Who are your clarinet heroes?
We all have clarinetists in mind, whose concerts weāve seen or teaching weāve experienced, who inspire us to reach new heights! š Who are your clarinet heroes? Whether itās a legendary performer, a mentor who shaped your journey, or a contemporary artist whose style you admire, we want to hear about them!
Share your favorite clarinetist and what makes them special to you. Letās celebrate the legends and trailblazers who motivate us to push our boundaries and make music with passion. Comment below and letās shine a spotlight on our clarinet inspirations!
8 replies
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I of course love Anthony McGill with his incredible sweet sound, and Doreen Ketchens, and her mastery of jazz. And of course Sabine Meyer, Charles Neidich, Martin Frƶstā¦ I can go on.
One of my local clarinet heros is Tad Calcara, principal clarinetist of the Utah Symphony. Iāve been a subscriber to the Utah Symphony for quite some time and attend their performances almost every week from November to May, and hearing him play just encourages me to become a better musician myself. Maybe itās because I hear him play live all the time, his playing is incredible. He really doesnāt have any social media presence, but you can hear him if you ever get a chance to see the Utah Symphony play. They are incredible and Iām blessed to live 20 minutes away from where they play.
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My mentor was Ron DeKant.
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For me it's Sabine Meyer. I attended a performance of hers this year. The program was duets with a viola player, including pieces of Max Bruch, Bartok and Schumann. She plays with such an extraordinary elegance and precision and so much expression, that totally blew me away. I was sitting in the second row and could see every movement of her fingers :-)
And secondly, Kinan Azmeh inspires me too. Totally different style. His clarinet playing also touches me very much
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My first teacher was Patricia Kostek, she was an incredible inspiration for me when I was a teenager. She has a fantastic sound and was incredible for explaining foundational techniques. I definitely owe my sound to her fantastic teaching!
Later on I loved Sabine Meyer a lot, and then when I started to become interested in contemporary music I was listening to a lot of Harry Spaarnay, Alan Hacker, Ernesto Molinari and Roger Heatonās recordings. All amazing clarinetists! -
Most of my inspiration comes from clarinetists I listen to on Youtube. What hits my heart more than incredible āfastā technique is those who can play musically throughout the full range of dynamics ā especially pianissimo.
Clarinetist IstvƔn KohƔn continues to inspire me with his expressive tone throughout the range of dynamics, his awesome technique, AND his circular breathing. Debussy: Premiere Rhapsodie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyRvrIPRp6A
BƩla KovƔcs is another of my favorites: Hommage Ɣ J. S. Bach https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mVcWWQwLsU
Hans Kim is totally awesome: Intro of G. Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7njUDbEqg1c -
My reference clarinetist was Karl Leister, first clarinet in the Berliner Philharmoniker during Karajan's time. He was a legend for the clarinetistS of my generation. A point of reference especially in the clarinet and German romantic repertoire. He encouraged me to explore the clarinet with Oheler system that I played for a long time.