Ron Korb is a multi Grammy-nominated and Juno Award winning Canadian flutist (flautist) and composer.
Musical style
Korb is best known for writing culturally diverse music and his mastery of a wide array of world music wind instruments. His work spans a range of genres including Classical, Jazz, Latin, Asian, Celtic music, and Middle Eastern. Many of his songs are program music based on stories themes that form concept albums. The concepts often come from his exploration of his multi-cultural ancestry and extensive travel experience.[1]
Education
Ron Korb started on the recorder in grade school and later joined an Irish fife and drum band in his teens. While attending the Royal Conservatory of Music, he won several local music competitions. He attended York University for a year to broaden his experience of playing jazz but later earned a scholarship to study classical flute at University of Toronto where he graduated with a degree in Music Performance. His primary teacher was Douglas Stewart but he also participated in master classes with Paula Robison, Robert Aitken in Shawnigan, Raymond Guiot in Domaine Forget and Michel Debost in Assisi, Italy. After graduating with honors from University, Korb discovered Chinese flutes (Chinese: 笛子, English:Dizi, [pinyin]: dÍ zÎ). The sound of the Asian bamboo flute intrigued him so much that he moved to Japan in the early '90s to study Japanese Gagaku court music, the traditional shinobue and ryūtekibamboo flutes with Akao Michiko. Since then he has travelled around the world collecting and studying indigenous flutes. He has a collection of more than 250 flutes.
Career
Ron Korb has released more than 30 solo albums on various record labels.[2]
In 2004 Ron Korb Live was released which was filmed in Victoriaville Quebec, directed by Pierre and François Lamoureux and became the first independent artist in Canada to release a full-length DVD.[3]
Composing
Other than writing the instrumental pieces for his albums he has also written songs for major Asian singers. His song for Alan Tam (Chinese:譚詠麟) achieved Double Platinum sales. Another song recorded by the "Godfather of Cantopop" Roman Tam (Chinese:羅文) won Best Original Composition at the RTHK awards (Radio Television Hong Kong), Hong Kong's equivalent of the Grammys. In 2008 Ron was asked to put together a book of flute and piano pieces for classical flute exams for the Australian Music Examinations Board Flute for Leisure syllabus. Ron has also composed music for film dance and theatre. In 2012, Ron Korb's classical crossover album Europa (officially released in 2013, won the Global Music Awards, California, in 4 categories including: Award of Excellence-Album, Composition (St. Johann), Album Art/Graphics (Designer: Jade Yeh); Award of Merit: Acoustic Instrumental Solo Performance (St. Johann).[4] His composition, Beckett's Whisper, originally written for Irish flute, pennywhistle, violin, cello, Celtic harp, accordion, double bass and piano, was rearranged by Korb himself for the Canadian Flute Association for flute choir: Piccolo, 4 C Flutes (flute 4 requires low B foot), Alto flute, Bass flute, Contrabass flute.[5] Beckett's Whisper for flute choir was included in the 1st Canadian Flute Convention Closing Program as well as the opening concert of the 2014 National Flute Association (NFA) Convention in Chicago (played by Windy City Flute Orchestra, conducted by Kelly Via)[6]
First Prize, Best Instrumental (Two Mountains from Asia Beauty), IAMA 2016[15]
Gold Medal Winner – Best of Show, Best Instrumental Album (Asia Beauty), The Global Music Awards 2015 [16]
Best World Album(Asia Beauty), Zone Music Award 2015 [17]
First Prize, Best World/Global Fusion Album (Asia Beauty), One World Music Awards 2015[18]
Best Instrumental Performance (Blue Bamboo from Album Asia Beauty), The Global Music Awards 2015[19]
Silver Medal Winners – Outstanding Achievement, Chinese Crossover World Music (House of the Five Beauties from Album Asia Beauty) and Album Art/Graphics (Asia Beauty), The Global Music Awards 2015[20]
Finalist in the open song category (Hanoi Café from Album Asia Beauty), International Acoustic Music Awards 2015[21]
Nominee on Best World Music, Toronto Independent Music Awards 2015[22]
