Pierre Genisson and Andre Moisan at ClarinetFest 2016

Hello, I’m Pierre Genisson, I’m a French clarinet player and I live between America and Europe. I studied in the Paris Conservatory and then I decided to move to come to America to live my American dream.

I’m Andrew Moisan, I’m from Montreal, Canada. I play with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra; I play bass clarinet and saxophone. I also play a lot of solo as a clarinet player and I also teach at Universitie de Montreal as professor of clarinet. I was raised in Montreal, studied with my father, for 46 years bass clarinet and saxophone player in Montreal. So, he was my first teacher. I also studied saxophone with my father—that was a great help. I understood the flexibility it gave me on different instruments which I think is very important.

Genisson: I’ve played Vandoren since I’ve began playing clarinet. I started playing with 5RV and then I switched for B40 and then when I was in Paris Conservatory, the M13 Lyre released. Since then, I always play that. I couldn’t change now—I love this mouthpiece. And with that I play mostly reeds V12 and V21 #3.5 or sometimes #3.

Moisan: I also always play on all the instruments—all the saxophones—and I had no choice. My father was playing Vandoren products, so I was raised with that. You don’t ask questions, you just take whatever is there; it works so fine and so well. Vandoren did many great products: mouthpieces, reeds, ligatures. And so I evolved. I remember I started on B45 and I played on a B45 for a long time, even at the orchestra. And now I play on an M30 which I like very much. I switch regularly with my BD5 but mainly I stick with my M30. I play the V12 reeds, #3.5/3.5+ and V21 exactly the same. Same on the bass clarinet—the new V21 I love. I love them with my brand new BD5. I switch also with my B50 and it’s just great result.

It’s a very stable product and great quality which I think is very important for me, and the orchestra especially. Very often, I have to switch back and forth. When I come back in Montreal after the ICA, I have to play in the same concert: alto saxophone and then I switch to play the soprano and tenor, I play both solos in the Bolero, before that I play the bass clarinet. So I need stability and I really need to close my eyes and say ‘this is going to work’ and this is extremely important for me—a product that will last a long time. Thank you Vandoren.

Genisson: So after the relieve of my first recording and the idea came to me, it was to record the quintet of Mozart and Weber with a close friend of mine. After that, I have another project like playing the Mozart Quintet on the early basset clarinet—the Stadler copy. And also I premiered the concert of Eric Domby next season.

Moisan: So when I come back to Montreal, I have to create a brand new Klezmer concerto. I have three CDs to record this year: One jazz, another a little Klezmer with another formation, and another with organ, plus all the concert with the symphony.