Klarinet Archive - Posting 000180.txt from 1998/01

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Wiener Philharmoniker
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 08:17:45 -0500

On Sun, 4 Jan 1998, Neil Leupold wrote:
> That IS interesting. I didn't know that Shifrin had played with the
> National and Cleveland orchestras. Does he now only teach and perform
> as a freelancer? How long was he in each of those orchestras, and why
> did he leave? He wasn't dismissed, was he?

David Shifrin succeeded Marcellus as Principal Clarinetist at the age of
23 (1972 I believe). When he was 19 he was in the finals for the Boston
Symphony job which Harold Wright won (Larry Combs was also in the finals
for that job I have been told). Combs won the Chicago job, Shifrin won
the Cleveland job. He left his Cleveland job for the University of
Michigan so that he could begin a solo career. He was not dismissed from
any position. He also was Principal Clarinetist in the LA Chamber
Orchestra for awhile before going to Yale.

> mired his playing. Somebody once said to me that his sound is rather
> small when heard live, as opposed to on the recordings. I'd like to
> hear him live at some point.

His sound is not small...on basset clarinet he plays the Mozart in front
of a full orchestra and has a terrific projection - wonderful, woody tone.

> The point of all these questions is that I'm thinking about returning
> to school for my Master's, and Shifrin is on my list of prospective
> teachers. Yale is also a tasty draw, needless to say, although the
> tuition is bit steep. What else can you tell us about him?

Shifrin has put quite a few students into professional orchestras as well
as university teaching positions. He has done so by insisting upon high
standards of musicianship at every lesson. He is not a patient person,
but if you do well, he will help you as well as he is able.

Roger Garrett
IWU