I have played on Backun products for many years, and I’m very pleased with my rather extensive collection of Backun barrels and mouthpieces. Morrie has worked on several of my instruments-his artistry and craftsmanship are amazing and transformative-so when it was time for me to upgrade my instruments, Backun was an easy and obvious choice.
I have played on my pair of cocobolo MoBas for several months now, and I am thrilled with their tonal qualities and the ease of playing! The MoBa clarinet combines a state-of-the-art functional design of the bore, tone holes, and keywork with a master artist’s eye for sheer beauty, to produce a clarinet of unparalleled elegance. It’s a great pleasure to play them!
Biography
Michael Anderson is Principal Clarinet of the Eugene Symphony and Santa Fe Pro Musica. He was Principal Clarinet of the Oregon Bach Festival and Oregon Ballet Theater for many years. Artistic Director of the chamber ensemble microphilharmonic, in residence at The Shedd Institute in Eugene, Oregon, Michael has performed with Chamber Music Northwest, the festival Le Domaine Forget, the Oregon Symphony, and the Smithsonian Chamber Players.
Michael Anderson premiered Tomas Svoboda’s Clarinet Concerto in April 2013 with the Eugene Symphony, broadcast internationally on American Public Media’s Performance Today. He performed on the Oregon Bach Festival's Grammy Award-winning recording of Penderecki's Credo and the Grammy-nominated Das Lied von der Erde recorded by Santa Fe Pro Musica and the Smithsonian Chamber Players.
Anderson has served in leadership roles for the Oregon Bach Festival, Eugene Symphony Orchestra, Portland Baroque Orchestra, and Eugene Opera and is currently Director of Artistic Administration for the Oregon Bach Festival. Over his career as an administrator, he has produced hundreds of performances of symphony, oratorio, opera, ballet, pops, chamber music, and period instrument ensembles.
In 2017, Michael Anderson was the recipient of the Eugene Arts and Letters Award, which honors an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to the arts and culture of Eugene. He studied clarinet with David Shifrin (USC); John McManus, Robert Vagner, and Wayne Bennett (University of Oregon); and Catherine Palladino (Portland State University). Michael has taught at the University of Oregon, Willamette University, and Lane Community College; and currently Woodwinds at Wallowa Lake.
