Klarinet Archive - Posting 000215.txt from 1998/01

From: "David S. Naden" <dnaden@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Wiener Philharmoniker
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 08:18:20 -0500

Neil--

David Shifrin is the Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln
Center (New York), and the Music Director of Chamber Music Northwest (Oregon).
He previously taught at the University of Southern California before assuming
his position with Yale. He was principal clarinet in the Honolulu Symphony, but
left when he won the Cleveland audition.

He has a number of recordings on the Delos label, and they are all excellent. I
had the opportunity to hear him twice in Cincinnati when I was a member of the
661st Air Force Band at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio--a chamber music
recital, and as soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony. I can't say his sound is
small, but his playing is artistry of the first degree.

David S. Naden, Graduate Student
Cal State University Los Angeles

Neil Leupold wrote:

> On Sun, 4 Jan 1998, Roger Garrett wrote:
>
> > And the same could be said for David Shifrin....who was principal
> > clarinetist with Hawaii, the National Symphony, and Cleveland before
> > launching his solo career. He also taught at many fine institutions along
> > the way, including University of Michigan and Yale (he is still at Yale).
>
> 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? His recordings of the
> Copland concerto and Mozart quintet are wonderful. I've always ad-
> 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.
>
> 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?
>
> Neil