Richard Stoltzman

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Richard Stoltzman

Background information
Born July 12, 1942 (1942-07-12) (age 65)
Omaha, Nebraska
Genre(s) Classical
Jazz
Instrument(s) Clarinet

Richard Stoltzman (b. July 12, 1942) is an American clarinetist. Richard Leslie Stoltzman was born in Omaha, Nebraska and spent his early years in San Francisco, California and Cincinnati, Ohio, graduating from Woodward High School in 1960. Today, Stoltzman is part of the faculty list at the New England Conservatory. Notable students include Bharat Chandra and Michael Norsworthy.

Stoltzman is perhaps the most well-known clarinetist who primarily plays classical music. He has played with over 100 orchestras, as well as many chamber groups and solo recitals, and has won many awards and made many recordings. His virtuosity, musicianship and sheer personal magnetism have made him one of today's most sought-after concert artists. As soloist with the most important orchestras, as a captivating recitalist and chamber music performer, as an innovative jazz artist and appearances on nearly fifty recordings, Stoltzman has defied categorization, dazzling critics and audiences alike throughout many musical genres.

Stoltzman also plays some jazz music on the clarinet. Some of his recordings, such as his album "New York Counterpoint," feature his jazz and modern music. In 1983, Stoltzman commissioned composer/arranger Clare Fischer to write a symphonic work using Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn themes. The result, "The Duke, Swee'pea and Me", an eleven and a half minute orchestral work, was performed with a symphony orchestra and Stoltzman on clarinet all around the world.

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[edit] Early years and education

His father worked for the Western Pacific Railroad and soon moved his family to San Francisco, California after Richard was born. Stoltzman's first exposure to music came through his father, an avid fan of big band music. Stoltzman's father played the big band music of the 1940s at home on the radio and performed in a dance band during his spare time. Stoltzman began studying the clarinet at the age of eight with a teacher at a local school, and he began playing with his father in the Stewart Memorial United Presbyterian Sunday School Orchestra and at community functions within a few years. When Stoltzman was in junior high school, he began developing the jazz techniques of improvisation and he enjoyed jamming with his father at home. Benny Goodman was his earliest musical mentor, and remained a strong influence throughout his career. Stoltzman told Allan Kozinn of the New York Times, "(When) I was seven years old ... I found these wonderful cylindrical objects in a nice leather case. I enjoyed playing with them ... and I vaguely remember dangling them from the second-story window of our house. That caused quite a stir, because they turned out to be my father's clarinets. But instead of punishing me, he decided that I had an interest in the instrument and rented an indestructible metal clarinet for me to start on."

Stoltzman earned a Bachelor's Degree from Ohio State University with a double major in music and mathematics. He then studied with Professor Keith Wilson at the Yale School of Music, where he received the Master of Music degree. He worked toward a doctoral degree at Columbia University. He has been a longtime student of master clarinet pedagogue Kalmen Opperman of New York. Together, they founded the Clarinet Summit, a semi-regular international gathering of clarinetists since the 1990s. He has also recorded with the Kalmen Opperman Clarinet Choir.

[edit] Performance experience

Stoltzman began to make his name professionally at Vermont’s Marlboro Music Festival, and was a founding member of the chamber music group TASHI in 1973. Stoltzman has appeared as a soloist with numerous major symphonies, and international jazz festivals, and with stars such as Mel Tormé, George Shearing, Judy Collins, Woody Herman, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Claude Bolling and others. In 1993, he was featured in the BBC series "Concerto!" He was the Guest artist with The Children's Orchestra Society at Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center in 2004. He also gave important recitals at Carnegie Hall and Hollywood Bowl.

His discography numbers nearly 40 releases, and several of them were with the noted ensemble TASHI, which made its debut in 1973. Stoltzman is noted for his double lip embouchure, wide vibrato, and ability to mimic the sound of a human voice on his clarinet. He combines traditional and contemporary classical and jazz material with his own unorthodox style, and the result is a constant forging of new musical territory.

In August 1993, Stoltzman was featured in "CONCERTO", a six-part television series featuring host Dudley Moore, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and the London Symphony Orchestra. CONCERTO, created by the producers of the widely-acclaimed 'ORCHESTRA' series featuring Moore and Sir Georg Solti, was aired over cable television on The Learning Channel and on England's prestigious Channel Four, and continues to be broadcast worldwide. The program featuring Stoltzman has been praised by critics and audiences alike and was the recipient of an Emmy Award in the International Performing Arts category.

He has played with some of the most outstanding musicians of our time, such as Yo-Yo Ma, Richard Goode and Emanuel Ax. Also he has constantly dedicated himself to playing new music for the clarinet. This is why some of the most important composers of the 20th Century have written works for him: Toru Takemitsu ("Waves" and a concerto for clarinet and orchestra), Steve Reich ("New York Counterpoint"), Lukas Foss and Einar Englund (clarinet concertos). Since Benny Goodman, no wind instrument player except Stoltzman has inspired so many composers to write masterpieces for his instrument.

Stoltzman is also known for his work with renowned composer William Thomas McKinley and his Classical Record Label MMC Recordings. Making numerous appearances on the label's catalog, Stoltzman has played an invaluable role in complimenting the many high quality orchestras and composers which MMC represents. Stoltzman has left his mark on the label by appearing on over twenty discs in the MMC catalog. He continues to be a key player in the MMC family of artists and is always considered a desirable soloist for recording projects.

A review from New York Times said: "His mastery of the clarinet and his impeccable musicianship are no secret by now, but one who has not heard him play for a time can easily forget how rich and fluid the instrument can sound from top to bottom of its range. If Mr. Stoltzman is not one of a kind, who might the others be?"

[edit] Awards and recognitions

Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:

Other Awards:

  • On 1 September 2005, Stoltzman was presented with the Yale School of Music's Sanford Medal. The medal has been presented to "celebrated concert artists and distinguished members of the music profession" since 1972.[1]
  • In 1986 he was the first wind player to be awarded the Avery Fisher Prize

[edit] External links

[edit] See also