Photos — Michael Harley

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, OH, 2017

Dark in the Song with Brad Balliett

Saxton, Lynn, Mike, Rachael, Brad

2019 NewBassoon Institute, Chestertown, MD

World Premiere of Arboretum, by Brad Balliett

At the Adkins Arboretum, Ridgely, MD, June 6 2019

At National Sawdust, January 2017

Performance of David Smooke's 21 Miles to Coolville

Zappa and the bassoon

I don't want to say how old this picture is (but I don't have any gray hair yet!) Don’t worry, the obligatory bassoon action shots are over and the pictures are more interesting from now on …

Alarm Will Sound and Medeski Martin and Wood

Brooklyn Steel Winter Jazzfest, January 2019.

Take a bow

Billy Martin of Medeski Martin & Wood leading the crowd (of 2000+) and AWS in an impromptu encore. Brooklyn Steel, January 2019.

Selfie with Scott Weiss

Following the recording, with the UofSC Wind Ensemble, of Nico Muhly’s Reliable Sources. Nov. 17, 2018.

Bassoons and such

Sydney and Trevor, following the Muhly premiere recording. Nov. 17, 2018.

10,000 Birds, Vancouver, Oct. 2018

Prior to a performance of JLA’s work at the 2018 College Music Society National Conference.

Backstage - Paul Simon Concert in Atlanta

Thanks to Hideaki, Nadia, Mark, everyone in yMusic—an amazing opportunity to take my family to hear my musical idol. Sept 2018.

yMusic with Paul Simon

“Rene and Georgette Magritte with their dog after the war …”. Seeing people I know and make music with, playing iconic songs onstage with my musical hero — what an extraordinary thing. Atlanta, Sept. 2018.

Above the Albaicin

Granada, Spain, Aug. 2018

At The Alhambra, Granada, Spain, August 2018

One of the many exquisite details inside the Alhambra. Thank you, IDRS!

The New Yankee Stadium

Before my first Yankees game (boo, Yankees) — with Stefan Freund and Miles Brown of AWS. August 2018.

A surprise for Jeanne

At the Sinquefield Reserve, July 2018

Can you say "nontraditional rehearsal space"?

At the NewBassoon Institute, June 2018. Virtually EVERY business in town embraces and hosts the Institute and National Music Festival …. Rachael Elliott is coaching a bassoon quartet, including UofSC’s Kevin O’Brien, right.

2018 NewBassoon Institute, Chestertown, MD

Beijing Central Conservatory

AWS onstage, pre-show, at the Beijing Modern Festival, May 2018

Pre-concert meal

AWS conductor Alan Pierson, second from left, flanked by composers Zhou Long and Chen Yi. May 2018.

Nanning Concert Hall, May 2018

An astounding new building, in a seemingly empty neighborhood surrounded by seemingly empty new skyscrapers.

The obligatory Great Wall of China picture

It really is THAT spectacular …. May, 2018

Facedown

Alan engages with a monkey in a park outside of Nanning, Guangxi Province. May 2018.

With composers Valerie Coleman and Jeff Scott before the Richard Greener Tribute Concert, April 2018

World premieres of "A Pilgrim's Opus" (Scott) and "Glory" (Coleman).

Richard Greener Tribute Concert, April 2018

L-R Becky Nagel (ob), Tonya Mitchell (cond), Isaiah Hogue (narr), Jennifer Parker-Harley (fl), Valerie Coleman (composer), Jeff Scott (composer), Kendrick Williams (baritone), MH, JD Shaw (horn), Joe Eller (cl)

2017-18 USC Bassoon Studio

Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis, 2017

At Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, for a performance of JLA's 10,000 Birds.

Southern Exposure New Music Series

With invoke string quartet and composers David Kirkland Garner, Steve Snowden, Ian Dicke, and Takuma Itoh.

Southern Exposure intro, Oct. 2016

The USC recital hall was packed -- note the folks seated onstage! -- for this phenomenal concert by the Imani Winds, Visiting Scholars at USC.

Performers, listening

Listening to the archival folk recording of "All the Pretty Horses" David Garner's beautiful new work for double wind quintet (Imani Winds and USC faculty) is based on prior to its premiere on Southern Exposure. The composer is at left.

With Afghan pianist and composer Milad Yousufi, after "The Hunger" at BAM, Sept. 2016

Milad's life story is absolutely amazing, and reads like a Hollywood movie script. He first learned piano by drawing a picture of a keyboard on paper and "playing"; his concerts were targeted by the Taliban. Fortunately he is now in the USA; his story is the subject of a new work by composer Mary Kouyoumdjian, the beginning of which AWS premiered at in Missouri, summer 2016. Milad's immigration lawyer happens to be my cousin-in-law's sister!

A scene from Donnacha Dennehy's chamber opera "The Hunger."

Alarm Will Sound at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Sept. 2016. Mezzo soprano Kate Manley at left. This opera is gorgeous -- some of my all-time favorite music.

With composer Donnacha Dennehy

Nico Muhly and Nadia Sirota perform at Subculture.

Nadia's CD release party, Sept. 2016.

Filming an episode from Lisa Bielawa's made-for-TV opera, "Vireo."

Garrison Institute, near Peekskill, NY.

Courtney Orlando and Matt Marks as "Rosie the Riveter" and "Policeman"

Lisa Bielawa's "Vireo," Garrison Institute, Sept. 2016

"The Farmer" (and the phone booth)

A bassoon's-eye view.

John Luther Adams' 10,000 Birds, atrium of the Cleveland Museum of Art, June 2016.

Matt Marks

10,000 Birds, Cleveland Museum of Art

Euro-cool

Donau Festival, Krems, Austria, May 2016

Eighth blackbird at Indie Grits / Southern Exposure

Columbia Riverwalk, Apr. 14, 2016

GA Rachel Whelan, MH, sound engineer Jeff Francis

Southern Exposure named a "POP pick" for our 2015-16 season by 21cm.org.

With my American Music class, Apr 2016 - Church Street (outside the spot that inspired "Porgy and Bess")

Music and architecture Charleston, SC -- walking tour led by the extraordinarily knowledgeable Nic Butler, far left. A tour with Nic is like walking through the Charleston of the 18th century.

With composer Scott Johnson

Boston, Feb. 2016

Recording session, Scott Johnson's "Mind Out of Matter"

New York, Feb. 2016

Cincinnati bassoon reunion

With friends Mark Ortwein and Eric Stomberg, IDRS NYC 2015

The saddest time of the summer: leaving Interlochen!

August 2016

Not a bad spot for a concert

Interlochen, July 2015

Masterclass with Judy LeClair, principal bassoon, New York Philharmonic.

Interlochen Center for the Arts, summer 2014.

View from the patio of the Lake House, Sinquefield Reserve, Westphalia, MO.

Not a bad place to rehearse! We are based here to prepare for the Mizzou International Composer's festival, held each July at the University of Missouri.

Mike Clayville, AWS trombonist and social media guru, at the Lake House.

Sinquefield Reserve, Westphalia MO

The Big House

Sinquefield Reserve, Westphalia MO. We actually get to stay here!

"You don't have to put on the red light..."

Do I look stressed? Yeah, maybe I am: about to play the ridiculous contra part in Ades's "Living Toys," Mizzou

ART approves!

Augusta Read Thomas at the Mizzou International Composers Festival, July 2013

Composer Steven Stucky

At Mizzou, July 2012

Pulitzer-winning composer Roger Reynolds and soprano Susan Narucki, Mizzou, July 2011

The coolest thing: hearing Roger talk about hanging out with John Cage, and hearing a garage full of player pianos at Conlon Nancarrow's place in Mexico City.

Honorary Canucks

L-R Stefan, Mike, Caleb, Gavin -- finalists in Canada Games, an annual Mizzou tradition. It's even more ridiculous than it sounds.

Old train station, Seoul, South Korea

Venue for AWS performances in April 2015

Doug Balliett and Stefan Freund amidst cherry blossoms

Seoul, South Korea, April 2015

Fish market, Seoul

Without doubt, this giant seafood market -- one of the world's largest -- was a highlight of our Korea trip.

Gavin digs in.

AWS managing director Gavin Chuck. This was AFTER we ate the live octopus.

A large setup

AWS seems to occupy a lot of space. Cleveland State U., March 2015

With bassoonist Lecolion Washington

Memphis, March 2015

L-R Erin Lesser, Hideaki Aomori, Chris Thompson, Beth Stimpert, me

AWS in Boulder, Colorado with Medeski, Martin, and Wood, Feb. 2015. Does Beth always play her clarinet that way?

AWS flutist Erin Lesser and her friend Antonio Bananas

Denver CO

Manhattan skyline

One of the perks of playing in the greatest city in the world ...

In good company

Carnegie Hall, NYC

AWS concert at Merkin Hall, NYC

Sonic Festival, October 2015

L-R Alan Pierson, composer John Adams, Christa Robinson, Beth Stimpert

BAM, Sept 2014

Alarm Will Sound crossing the Delaware?

Courtesy of the Met Museum. It was our great privilege to be artists-in-residence at the Met in 2013-14.

My favorite sign in the bowels of the Met Museum, NYC.

Solo lecture / performance, Met Museum

April 2014

Oceanic Gallery, Metropolitan Museum of Art

April 2014

Nubian Twins

AWS violinists Caleb Burhans and Courtney Orlando played two Nubian princes who, legend has it, drowned; the temple was built on their burial spot.

AWS in the Temple of Dendur, Metropolitan Museum of Art, June 2014

Our performance amidst the temple of Kate Soper's "I Was Here I Was I" is one of the most memorable moments of my career. The Egyptian temple, which would have been destroyed by the building of the Aswan High Dam, was moved stone by stone from Egypt to the Met in the 1960s.

Chaos at the Met

Before show with Dance Heginbotham show, Feb. 2014

"Cliffs" staging rehearsal

"Cliffs," by Aphex Twin, arr. Caleb Burhans

Staging by Nigel Maister. I am wandering around singing.

"Cliffs" staging at the Met

Setting up for world premiere of John Luther Adams' "10,000 Birds"

St. Louis, MO

Workshopping with John Medeski

St. Louis, Oct. 2014

From the stage of the Prizker Pavillion, Chicago's Millennium Park

AWS, July 2014

In front of one of Buenos Aires's many beautiful murals

College Music Society International Conference, June 2013

Mao graffiti

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Jennifer with David Cutler

Beunos Aires

Alan Pierson and Steve Reich

Palo Alto, March 2013

Clapping Music

The stage before the U.S. premiere of Reich's "Radio Rewrite," Stanford, March 2013

Always a little terrifying to play piano on this piece -- it's a hard part!

Rehearsal for "Genesis Settings" from Reich's The Cave

I get SO MUCH crap for sticking my tongue out when playing piano!

Backstage after NY premiere of "Radio Rewrite"

Jeff Lyman, Edisto Island SC, Rushes rehearsals

We met and rehearsed Rushes for several days (joined by Michael Gordon) at Jennifer's Uncle Johnny Parker's place on Edisto. July 2012.

Michael Gordon interviewed on Johnny's porch, Edisto Island, SC, July 2012

The real Rushes

Edisto Island, SC. Photo courtesy of Saxton Rose (hence it's actually a really good picture!)

Rushes commissioner and gang-leader Dana Jessen

EMPAC, Sept. 2012

"Rushes" rehearsal, pre-EMPAC premiere, Sept. 2012

L-R Jeff Lyman, Saxton Rose, Lynn Hileman, Mike Harley, Rachael Elliott, Dana Jessen, Maya Stone.

Recording Michael Gordon's "Rushes"

EMPAC, Troy, NY, Sept. 2012. Michael is seated in the back.

"Rushes" in Vancouver

November 2014

What, a concert-length piece for seven bassoons?

The Rushes Ensemble: me, Maya Stone, Jeff Lyman, Rachael Elliott, Lynn Hileman, Dana Jessen, Saxton Rose. Den Haag, the Netherlands, Nov. 2012

Eindhoven, The Netherlands

GLOW festival, 2012 ("Rushes" tour)

With composer Ned McGowan

Amsterdam, "Rushes" tour, Nov. 2012

In good company!

Poster for the Sacrum Profanum music festival, Krakow, Poland. AWS has played a bunch at this superb festival (Septembers, 2011-14). A few pics follow.

AWS in performance, Sacrum Profanum, Krakow

Sacrum profanum stage

Sacrum Profanum 2013

Jewish Quarter, Krakow

September 2014

With a famous composer. We look much happier than he does!

L-R Stefan Freund, me, Krzysztof Penderecki, Alan Pierson. Krakow, Poland, Sept. 2013.

Meeting of The Minds

Steve Reich and Alan Pierson in Krakow, Sept. 2013

My kind of vehicle.

Krakow, Poland

Mushrooms, anyone?

Krakow

Saarburg castle

Saarburg is lovely town in the Saar river valley, western Germany, and the home of the Saarburger Serenaden, an international chamber music festival. I was fortunate to teach there in July 2012; Jen still goes to teach most every summer, and I am incurably jealous!

Bassoon mecca

I was able to visit the mothership (and my bassoon's birthplace) in Biebrich, Germany, when teaching in Saarburg, July 2012

Fagott = Bundles of Wood

At the Heckel bassoon factory, with former student Kyler Hall

My heritage, on a shelf

Old Mennonite books. Near Saarburg, Germany.

Good advice

Salzburg, Austria

With Peter Kolkay, Saxton Rose, and students in Morelia, Mexico.

Rodrigo Sigal is doing some amazing stuff at CMMAS (Centro Mexicano para la Música y las Artes Sonoras) and was kind enough to host Dark in the Song, May 2012.

Perhaps the best part of any trip: eating!

An ideal Mexican breakfast, Morelia

In la casa de Wendy and Alejandro, our wonderful hosts in Mexico City, May 2012

L-R around the table: Rachael Elliott, Alejandro Flores, Lynn Hileman, Peter Kolkay, and Wendy Holdaway

Mexico City, May 2012

The secret is out: you now know my AWS nickname. At least one of them.

MiPHy = Mike Parker Harley. Pic from Seattle, April 26, 2012.

In rehearsal, Bremen, Sept 2010

A memorable meal

With friend and pianist Shirley Yoo, at her mom's place in Pittsburgh, 2009

THAT, my friends, is a "Basson Russe"

(I can't really play it, don't worry). Courtesy of Craig Kridel, friend, neighbor, serpentist (!), education prof, early instrument collector, and all-around Renaissance man.