Why I Chose Backun
"A decade ago, I remember thinking that Morrie made some of the most beautiful clarinets on the planet. Now, I have the privilege of knowing that they are also among the finest playing clarinets available. In fact, when I was unable to receive my B♭ Lumière until several months after purchasing my A clarinet, I decided to perform all of my solo engagements exclusively on the A rather than return to my last instrument. I didn’t want to ever look back. My Lumières provide all the flexibility of tone color and technique I could want while maintaining remarkable consistency and homogeneity throughout the instrument. Their clarity of articulation is exceptional, and register tunings that once required constant adjustment are a thing of the past. They have given me a level of confidence and musical freedom that allows me to focus entirely on making music."
About
Dr. Connor Croasmun is Assistant Professor of Clarinet at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where he teaches applied clarinet, clarinet pedagogy and methods, and directs the clarinet choir. He works with both music majors and non-majors, fostering technical development, musical artistry, and a lifelong appreciation for music.
An active performer, Dr. Croasmun is the clarinetist of the award-winning Fountain Five (F5) Wind Quintet, which received First Prize in the Ensemble Division of the 2023 Music International Grand Prix. The quintet’s primary focus, however, is introducing classical music to young audiences throughout the Florida Panhandle in partnership with Sinfonia Gulf Coast. His performance career has taken him throughout the United States and internationally, with appearances in Belgium, Panama, British Columbia, and Ireland, where he participated in the premieres of Nadine B. Silverman’s That Beautiful Thing and Jason Noble’s Dona Eis Pacem. He has performed with numerous ensembles, including the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Panama City Symphony Orchestra, and Sinfonia Gulf Coast. In addition, he has appeared with the University of Georgia’s contemporary music ensemble Rote Hund Musik and the pop-contemporary ensemble Millennium Project.
Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Dr. Croasmun earned the Bachelor of Music degree in Clarinet Performance from the University of Georgia and both the Master of Music and Doctor of Music degrees from Florida State University. His doctoral research examined Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Abgang and Kaddish Quartet, exploring the work within the broader historical context of the Holocaust and the experiences of Jewish musicians during the early twentieth century.
Dr. Croasmun’s primary teachers include Deborah Bish, Jonathan Holden, and D. Ray McClellan. He has also studied with distinguished clarinetists Alain Desgagné, Robert DiLutis, Dan Gilbert, Ted Gurch, and Alcides Rodriguez.
