News & Reviews

Internationally Acclaimed Clarinetist Performs for Katrina Victims

CHARLOTTE, NC, September 12, 2005 - "I'm not a superstar celebrity with a million dollars to give... in fact I don't have many dollars to give, period. But I do have my music.... And that's the least I could do to give them hope," says internationally acclaimed Clarinetist Bryan A. Crumpler, who performed a soulfully sensitive rendition of "Amazing Grace" backed by fully pre-recorded orchestral accompaniment for Katrina evacuees housed at the Charlotte Coliseum last Sunday, Sept. 11th.

26-year old Crumpler, a NC native and resident of Charlotte, has been a top prize winner in nearly a dozen regional, national, and international young artist competitions giving performances throughout the US and Europe. He recently returned home for a few weeks from a year-long artist residency in Ghent, Belgium in order to organize and oversee his first CD release "Monochrome," an innovative one-man feat of virtuosity due to release any day now. He learned of the Katrina tragedy just like most everyone... on the news.

"I kept seeing so many people giving and helping and cleaning and blaming and whatever. And I just sat there wondering what I could do to help. Hope is something a lot of these people need, and I think I did that through my music. As a classical artist, I may not be the world's greatest celebrity in the public eye. I'm certainly no Oprah or Lisa Marie. But when I got the call to perform for the victims here in Charlotte... I didn't hesitate," Bryan tells.

Crumpler's performance was given in connection with a worship service provided by members and friends of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church to Katrina victims sheltered in the coliseum just before a visit by Mayor Pat McCrory and the evacuee departure to the Panthers/Saints football game.

Press photos and additional information about Bryan A. Crumpler is available at: http://www.whosthatguy.com

Short, low-res, 14-second video clip from a flip phone of the performance: http://www.whosthatguy.com/amazinggrace.3g2 (Quicktime 6.5 required)

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