Recent News

Summer 2006

Ransom flew from St. Petersburg to Copenhagen, where he took the train to Odense. This charming town was the birthplace of both Hans Christian Andersen and Carl Nielsen, and has been kept in pristine condition. There he had the pleasure of participating on the jury of the Nielsen International Competition. This incredibly well-organized event features the flute every several years, and this year 42 contestants from around the world were invited to participate, out of 250 total applicants.. The jury president was Ransom's longtime friend András Adorján, and the other stellar members were William Bennett (U.K.), Andreas Blau (Germany), Toke Lund Christiansen (Denmark), Mikael Helasvuo (Finland), Thomas Jensen (Denmark), Vincent Lucas (France), Rune Most (Denmark), and Yumiko Sakuma (Japan). Russian Alexandra Grot was the astonishing First Prize winner (incredibly, she also won the prize for Danish music, the Orchestra Prize, and the Children's Jury Prize), and the other winners were Luksz Dlugosz (Poland), Grigoriy Mordashov (Russia), and Marion Ralincourt (France)

In July, Ransom gave his 4th annual master class in Tuscany, once again in the tiny village of Monterchi. 18 international students worked with Ransom, flutist Sergio Pallottelli, and pianist Douglas Ashcraft. Also in attendance was master flutist and flute repair guru Steven Finley from Boston.

Then there was another visit to the Norfolk Festival in Connecticut, where Ransom conducted the all-Mozart Gala Concert in celebration of the Battell Music Shed's 100 years of concerts. The concert featured a performance of the Concerto for Flute and Harp, with Ransom and harpist Jacqueline Kerrod, and the G major Piano Concerto K. 453, with pianist Claude Frank.

August was devoted to international travel. First, Ransom appeared at the Pablo Casals Festival in Prades, France for chamber music and masterclasses. Then he ventured completely around the globe to Seoul, Korea, where he conducted the KBS Orchestra in a sold-out Mozart and Rachmaninov concert. This was also be the occasion for a flute masterclass.

Spring 2006

March was action-packed. Ransom began his rehearsal period as conductor at the New York City Opera, and concurrently rehearsed and performed with the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra. Many Amtrak trips later, he was able to devote himself fully to the Opera. The work was G.F. Handel's lovely Acis and Galatea, directed by Mark Lamos. The cast, chorus, and orchestra were superb, and there were four performances in April, described by the New York Times as a "picnic". April ended with Ransom conducting and recording Bruce Adolphe's Time Flies for chamber orchestra, at Merkin Hall in New York City. May saw the annual New Music concert by the Idyllwild Arts Academy Orchestra, this time featuring works by composer Richard Danielpour, including a World Premier. The highlight of the concert was a brilliant performance of his Violin Concerto, A Fool's Paradise, by violinist Timothy Fain. Later in the month Ransom played his recital debut in Moscow, Russia at the Rachmaninov Hall. Then he spent two days in St. Petersburg among friends, and was lucky enough to attend the Mariinsky Theatre for a performance of the Shostakovich Symphony No. 11, conducted by Valery Gergiev. After the performance, Maestro Gergiev invited Ransom to sit in the hall while he and the orchestra recorded Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake in a beautiful and gripping performance.

Winter 2006

The year began with a vacation. Ransom and his partner traveled to their favorite place: Hawaii. A week on each of Maui and Kaua'i islands gave them a clear winner: Kaua'i. After two weeks watching humpback whales and smelling hibiscus, it was difficult to return to work. But Ransom went directly to Sedona, Arizona for a week long residency with chamber music colleagues: Ani Kavafian, Ida Kavafian, Jonathan Moerschel, Andres Diaz, and Douglas Ashcraft.

Fall 2005

A tour with the ever-young Maxence Larrieu was the highlight of September. Maxence and Ransom gave recitals and classes in New York, Boston, and Montréal. As usual with Maxence, the party never stopped! In October, Ransom went to Paris to serve on the Jury of the Jean-Pierre Rampal International Competition. The all-star jury worked extremely hard, hearing 85 contestants from around the globe. Afterwards Ransom had a few days to visit his beloved Basque country in Spain. Three days of R & R among friends in San Sebastián was the perfect tonic after the grueling hard work in Paris! At YaleUniversity in December, he played a recital with world-famous pianist Peter Frankl, featuring the Schubert Introduction and Variations. This was followed by the annual performances of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. It is always a special musical and personal joy for him to work with flutist Tara Helen O'Connor in these masterworks.

Summer 2005

In June Ransom conducted at the International Double Bass Society convention in Michigan. The featured work was Peter Askim's bass concerto, with the composer as soloist. He then conducted his final concerts as Artistic Director of the OK Mozart Festival in Oklahoma. He was the co-founder of the event, and this was his 21st season. Flying directly to Oregon, Ransom performed again at Chamber Music Northwest, which has become an almost annual tradition for him, for almost 20 years. July saw his 3rd annual master class in Tuscany, held for the first time in the tiny hill town of Monterchi. 20 international students spent an intensive 10-day session of classes, recitals, food, and wine. He sped from there back to Connecticut for the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. In August, Ransom was thrilled to participate in a week of intensive teaching and playing in Tokyo. He joined his friends and colleagues Maxence Larrieu and András Adorján at the Dolce Music headquarters in the Shinjuku district for this saturated event. After a week they all travled to Sapporo for the Japan Flute Society convention. Here they were joined by Shigenori Kudo, Peter-Lukas Graf, Andrea Griminelli, Michel Moraguës, and the amazing piccolo virtuoso Jean Louis Beaumadier, among many others.

Spring 2005

March was the occasion for Ransom's Australian debut, at the Australian Flute Society convention in Coff's Harbour (near Sydney). The action-packed visit included classes, recitals, ensembles, and lots of canaraderie with his colleagues, including Tadeu Coelho and Jane Rutter. In April Ransom conducted the annual Gala Fundraiser Concert for the Idyllwild Arts Academy, where he is the Music Director of the orchestra. The performance featured all of the Academy's departments, and was held in the gorgeous Skirball Center in Los Angeles, California. In May, he returned to the school for the annual New Music concert with the orchestra. The concert featured cellist Fred Sherry in Banana Dump Truck, written for him by composer Steven Mackey. The performance, repeated in downtown Los Angeles at the Music Center, was--in the words of the composer--"the finest the work has ever received."

Winter 2005

January saw Ransom's recital debut in beautiful and sophisticated Sedona, Arizona. The recital was so successful that he has been reinvited for subsequent seasons. February was very busy: a tour of the Midwestern U.S. with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and Ransom's conducting debut in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Here he was working with the Hermitage State Orchestra, in the unparalleled beauty of the Hermitage Palace's 18th Century theater.

Fall 2004

The concert season started auspiciously for Ransom. In September he conducted the Opening Night Gala performance of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. The program, featuring celebrated mezzo-soprano Jennifer Larmore, included Hector Berlioz' Les nuits d'été, as well as Igor Stravinsky's rarely heard mini-opera Renard. In November he traveled to Seoul, Korea, where he gave a week long series of master classes and a major recital.

Spring 2004