 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: runner
Date: 2016-07-09 23:01
After searching on-line, I could not find any information concerning David Schifrin's teachers. Who did he study with? Who were his influences?
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2016-07-10 01:55
When David won the the Concerto Competition at Interlochen, age 17 or 18, be played the Nielson Concerto. Back then 1969 or 1970, this was was unheard of. Fred Ormand is perhaps an underrated teacher, but by far the best instructor I ever had. His list of great players in major orchestras kind of shows his talents. We can't forget Fred's playing talents as well. He played with the Chicago Sym. It doesn't get any better than that! It's a special feeling to know David and Fred, the late Bob Marcellus, and Mitchell Lurie. Mitchell was of a small stature, 5'6" tall or so, 145 pounds. A simply amazing man that decided to hang up the clarinets during WW11 and fly planes, defending the United States, when all of the other players, Gennusa, for one, Gigliotti, went into the navy as musicians! Mitchell had Guts! It was an honor making his reeds, having lots of dinners with him while working at Rico for 15 years. Also seeing David Shifrin at Rico and Fred Ormand and his students from the Academy of the West stop by! A few BBQ's, at my house with players like Richard Hawkins, it's a small world. Oh, some fun news to know about. Mitchell made 5 cents for every reed sold of his. He liked me a lot. His sales doubled while I was there to 1 1/2 million reeds sold per year! That's a lot on nickles for Mirchell to drag to the bank! lol
I don't know who David's favorite teacher may have been, but I do know this. David and I both still talk with Fred Ormand often. Fred is just that wonderful of a caring man. Not just a super teacher, but a friend for life. I've been in touch with Fred now since 1972. David has been in touch with Fred since the 1960's! I pretty much learned how to adjust and make great reeds from scratch from Fred, plus the Gennusa sound I kind of have, and this is why Rico hired me and put be in charge of so many projects such as Mitchell's reeds, The first generation of the Grand Concert reeds and some of the Hemke reeds, the soprano and alto sax reeds. Oh, when I auditioned at Rico for the job, Mitchell was there, because I was to be his only Quality Control person. I had to talk with Mitchell every month at least. Sometimes everyday if there were cane problems. Mitchell only wanted French Var cane. Sometimes Rico would force me to use cane from other countries. I'd send Mitchell some samples and he was always respectful to me. I wouldn't say a thing to Mitchell, just let him play the reeds, because he would know when the cane sucked. I never lied to him. Never lied to Rico, but I was often stuck in the middle playing political games with the owners that didn't play music. But when Rico made me use sticky cane I send it off to Mitchell and he would talk to the owners right away and put a stop to it! Mitchell didn't miss a thing and this is for surely why David Shifrin took advantage of studying with Mitchell. Mitchell was such a fine player and also a fine teacher and I learned a lot of tricks from him.
It was pretty incredible to see Lenny Gullotta make an extended lower A clarinet joint for David. Lenny was a master with horns, spending 30 years at Selmer before coming to Rico. Hearing David play on Lenny's horn was so interesting while Lenny would add keys, new holes, adjust the tuning, it was really amazing work. Then talking with David about how Mozart actually wrote this Mozart Concerto was so interesting and hearing David play it "Live," at Rico as the horn was being built. Holy cow, then about a year later there was David's FANTASTIC CD! Played so perfectly!
I'll finish with this, I got carried away a bit, but his personal history is more cool than who he studied with! Lets face it David Shifrin simply has incredible talent. Regardless of who he studied with I think he would still be one of the finest players in the world. It's still cool that his teachers were able to push him hard in the right direction and into stardom. Anyone that can replace Marcellus in the Cleveland Orchestra at the age of 22 or so is one gifted genius!
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: maxopf
Date: 2016-07-10 08:48
David Shifrin recently played the Mozart concerto with my youth orchestra. It was great to meet him and hear him perform and rehearse (I was the "stunt double" for rehearsals before he showed up.) I believe he has since switched to a basset clarinet made by Steven Fox. He mentioned that he specifically had it made with no thumb keys; he had a very interesting pinky key arrangement instead. (I think his original instrument was built the same way.) He was one of my current private teacher's main teachers, so it was amazing to hear him play in person!
Post Edited (2016-07-10 10:17)
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Author: runner
Date: 2016-07-10 18:14
First, thanks for all the replies.
The impetus for my original question stemmed from a concert I attended Wednesday night. A performance of a Mozart Serenade (Kent/Blossom)inspired me to talk with the young clarinetist at intermission and at the post-concert reception.
I complimented the musician and told him his playing reminded me of Robert Marcellus. Wasn't sure that he was familiar (actually he was) with Marcellus. Then he answered my question about his teacher: David Shifrin at Yale!
Also, the young man told me he played the Neilsen , winning a concerto contest while he was an undergrad at Oberlin.
He told me he had recently auditioned for a minor west coast orchestra and didn't do well but felt positive about the process.
I did tell him he WILL land a principal clarinet position with a major orchestra.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2016-07-10 19:16
runner wrote:
> I did tell him he WILL land a principal clarinet position with
> a major orchestra.
Oh, if it were only that predictable!
Karl
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2016-07-10 22:11
Heard him at a music festival around '70 or '71. He was there as a student, but there was substantial buzz and everyone knew then he was headed for great places. He talked about Marcellus and Morré reeds, and had the Marcellus sound. He was there at the same time as Ethan Sloane, who was conspicuously a Wright student.
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