Dave Hanson and Claude Sim have been creating and collaborating together for many years in the worlds of small-group Jazz, Chamber Music, Symphony Orchestra, and now for the first time, Duo performance. Dave arranged and played on Claude’s solo CD “Time With You” which featured Claude improvising with a string quartet and rhythm section. Claude was the Concertmaster on Alan Hood’s “Just a Little Taste” chamber orchestra recording with arrangements and compositions by Dave. Claude’s personal sound is key to the expressive string orchestra playing on that recording. A high point of the collaboration was the 2008 premiere performance of Dave’s “Jazz Violin Concerto” written especially with Claude’s unique artistry in mind: his ability to cross over from the “classical” tradition to improvising in Jazz, Tango, Folk, Pop, and Ethnic styles. The concerto was recently (March 2023) performed by Claude with the Littleton Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Catherine Sailer.
In this Duo concert you’ll hear Claude and Dave moving from the swing of Stephane Grappelli and Johnny Frigo to Charlie Parker, Tango, and beyond, with a repertoire of Jazz standards, contemporary music, and new music composed and arranged by Dave for this occasion.
Dave Hanson is an arranger, composer, and pianist who has written for a diverse range of artists and ensembles, including the Boston Pops (the Paul Winter “Evening at Pops” PBS National Broadcast), Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, Denver Brass, Boulder Brass, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, USAF Falconaires, Al Hood, and Claude Sim. The “Jazz Violin Concerto” Dave composed for Claude Sim was recently performed by the Littleton, Colorado Symphony Orchestra.
He is the co-leader, with Al Hood, of the H2 Big Band. The H2 Big Band has been featured in supportive and collaborative roles with Darius Rucker (“Hootie” of Hootie and the Blowfish fame), Veronica Swift, Rene Marie, Take 6, Jon Faddis, Kevin Mahogany, Curtis Stigers, Clint Holmes, and Allan Harris.
In Spring 2022 Dave retired from 36 years of teaching Jazz Arranging and Composition at the Lamont School of Music University of Denver, and in the Fall of 2023 was an Adjunct faculty member at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Thompson Jazz Studies Program, teaching Jazz Arranging. His music is published by Excelsia Music (formerly Kendor), Denver Brass Publications, and Boulder Brass Publications.
Claude Sim enjoys a varied career as a chamber musician, orchestral leader, soloist, and multi-genre performing artist. He studied violin performance at the Oberlin Conservatory (BM '99) with Greg Fulkerson, Almita Vamos, and viola with Roland Vamos. At age 21, he was appointed Associate Concertmaster of the Colorado Symphony under music director Marin Alsop. As frequent soloist with the orchestra, he has earned praise for his 'lustrous tone and poise' by the Rocky Mountain News and dubbed ‘Denver’s Musical Adventurer’ by the Denver Post. Formerly Associate Principal Second of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Sim has served in guest capacities as Concertmaster of the Kansas City Symphony, Principal Second of the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Ottawa, and first violin with the Philadelphia Orchestra.