Satchmo in New Orleans (2025)
Commissioned by Quintet of the Americas made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
SUNNY KNABLE (b. 1983) is an award-winning composer, a multi-instrumental performer, an educator, and an author of multiple essays and books. Some of his awards include three Best Composition Awards from the Festival of New American Music and the ANALOG ARTS Iron Composers Award, for which he wrote a four-minute piece in five hours. Knable’s music has been described as “genius” (Anchorage Press), “great!” (TheWholeNote), “well-crafted” (New York Concert Review), “entertaining” (Audiophile Audition), “witty, romantic and lilting” (TheaterScene.net), offering up “sparks of color and inventiveness” (Sacramento Bee), and possessing a “wealth of thematic invention” (feastofmusic.com). His prolific output is widely performed, including works for solos, chamber music, orchestra, and opera. Dr. Knable is an Assistant Professor of Music at Central Connecticut State University and Music Director of The Church-in-the-Gardens. He was an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Queens College and LaGuardia Community College for eight years. He holds a PhD in Music Composition from Stony Brook University, a Master of Arts in Composition from Queens College (CUNY), and a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition, Piano Performance and Jazz Studies from CSU Sacramento. His discography includes his debut album “American Variations” on Centaur Records; his second composition album with bassoonist Scott Pool and pianist Natsuki Fukasawa, “Song of the Redwood Tree” on MSR Classics; and his third composition album “Keys” featuring Faythe Vollrath and Matthew Lau on Trouvère Records. His bassoon works, Song of the Redwood-Tree, The Busking Bassoonist, and Reflection of a Life, are published by TrevCo Music. Trouvère Music Publishing publishes all other works. He is the editor of the book “Looking Within: The Music of John Palmer,” and the author of “The Quarantine Chronicle of a Composer” on Vision Edition, UK. He resides in Forest Hills, NY, with his wife, son, and cat.