January 20th, 2023: Ben Roidl-Ward was named one of the Washington Post’s “23 for ‘23: Composers and performers to watch this year.”
“[Ben] just released his debut solo album, “Axis Mundi: New Works for Bassoon,” featuring performances of diverse works by Liza Lim, Luis Fernando Amaya, Tania León, Mathew Arrellin, Tom Kelly and José-Luis Hurtado that share intense physicality and presence through Roidl-Ward’s attentive performance.”
- Michael Andor Brodeur, The Washington Post
Read the full article HERE.
Photo by Deidre Huckabay
Ben Roidl-Ward is the bassoonist of Ensemble Dal Niente, principal bassoonist of the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Illinois Symphony, and Co-Principal Bassoonist of Sinfonia Da Camera. He serves as Assistant Professor of Bassoon at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and as a Bassoon Coach for the Lucerne Festival Academy.
December 2nd, 2022: “Axis Mundi: New Works for Bassoon” was named among Bandcamp Daily’s “Best Contemporary Classical on Bandcamp: November 2022.”
“Chicago bassoonist Ben Roidl-Ward has served as a formidable advocate for his instrument’s role in experimental music, and on his first album, he cements that work with a challenging program that definitely pushes the boundaries of his famously rheumy double reed.”
- Peter Margasak, Bandcamp Daily