Vandoren would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Looking back, Vandoren is excited about all of the new products, artists, and events that happened. We’re looking to make 2017 bigger and better than ever.

January

NAMM

The annual NAMM VandoJam was a hit! Performing to a packed room at the Hilton Hotel, Bobby Watson and Jerry Vivino opened up the performance with dozens of other artists and friends to follow.

L.A. Studio Opening

After such success with the studio in New York City, Vandoren is happy to offer the same product resources and expertise to those on the West Coast. Woodwind players can expect to find everything Vandoren makes, practice rooms to tryout gear, guidance from a product specialist, good vibes, espresso (or tea), a place to come take a break between sessions, and most importantly, the perfect setup!

February

TMEA

TMEA marked one of the most successful shows for Vandoren. Texas loves Vandoren and we’re excited to get back and see all of our favorite band directors and players.

March

VEA Competition winners are announced and play at the Music for All convention in Indianapolis, IN. From left to right: Yoonah Kim, Shai Golan, and Aiwen Zhang.

July

New Jazz Alto Mouthpiece: V16 S+

After extensive research and development involving top jazz artists in New York City and Paris, Vandoren is proud to release the next evolution of the V16 mouthpiece – the S+ chamber for alto saxophone. The newly designed S+ chamber optimizes airflow which allows players to use more air than typical small chamber mouthpieces, creating a sound with more body, depth, and flexibility while maintaining the free-blowing nature of the V16 family. The S+ chamber takes the place of the current alto S series mouthpiece and is available in all V16 alto facings, A5 through A9.

"Just when you thought Vandoren could not improve on perfection, comes the S+ series. I've been using the V16 Small Chamber for many years and was quite happy. Vandoren tells me about the brand new V16 S+ Chamber. With great hesitation, I try the mouthpiece. To my delight it is everything I wanted and possibly more in a mouthpiece. It's sound is much richer and fuller than my original A8S. It is easy to blow yet it produces a big gorgeous tone. The low register speaks very clearly and boldly. The upper register rings and sings like a 'Bird'. Pun intended!!

Simply put, I love this Vandoren V16 8S+ alto mouthpiece." - Mark Gross

A Powerful Combination: V21 Bass Clarinet Reeds and BD5 Bass Clarinet Mouthpiece

Building on the success of the BD5 for Bb Clarinet, the Black Diamond Ebonite range now includes the Bass Clarinet. The BD5 is the first mouthpiece that allows one to play Bass Clarinet with an embouchure similar to that of Bb Clarinet. It is very responsive and provides a very round, warm, and full bodied sound while requiring less air.

The Bass clarinet V21 reed combines a conical shape with a V12 profile. This unique combination makes all registers of the bass clarinet more accessible with warmth and a depth of sound. It will allow you to play with amazing presence and immediate response. V21 is the perfect reed for performances that require the ability to handle large interval leaps efficiently with an even and rich tone.

August

International Clarinet Association

Clarinetists and Bass Clarinetists can't get enough of the BD5 for clarinet AND bass clarinet.

Successful Vandoren Regional Artist (VRA) Summit

More than 20 Vandoren Regional Artists (VRAs) came together this August at the 2016 VRA Summit in Chicago, IL. The mission of the VRA program is simple: Educate and excite students to become the best musicians they can be. To that end, this year’s summit offered VRAs from around the country the chance to connect with one another in person. After a year of over hundreds of free clinics at schools around the country, Vandoren is continually impressed by the collective will and desire of the VRAs to continue to improve.

September

JUNO Reeds

Juno reeds continue to be the choice by band directors to start new students.

Chicago Studio Opens

The Chicago Studio is the latest Vandoren studio to be added to the US. Meeting the needs of musicians in the Midwest, the Chicago studio will supply you with all of your mouthpiece, ligature, and reed needs.

December

The Midwest Clinic was a major success. With performances from the h2 Quartet, Felix Peikli, Chris Madsen, Mark Colby, and The Lake Effect Clarinet Quartet, Vandoren was excited to bring 2016 to a fantastic end. We even had a visit from clarinetist, Anthony McGill!

The Family Keeps On Growing

Vandoren is pleased to announce a few new faces to the incredible roster we have. Michael Norsworthy, Inn-Hyuck Cho, Andrew Lowy, Teodross Avery, and Mike Lee are all very excited to be a part of the Vandoren family.