“It’s refreshing to hear the bassoon edging its way towards the sonic foreground in contemporary music. Anyone with doubts about how cool the instrument can be has perhaps not yet heard bassoonist and core member of ICE Rebekah Heller perform; in her hands, the oft-underappreciated woodwind is transformed into a fierce creature that cannot be ignored onstage. Whether the music being performed is a cadenza from a Mozart piece or a new work by an ICELab participant, she will make you wonder how you never noticed the instrument before.” – NewMusicBox

“That work received its premiere on Tuesday, played with flair by Rebekah Heller. She deftly illuminated its eclectic moods and myriad timbres — which ranged from breathy, guttural noises to rhapsodic melodies in a high register, interspersed and contrasted with digital sounds.” – The New York Times

“Rebekah Heller was the dynamic soloist Saturday, playing her melancholy introduction with flair, the melody soon turning into a conversation with the four cellists and three double basses.” – The New York Times

“Felipe Lara’s “Metafagote” (2015), rearranged my understanding of an instrument rarely in the spotlight, ever the orchestra’s bridesmaid.” – The New York Times

“Weiss conducted a thrilling performance distinguished by wonderful individual playing and tight ensemble. Another 80 performers would have added depth, but no more excitement. It was intriguing to watch how involved some of the ICE players got with their parts. Violinist Jennifer Curtis and violist Kyle Armbrust were jiving and head-banging at times, and flutist Alice Teyssier’s face lit up when her colleagues tossed off a particularly satisfying riff — like Rebekah Heller’s haunting bassoon solo right at the beginning.” – Cleveland Classical

“Heller’s performance on this album affirms her as a leading voice reimagining the role of the bassoon in contemporary music. Leveraging ICE’s practice of collaborative commissions with noteworthy composers, 100 names presents five wildly different works that probe the full range of sounds a bassoon can be coaxed to produce.” – Cleveland Classical

“The set ICE bassoonist Rebekah Heller put on for her CD-release party for the solo disc 100 Names at NYC’s Spectrum was a great collection of stark but robust compositions, all of which were from the disc. The live performances were quite identical in sound, but to see Ms. Heller at work giving the most experimental bassoon concert I certainly have ever seen in my lifetime was a treat to savor for many ages.” – Chris Mcgovern, The Glass Blog

“They say that if you live long enough, you’ll hear things you never imagined possible. This is one of them. Any preconceived notions you may have had about bassoon music are blown clear out the windows by this new release, for Rebekah Heller and her bad-ass bassoon (just look at her attitude on the cover!) are here to explode them. The music is modern, challenging, and best of all, interesting. Four composers with a single directive, to write music for solo bassoon and electronics, all responded with different and very imaginative settings.” – Art Music Lounge

I Care if You Listen:
5 Questions to Rebekah Heller (Co-Artistic Director, ICE)

NewMusicBox:
Jumping Off a Musical Clip

NewMusicBox:
Never Say That’s Not Possible