Composer: DAVID LOEB (USA, b. 1939)

Information:
The Shinbue is a bamboo tube, open at one end, with a blowhole and seven fingerholes. The inside of the tube and the holes are lacquered. Sometimes the outer skin is peeled away, giving a warmer sound, although such instruments are more susceptible to cracking. A few makers also apply lacquer to the outer surface, which yields a very clear but rather cold sound. Since the traditional notation shows pitch only in relative manner, players can select an instrument of any size for solo pieces, according to the perceived character of the piece. There are many different sizes; the largest have a range comparable to the Western baroque flute, while the smallest correspond to the sopranino recorder. David Loeb uses threee different sizes on this recording.
David Loeb studied with Peter Pindar Stearns at the Mannes College of Music in New York. He currently teaches at Mannes and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
Among Mr. Loeb's many awards are prizes from the Viola da Gamba Societies of the UK, US and Japan, and from the Andres Segovia Centennial Competition in Spain. David Loeb's thesis on Japanese koto music was published by Columbia University Press.