"They were all involving, well-crafted works, played with great confidence by Advocat and Sharrock." — The Boston Globe

"Ever so soft throbs from a marimba synced with gentle soundings from a tantalizing bass clarinet. Every so often, an angular fragment of melody would surface. Halfway through this enchanting duet piece, more pointed, synced syncopations 'excited' though always in a much toned down way. ... Amy Advocat, bass clarinet, and Matt Sharrock, marimba were nothing short of fabulous continually leaning on the threshold of discernibility." — The Boston Musical Intelligencer

True to their name, Transient Canvas — the Boston-based duo of bass clarinetist Amy Advocat and marimba specialist Matt Sharrock — capture the spirit of today’s visual art scene in their performances, curating pieces and assembling them into diverse yet coherent collections. — Cleveland Classical

"In the informal atmosphere, seriousness of the music never wanted. Two friends set up their instruments in a room full of more friends, gathering around to listen to boundless sounds." — The Boston Musical Intelligencer

 

"Sharrock and Advocat played with intimacy and keen attention to one another, even as the music itself kept them in separate worlds, alienated but not alienating." — The Boston Musical Intelligencer

Advocat and Sharrock made for disarming presenters, sharing sophisticated thoughts even as they reset and readjusted between pieces. They acknowledged and took full advantage of the venue’s inherent intimacy on Tuesday, speaking with casual intelligence. Transient Canvas also excelled at musical communication.  — Cleveland Classical

"Featuring bowed marimba, brushed percussion, and clicks and blows of the clarinet, Lubkowski’s piece offered debilitating, staggering contrasts, though a fair match for the likes of powerhouse Advocat and steady-handed Sharrock. The duo does not shy away from extended techniques and experimental sounds; instead, they invite new sounds, fearless and unapologetic."  — The Boston Musical Intelligencer

"Steam Man of the Prairies brought together Sharrock and Advocat, although an unfortunate turn of the weather caused Advocat to stay in the bar, else her clarinet production would not have survived the wind. That did not much stop the ever communicative and poignant duo from performing beautifully, although the usual thrill of seeing the two in proximity went missing."  — The Boston Musical Intelligencer

"Your session on "Learning to Learn" could not have been any more on the mark... My only regret was that we only had one hour to give you." — John Lawless, Director of Percussion Studies, Kennesaw State University

"Before we met, and without any direct coaching from me, Transient Canvas created definitive interpretations of my music. In “Small World,” clarinetist Amy Advocat mastered the stop-and-go alternation of drunken bent notes and virtuosic display, all the while intuiting the zany sensibility I sought. I first heard Matt Sharrock play in my percussion quartet, where he effortlessly grasped the subtleties of attack and inflection I imagined. Both musicians went far beyond accuracy to create distinctive realizations of my ideas. At Transient Canvas’s recent duo recital, I was taken with their ensemble precision, with their capacity for technical and expressive extremes, and with their adventurous spirit. They work intensively together as an ensemble, as well as with their composer colleagues. Such attentiveness and enthusiasm are as important to me as is performance expertise. These two have it all." — Barbara White, Composer, Professor, Princeton Universtiy