On July 22, Glenn Korff School of Music Associate Professor of Bassoon Jeff McCray suffered a devastating injury to his right knee, a ruptured patellar tendon. Doctors say it will be 6-12 months before he is fully recovered.
“Due to restrictions of keeping my foot up when seated and the dimensions of the brace I’m in pretty much prevent me from being able to play the bassoon in a healthy way, so I’m forced to take some time off,” McCray said.
The recital on September 9 was always meant to be a collaboration between McCray and Lewis Lipnick, contrabassoonist with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC. Lewis has graciously agreed to fill in the portions of the recital that McCray was going to play.
“I will still be appearing on this program, not as a bassoonist, but as a conductor,” McCray said. “I’ll be conducting the World Premiere of Daniel Baldwin’s Concerto for Contrabassoon and Strings, with Lewis Lipnick as soloist.”