00 PM), December 2 (7:30 PM), December 5 (7:30 PM)
Free Tickets

Artist Bios

Garrett Brown (b. 1995: Reading, PA) is currently pursuing his DMA in Bassoon Performance at Stony Brook University where he studies with Frank Morelli. He performs with the Baroque Ensemble and the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra. He serves as a Teaching Assistant for the Community Music Programs where he teaches musicianship and coaches chamber music groups for the Young Artist Program and coaches adult chamber music groups. Garrett also performs with numerous ensembles including the New Amsterdam Opera Company, the Manhattan Opera Studio, the Berks Sinfonietta, the Berks Opera Company, the Lancaster Opera Company, and the Reading Pops Orchestra. He will also be on the substitute list for the New World Symphony for its 2020-21 season. As an avid teacher, Garrett teaches bassoon privately and is on faculty at Five Towns College where he teaches Applied Bassoon and Woodwind Methods. Garrett received his undergraduate degree in Music Education with a Performance Certificate in Bassoon from Shenandoah Conservatory while studying with Ryan Romine and his masters degree in Bassoon Performance at SUNY Stony Brook University. While at Shenandoah, he performed in the premiere of Wynton Marsalis’ Blues Symphony. Garrett has participated in the Orlando Festival, the Banff Master Class Program and the Bang on a Can Festival at MASS MoCA. ​

Joshua Phillips is currently studying with New York based clarinetist Alan Kay at Stony Brook University where he finished his Masters of Music degree in Spring of 2019 and is currently in his Doctoral studies.
Most recently, Joshua participated in the inaugural chamber orchestra summer intensive, Orpheus@Mannes, and will be traveling to Holland to participate in the Orlando Festival with DriftWood Trio in August of 2019. Clarinetist Joshua Phillips was born and raised in Southern California. He has toured and performed concerts in Italy, France, Germany, China, South Korea, and Spain. He has also performed throughout many parts of the US and most recently at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
While living and going to school in California, Joshua was Assistant Principal in the Laguna Concert Band where he performed with famed bassist from The Stray Cats,
Lee Rocker, performed in the Laguna Playhouse and recorded at Capitol Records in Hollywood, CA.
Joshua Phillips studied at Riverside Community College with active orchestral musician Margaret Worsley and received his BM in Clarinet Performance at California State University, Fullerton in the studio of international soloist Håkan Rosengren. Joshua was founder of the CSUF Clarinet Consort and served as President for 4 years while successfully establishing a Master Class Series that featured many world-renowned clarinetists. 

Kelly Smestad was born and raised on Long Island, New York. She began her musical studies on piano at age 6 and began studying oboe at age 15. She has been seen performing and teaching across the New York metro area, having worked with ensembles such as Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, Litha Symphony, and Massapequa Philharmonic. She can be seen frequently serving as principal oboist for the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra and Opera Orchestra.
​
Ms. Smestad has made appearances at festivals such as National Music Festival, the Pierre Monteux School, and the Domaine Forget Academy. ​Recently Ms. Smestad was invited to play the Bach Double Concerto as a soloist with the Massapequa Philharmonic. In 2018, Ms. Smestad was selected as a semi-finalist by the New World Symphony to serve as a substitute for their 2018-2019 season.

Ms. Smestad is also an avid performer of Baroque music. She is currently the Assistant Director of the Stony Brook Baroque Ensemble. Ms. Smestad received her BM in 2012 at the University of Colorado Boulder, studying under the principal oboist of the Colorado Symphony, Peter Cooper. She received her MM in 2016 from Stony Brook University studying with Pedro Diaz of the Metropolitan Opera and James Austin Smith of Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Smestad is currently a DMA candidate at Stony Brook University.​

MC20-0037