Clarinetopia 2011 Faculty

Charles Neidich
Clarinetopia is pleased that Charles Neidich is available to fill in for Steve Williamson, who just won the principal clarinet position with the Chicago Symphony. A native New Yorker, Charles Neidich began his clarinet studies with his father, Irving Neidich, at the age of eight, and continued them with the renowned teacher Leon Russianoff and, later in Moscow, with Boris Dikov. His reputation has grown steadily since his 1974 New York recital début while still a student at Yale. A series of prizes helped launch his early career: the Silver Medal in the 1979 Geneva International Music Competition, Second Prize in the 1982 Munich International Competition and one of three Grand Prizes in the 1984 Accanthes International Competition in Paris. In 1985, he won the first major clarinet competition in the United States, the Walter W. Naumburg Competition, which catapulted him into prominence as a soloist. Mr. Neidich has been influential in restoring original versions of works and bringing them before the public. A list of the clarinet classics he has restored to their original form includes works as diverse as the Mozart Concerto, Concerti of Weber and Copland, the Soireestücke of Robert Schumann, and the Andante and Allegro of Ernest Chausson. Mr. Neidich is also an ardent exponent of new music and has premiered works by Milton Babbitt, Elliott Carter, Edison Denisov, Helmut Lachenmann, William Schuman, Ralph Shapey, Joan Tower, Katia Tchemberdji, Vasilii Lobanov and others. He has championed John Corigliano's Concerto, performing it throughout the United States notably with the Syracuse and Jacksonville Symphonies in performances. Charles Neidich has made numerous recordings on both modern and historical instruments, both as soloist and with his period-instrument wind ensemble Mozzafiato.

From 1985 to 1989 he was professor of clarinet at the Eastman School of Music, and is currently on the faculty of the Juilliard School of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College The New School for Music, and CUNY Queens College.

Caroline Hartig
An acclaimed clarinet soloist and recording artist, Caroline Hartig has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia and has appeared as soloist with orchestras and contemporary-music ensembles in major concert halls in New York City, including Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall (where she made her solo debut), Merkin Concert Hall, and the Fritz Reiner Center for Contemporary Music and Symphony Hall (Boston).

She has performed as a guest artist for the International Clarinet Association and has been heard on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition. An advocate for contemporary music, she has commissioned and performed works by leading composers including Pulitzer-Prize winners William Bolcom and Donald Martino. She can be heard on the compact disc Dancing Solo (Innova 512) featuring the solo and chamber clarinet works of composer Libby Larsen. “It is in Dancing Solo that Ms. Hartig really demonstrates her musicality and prodigious technique…simply virtuosic”(The Clarinet). Additionally Hartig is heard on the compact disc Clarinet Brilliante (Centaur 2572) honored as a “Critics’ Choice” by the American Record Guide: “Hartig dazzles with numbing, blazing fluidity and rich, luxuriant fervor…coiled virtuosity” and Clarinet Brilliante II (Centaur 2808) praised by ARG noting, “The playing is mastery itself… “ Hartig’s latest CD Chalumeau (Centaur 2965), is comprised of contemporary unaccompanied benchmark solo clarinet works including Bolcom’s “Chalumeau” commissioned and premiered by Hartig in Tokyo, Japan.

In addition to an active solo and recording career, Hartig is in demand as a master teacher and clinician and is Professor of Clarinet at Michigan State University. She is a faculty artist at the Centro Studi Carlo della Giacoma in Todi, Italy and the Vianden International Music Festival, Luxembourg. A Buffet Crampon Artist, Hartig performs on the Buffet Festival clarinet. As a Vandoren Performing Artist Caroline Hartig endorses and performs on Vandoren reeds and mouthpieces. For more information visit www.CarolineHartig.com

Michael Webster
Michael Webster is Professor of Clarinet at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music and Artistic Director of the Houston Youth Symphony. Formerly principal clarinetist with the Rochester Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony, he has appeared as soloist with many orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Boston Pops. Described by the Boston Globe as “a virtuoso of burgeoning prominence,” he has performed in all of New York City's major halls, with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the 92nd Street Y, Da Camera of Houston, Context, the Tokyo, Cleveland, Muir, Ying, Leontóvych, Enso, and Chester String Quartets, and the festivals of Marlboro, Santa Fe, Chamber Music West and Northwest, Norfolk, Victoria, Stratford, Domaine Forget, Angel Fire, Steamboat Springs, Park City, Sitka, La Musica di Asolo, Skaneateles, and Orcas Island.

Webster has given recitals and master classes all over the United States and in Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. With his wife, flutist Leone Buyse, and pianist Robert Moeling he plays in the Webster Trio. His recordings appear on the Arabesque, Albany, Bridge, Centaur, C.R.I., Crystal, and Nami (Japan) labels. As composer and arranger he has been published by G. Schirmer, International, and Schott. Highly respected as a teacher, he is a member of the editorial staff of The Clarinet magazine, contributing a regular column entitled “Teaching Clarinet.” A Buffet artist-clinician, Webster plays Buffet clarinets exclusively.

Alan R. Kay
Alan R. Kay is Personnel Coordinator and a member of Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and serves as Principal Clarinet with New York’s Riverside Symphony and the Little Orchestra Society. He also performs as principal with the American Symphony and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Mr. Kay’s honors include the C.D. Jackson Award at Tanglewood, a Presidential Scholars Teacher Recognition Award, Juilliard’s 1980 Competition, and the 1989 Young Concert Artists Award with the sextet Hexagon later featured in the prizewinning documentary film, “Debut.” Mr. Kay is a founding member of Windscape and Hexagon; he appears regularly with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. His summer festivals include the Bravo! Vail Valley and Yellow Barn Festivals, and his innovative programming at for the New York Chamber Ensemble is a feature of the Cape May Music Festival. The NY Times recently called his performance of Messiaen’s Abîme des Oiseaux “spellbinding.” Mr. Kay taught at the Summer Music Academy in Leipzig, Germany in 2004 and teaches at the Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School and Stony Brook University. He has served on the juries of the International Chamber Music Festival in Trapani, Italy, Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. A virtuoso of wind repertoire, Mr. Kay has recorded with Hexagon, Windscape, the Sylvan Winds, Orpheus and numerous other ensembles.

Leone Buyse
Leone Buyse is the Joseph and Ida Kirkland Mullen Professor of Flute at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music in Houston. Previously a principal flutist of the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops and member of the San Francisco Symphony and the Rochester Philharmonic, she has appeared as soloist with those orchestras and also with the Utah Symphony and l'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. She has performed with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players throughout Europe and Japan, with the Tokyo, Juilliard, Brentano, and Muir String Quartets, and in recital with Jessye Norman and Yo-Yo Ma. A renowned educator, she has taught at the New England Conservatory, Boston University, the University of Michigan, and the Aspen, Sarasota, and Norfolk music festivals, and has presented recitals and master classes across the United States and in Canada, Mexico, Panama, Brazil, France, the Netherlands, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Her solo recordings are available on the Crystal, Boston Records, Albany and C.R.I. labels. Former students hold positions at major universities and in many major orchestras, including the symphony orchestras of Cleveland, San Francisco, St. Louis, Houston, and Kansas City, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic, the Colorado Symphony, the New Zealand Symphony, the Adelaide Symphony, and the Singapore Symphony.

Stephen Williamson (on leave)
Stephen Williamson was appointed principal clarinetist of the Metropolitan
Opera Orchestra in December of 2003.  He has appeared with a wide variety
of orchestras throughout his extensive career, including numerous appearances
with the New York Philharmonic, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Orpheus Chamber
Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra, American Ballet Theater, New York
City Opera, Solisti NY Chamber Orchestra, Stamford Symphony, and the EOS
Orchestra. Recently Mr. Williamson was appointed principal clarinetist with the
Saito Kinen Festival Orchestra under Maestro Seiji Ozawa.  Mr. Williamson has
recorded for Sony Classics, Telarc, CRI, BMG, Naxos and Decca labels and can
be heard on numerous movie soundtracks.

Mr. Williamson was the Grand Prize Winner of the1994 Boosey & Hawkes/
Buffet Crampon First Annual North American Clarinet Competition. Other past
awards include the Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Coleman International
Chamber Music Competition, as well as the Hochschule der Kunste Kammermusik Wettbewerb. As a featured artist for the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and the European Mozart Foundation, he has been on radio and television broadcasts with such artists as Maurice Bourgue, Alexander Longuich, Radovan Vlatkovic, and principal members of the Orchestre Nationale de Paris and de L'Ensemble Intercontemporain.  As a core member of the Met Chamber Ensemble, Mr. Williamson has performed extensively with Maestro James Levine both as soloistand as chamber artist.
        
Mr. Williamson is on the clarinet faculty at Columbia University and the Mannes College of Music in New York City. He received his Bachelor's Degree
and Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, as well as a Master's Degree from The Juilliard School. As a Fulbright Scholar, he furthered his studies at the Hochschule der Kunste in Berlin, Germany where he collaborated with various members of the BerlinPhilharmonic. His past teachers include Peter Rieckhoff, CharlesNeidich, Kenneth Grant, and Michael Webster.
Mr. Williamson currently plays Selmer Paris Signature clarinets and uses Vandoren traditional reeds with a James Pyne JX/BCb mouthpiece.

Laura Flax (on leave)
Clarinetist Laura Flax has been praised by the New York Times as "one of those musicians for whom everything is not only possible, but easy." She is recognized as one of New York's most distinguished and versatile players. Ms. Flax is currently Principal clarinetist with the New York City Opera Orchestra, the American Symphony Orchestra and the Bard Festival Orchestra. Formerly, a member of the San Francisco and San Diego Symphonies, Ms. Flax has been a guest with the New York Philharmonic, St. Luke's, Orpheus, and American Composers Orchestras. Her solo appearances include performances with the Bard Festival Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra, and the Puerto Rico Symphony.

A member of the Naumburg award winning Da Capo Chamber Players for twenty years, Ms Flax was involved in over 100 premieres including works by Joan Tower, Shulamit Ran, Philip Glass and Elliott Carter. She has given master classes and recitals throughout the country at institutions and chamber music societies including Eastman School of Music, Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society, U. of Chicago, Carnegie Recital Hall, and MIT. As a chamber artist, Ms. Flax has appeared regularly with Jaime Laredo's Chamber Music at the Y series, Suzuki and Friends in Indianapolis, Da Camera of Houston, and with the Bard Music Festival.

Ms. Flax is on the faculty of the Bard Conservatory and Juilliard Pre-College. Her recording of Joan Tower’s Wings is available on the CRI label and music of Shulamit Ran on Bridge records. Ms. Flax lives in New York with her twin daughters Amalie and Fanny.

Special Guests: The Anderson Twins Sextet
Identical twin brothers Peter and Will Anderson have played clarinet and saxophone at top jazz venues such as New York's Blue Note, Birdland, Village Vanguard, Carnegie Hall, London’s 100 Club, the Montreal Jazz Festival, and in Scotland, Japan, and Costa Rica. In May 2010, Peter and Will led a two-week long tribute to Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman at Manhattan's famous off-broadway "59e59 Theaters."  The successful run received several rave reviews. The New York Times called the Andersons "virtuosos on both clarinet and saxophone."  Blogspot.com proclaimed, "You will not hear anything better musically on a New York stage this month."  For complete information, please go to their website: www.AndersonTwinsJazz.com

Collaborative Pianists: Teddy Robie, Anna Vinnitsky