UAB Clarinet Symposium

March 7, 2026

Registration $45

For further information, please contact
Sarah Manasreh-Decker at smanasre@uab.edu, or call (205) 975-0558
  The Sqwonk bass clarinet duo is a dynamic and adventurous ensemble that “pushes the envelope of what bass clarinet music can be” (Clarinet Magazine). Sqwonk is devoted to exploring the full expressive range of the bass clarinet, from deep resonances to raucous wails. While grounded in the classical tradition,

Sqwonk’s music draws on a wide range of influences, from klezmer to heavy metal to blues to minimalism to free improvisation, creating a repertoire that is strikingly contemporary, yet broadly accessible to a wide audience.

Sqwonk has been hailed for its “extraordinary…deftness and dynamic range,” (San Diego News) and its “perfect production of complicated interwoven lines, acrobatic leaps, and sensitive lyricism in difficult registers” (Clarinet Magazine). Sqwonk’s playing has been described as “…technically strong and very tight” (New Music Box) and “literally danceable” (Lucid Culture). Sqwonk has created an entirely new repertoire of bass clarinet duos from scratch, and has released three CDs featuring newly commissioned works by some of America’s most exciting up-and-coming composers.

Sqwonk has performed around the country at venues such as Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall, The Stone in New York, Sushi’s Outsound Series in San Diego, the Bang on a Can Summer Institute in North Adams, MA, and numerous International Clarinet Association ClarinetFests and Low Clarinet Fests. Also passionate about education and outreach, Sqwonk has led numerous workshops and master-classes at schools, conservatories, and universities around the country. Jon and Jeff also co-direct (with Stefanie Gardner and Jerry Simas) the annual Bass Clarinet Intensive course at San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
  Hope to see you there!
This event is sponsored by the Jemison Visiting Professorship in the Humanities.

Itinerary of Events will be posted by February 15th