CULTURETONES ORGANISATION
Cyprus Bass Clarinet Course 2025
Information Package | Application form
CultureTones Organisation in collaboration with Cuillin Sound Music is happy to announce the Cyprus Bass Clarinet Course 2025 which will take place in Paphos between 23 and 26 April 2025.
General Information
Tutors: Sarah Watts, Lara Diaz, George Georgiou
Course language: English, but with Spanish and Greek help when needed
Venue: Paphos Music School - Located at the Paphos Town Center
Concerts: Old Powerhouse - Located at Paphos Town Center
Cyprus Wine Museum - Limassol (wine tasting and dinner available)
Standard: Intermediate to Advanced standard and all ages of players welcome
Course content
Masterclasses and/or one to one sessions | Warm ups | Technique sessions | Introduction to extended techniques | Repertoire advice
Small groups | A whole group bass clarinet choir | Performances
Course Fees
Full rate: 300 euros
Student rate: 150 euros
(Non Refundable Deposit €75)
Contact
culturetonespromotions@gmail.com
Artists' Profile
Sarah Watts studied clarinet at the Royal Academy of Music with Angela Malsbury and Victoria Soames Samek (bass clarinet). Sarah then decided to specialise in bass clarinet and continued her studies at the Rotterdam Conservatorium bass clarinet with Henri Bok, funded by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and a Leverhulme Trust Studentship. Sarah was awarded the Exxon prize for the best classical music student in Rotterdam. Successes include: Winner, UK Howarth Clarinet Competition 2000; Winner, Hawkes Clarinet Prize (RAM) 2001; Winner, Sir Arthur Bliss Chamber Music Prize (RAM) 2000; Winner of wind section and Faber Prize, UK Performing Australian Music competition, 2001 (her clarinet and bass clarinet recital was broadcast on ABC radio); Finalist, Wind section, Royal Overseas League Competition 2000. Sarah specialises on the bass clarinet and has gained an international reputation as an artist, teacher and researcher on the instrument. She has performed solo repertoire across the UK, Ireland, Asia, Europe and the Americas and has attracted composers including Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Piers Hellawell and William Sweeney to write works for her. In January 2003, Sarah performed a solo bass clarinet recital in London’s Purcell Room as part of the Park Lane Group Young Artist Series. Sarah is Director Performance at the University of Sheffield, where she also teaches clarinet and bass clarinet. Sarah hosts bass clarinet and clarinet courses on the Isle of Raasay in Scotland and has run and taught on many wind chamber music courses in the UK and France. Sarah has given workshops on bass clarinet technique at many establishments around the world and was bass clarinet tutor at RNCM from 2012 - 2022. Sarah performs with Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble, rarescale and SCAW. She has completed a PhD in bass clarinet multiphonic analysis at Keele University and has published ‘Spectral Immersions; A Comprehensive Guide to the Theory and Practice of Bass Clarinet Multiphonics’ via Metropolis publishers. Sarah is an Henri Selmer Paris artist, a Vandoren UK artist and a Silverstein Ligature artist.
Lara Díaz is an active Spanish clarinetist and bass clarinet soloist. She has performed at major festivals worldwide (Europe, USA, Canada, South America and Asia), both as a soloist, with Trio Contrastes and the Formica’s Age Duo (violin and bass clarinet). She works disseminating contemporary music, and has attracted composers to write works for her and for these chamber music groups.Lara is often invited to teach masterclass and to performance at international clarinet festivals worldwide, also as a soloist (including ICA ClarinetFest 2018, 2019, 2020 ,2021, 2022 y 2023, 5º ,6º, 7º, 9º, 10º ,11º y 12º European Clarinet Festival en Bélgica, Italia, Portugal, Hungría, Polonia y Holanda; IV Congreso Latinoamericano de Clarinetistas, Perú, Dream Clarinet Academy, Baoding- China, 18º Encontro Internacional de Clarinete, Lisboa 2017, International Festival “Il mondo d’il clarinetto” de Accademia Italiana del Clarinetto, 2º Simposio para Clarinetistas – UNESP 2015 en Sao Paulo, Brasil, ClarMeet Porto ’16, ’17 y 18, VII y VIII Taller para Jóvenes Clarinetistas de Clariperú-Lima, 2018 y 2019, Xacobeo ClarinetFest 2021, Tenerife ClarinetFest 2021, Gran Canaria International Clarinet Festival 2022…). She is part of the Artistic Committee of the I an d II ICA Low Clarinet Festival, Glendale, Az, 2023 and 2025 . She frequently acts as a jury at international clarinet and bass clarinet competitions (Saverio Mercadante, ICA Young Artist Competition 2021, TICC competition, Samnium Benevento, Harry Spaarnay, Guy Deplus, Silverstein works…). She is a professor in Salamanca and leads “Antonio Romero” clarinet and bass clarinet masterclasses since 2003. Wind section leader of the “City of Salamanca” Symphony Orchestra. Lara is the Spain country chair for the ICA and serves at ICA DEIA committee too. She has recently published the transcription for bass clarinet of Manuel de Falla’s Suite popular española in Manuel de Falla Ediciones. She has also received a Ph.D. in Spanish and Latin American literature at the University of Salamanca. She has been recognized with the 2021 Salamanca’s Woman award in the category of culture by the Tierno Galván Association.
Hailed for his energetic and inspirational performances, the Cypriot clarinetist George Georgiou enjoys a career as a classical and contemporary clarinetist. He appeared in many solo concerts and recitals in Europe, Middle East and USA. He collaborated with some prominent musicians such as the legendary cellist Rohan de Saram, Prazak Quartet, Apple Hill String Quartet, Chilingirian String Quartet, the violinist Movses Pogossian and he appeared as a soloist with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, Sofia Sinfonietta, Commandaria Orchestra and Moscow Virtuosi. In his research for new repertoire, George started commissioning works for clarinet and so far he collaborated with the most dominant composers from Cyprus. He premiered several works featuring the clarinet with most of them being dedicated to him. He is a member of Georgiou Georgieva DUO, Lyrical Noise Ensemble, Quintus Ensemble, Chronos Contemporary Music Ensemble, Patsiaoura Ensemble and Claritar Duo. He holds the position of clarinet professor at the ARTE ACADEMY of MUSIC. George is a graduate from City University, London, where he studied clarinet with Julian Farrell and Joy Faral at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He is also a MBA graduate from the Neapolis University Paphos, Cyprus and a member of Mensa Cyprus. His busy profile gained him an international recognition and he became a Selmer Paris Clarinet Artist, a Silverstein Ligature Artist, Marca Reeds Artist and a Royal Global Accessories Artist. He is also the Cyprus Chair and the Middle East Regional Chair of the International Clarinet Association and a member of the association’s New Music Committee. His first Digital Album with Solo Clarinet Works by Cypriot Composer was released in 2023
