Klarinet Archive - Posting 000189.txt from 1998/01

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.edu>
Subj: Shifrin
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 08:17:54 -0500

On Sun, 4 Jan 1998, Roger Garrett wrote:

> 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.

<snip>

> 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.

Very cool. Many thanks for all of this fascinating information.
This is the kind of stuff that gets me so excited about clarinet
and classical music. There is an element of glory and honor in
the pursuit of excellence of Shifrin and his professional colleagues.
I'll bet many other members of Klarinet didn't know that Shifrin
succeeded Marcellus in Cleveland. My respect for him is as great
as ever...and now ever greater.

Neil