Richard Stoltzman
Encyclopedia
Richard Stoltzman is an American
clarinetist. Born Richard Leslie Stoltzman in Omaha, Nebraska
, he 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. His 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 with many chamber groups and in many solo recitals. Stoltzman has received numerous awards and has produced an extensive discography. His virtuosity and musicianship have made him a highly sought-after concert artist.
In addition to classical repertoire, Stoltzman also plays jazz
. Some of his recordings, such as his album "New York Counterpoint," feature both 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 was "The Duke, Swee'pea and Me", an eleven-minute orchestral work which Stoltzman performed worldwide.
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 which has taken place since the 1990s. He has also recorded with the Kalmen Opperman Clarinet Choir
.
His ex-wife, Lucy Stoltzman, is a violinist, a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where she studied with Arnold Steinhardt of the Guarneri Quartet. They have two children, a son Peter and a daughter Meggie.
, George Shearing
, Judy Collins
, Woody Herman
, Wayne Shorter
, Chick Corea
, Claude Bolling
and others. He was a founding member of the chamber music group TASHI
in 1973. 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 has also given important recitals at Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl.
His discography includes nearly 40 releases, several of them with TASHI. Stoltzman is noted for his double lip embouchure, wide vibrato, and ability to mimic the sound of a human voice on the clarinet. He combines traditional and contemporary classical and jazz material with his own unorthodox style.
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 on The Learning Channel and on England's 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.
Stoltzman has played with many widely recognized musicians, including Yo-Yo Ma
, Richard Goode
and Emanuel Ax
. He has made an effort to play new music for the clarinet, and has had several works composed for him. Composers include: Toru Takemitsu
("Waves" and a concerto for clarinet and orchestra), Steve Reich
("New York Counterpoint"), Lukas Foss
, Roberto Carnevale
, and Einar Englund (clarinet concertos).
Stoltzman is known for his longtime collaboration with composer William Thomas McKinley
, and his work has been featured frequently in recent years on Navona Records
and MMC Recordings, labels owned by PARMA Recordings and producer Bob Lord
.
A review in the 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?"
:
Other Awards:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
clarinetist. Born Richard Leslie Stoltzman in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, he spent his early years in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
and Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, graduating from Woodward High School
Woodward High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Woodward High School is a public high school located in the Bond Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. It is part of the Cincinnati Public School District.-Old Woodward Building :Woodward was one of the first public schools in the country...
in 1960. Today, Stoltzman is part of the faculty list at the New England Conservatory. His 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 with many chamber groups and in many solo recitals. Stoltzman has received numerous awards and has produced an extensive discography. His virtuosity and musicianship have made him a highly sought-after concert artist.
In addition to classical repertoire, Stoltzman also plays jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. Some of his recordings, such as his album "New York Counterpoint," feature both jazz and modern music. In 1983, Stoltzman commissioned composer/arranger Clare Fischer
Clare Fischer
Clare Fischer is an American composer, arranger, pianist and organist. His parents were of German, French, Irish-Scot, and English backgrounds.-Early years:...
to write a symphonic work using Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn themes. The result was "The Duke, Swee'pea and Me", an eleven-minute orchestral work which Stoltzman performed worldwide.
Early years and education
Stoltzman's father worked for the Western Pacific Railroad and moved his family to San Francisco, California soon 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 enjoyed jamming with his father at home. Benny GoodmanBenny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
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
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
with a double major in music and mathematics. He then studied with Professor Keith Wilson
Keith Wilson (musician)
Keith L. Wilson is an American classical musician. He is a clarinetist, teacher, and conductor.-Teaching and conducting career:Wilson was appointed to the faculty of the Yale School of Music, New Haven, Connecticut, in 1946....
at the Yale School of Music
Yale School of Music
The Yale School of Music is one of the twelve professional schools at Yale University and one of the premier music conservatories in the world....
, where he received the Master of Music degree. He worked toward a doctoral degree at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He has been a longtime student of master clarinet pedagogue Kalmen Opperman
Kalmen Opperman
Kalmen Opperman was an American clarinetist. He was a noted performer, teacher, conductor, mouthpiece and barrel maker , composer, and writer of numerous clarinet studies....
of New York. Together, they founded the Clarinet Summit, a semi-regular international gathering of clarinetists which has taken place since the 1990s. He has also recorded with the Kalmen Opperman Clarinet Choir
Clarinet choir
A clarinet choir is an instrumental ensemble consisting entirely of instruments from the clarinet family. Typically it will include E♭, B♭, alto, bass, and contra-alto or contrabass clarinets, although some pieces are scored for a smaller set of instruments....
.
His ex-wife, Lucy Stoltzman, is a violinist, a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where she studied with Arnold Steinhardt of the Guarneri Quartet. They have two children, a son Peter and a daughter Meggie.
Performance & Recording
Stoltzman has appeared as a soloist with numerous major symphonies, at international jazz festivals, and with stars such as Mel TorméMel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
, George Shearing
George Shearing
Sir George Shearing, OBE was an Anglo-American jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for MGM Records and Capitol Records. The composer of over 300 titles, he had multiple albums on the Billboard charts during the 1950s, 1960s, 1980s and 1990s...
, Judy Collins
Judy Collins
Judith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...
, Woody Herman
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman , known as Woody Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the 1930s and '40s bandleaders...
, Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter is an American jazz saxophonist and composer.He is generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer, and many of his compositions have become standards...
, Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
, Claude Bolling
Claude Bolling
Claude Bolling , is a renowned French jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and occasional actor.He was born in Cannes, studied at the Nice Conservatory, then in Paris. A child prodigy, by age 14 he was playing jazz piano professionally, with Lionel Hampton, Roy Eldridge, and Kenny Clarke...
and others. He was a founding member of the chamber music group TASHI
Tashi
-Monasteries:*Tashilhünpo in Shigatse;*Labrang Tashikhyil in Amdo;*Tashichoedzong in Bhutan;-Persons:*The "Tashi Lama" is a title used in older English sources to refer to the Panchen Lama;*Tashi Namgyal, king of Sikkim, 1914-1963;...
in 1973. In 1993, he was featured in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series "Concerto!" He was the Guest artist with The Children's Orchestra Society
Children's Orchestra Society
The Children's Orchestra Society is a non-profit organization in New York City founded by Dr. Hiao Tsiun Ma for musically talented children and teens.-Purpose:...
at Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center in 2004. He has also given important recitals at Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl.
His discography includes nearly 40 releases, several of them with TASHI. Stoltzman is noted for his double lip embouchure, wide vibrato, and ability to mimic the sound of a human voice on the clarinet. He combines traditional and contemporary classical and jazz material with his own unorthodox style.
In August 1993, Stoltzman was featured in "Concerto!", a six-part television series featuring host Dudley Moore
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in the ground-breaking comedy revue Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s, and then became famous as half of the highly popular television...
, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas is an American conductor, pianist and composer. He is currently music director of the San Francisco Symphony, and artistic director of the New World Symphony Orchestra.-Early years:...
and the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
. "Concerto!", created by the producers of the widely-acclaimed "Orchestra" series featuring Moore and Sir Georg Solti
Georg Solti
Sir Georg Solti, KBE, was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor. He was a major classical recording artist, holding the record for having received the most Grammy Awards, having personally won 31 as a conductor, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his...
, was aired on The Learning Channel and on England's 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
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in the International Performing Arts category.
Stoltzman has played with many widely recognized musicians, including Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
, Richard Goode
Richard Goode
Richard Goode is an American classical pianist, especially known for his interpretations of Ludwig van Beethoven and chamber music.Goode was born in East Bronx, New York...
and Emanuel Ax
Emanuel Ax
Emanuel Ax is a Grammy-winning American classical pianist. He is currently a teacher on the faculty of the Juilliard School. He is considered one of the best known concert pianists of the 21st century.-Early life:...
. He has made an effort to play new music for the clarinet, and has had several works composed for him. Composers include: Toru Takemitsu
Toru Takemitsu
was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu possessed consummate skill in the subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre...
("Waves" and a concerto for clarinet and orchestra), Steve Reich
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael "Steve" Reich is an American composer who together with La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass is a pioneering composer of minimal music...
("New York Counterpoint"), Lukas Foss
Lukas Foss
Lukas Foss was a German-born American composer, conductor, and pianist.-Music career:He was born Lukas Fuchs in Berlin, Germany in 1922. His father was the philosopher and scholar Martin Fuchs...
, Roberto Carnevale
Roberto Carnevale
Roberto Carnevale is an Italian composer, pianist and conductor.- Biography and career :Born in Catania, he started studying piano at the age of seven. He took a degree in Arts at the University of Catania and he attended the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena...
, and Einar Englund (clarinet concertos).
Stoltzman is known for his longtime collaboration with composer William Thomas McKinley
William Thomas McKinley
William Thomas McKinley is an American composer and jazz pianist. He has written more than 300 musical compositions, many of which have been recorded by such ensembles as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Seattle Symphony...
, and his work has been featured frequently in recent years on Navona Records
Navona Records
Navona Records is an American independent record label based in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire owned by PARMA Recordings. Navona's sister companies via PARMA include the Ravello, Big Round, MMC, and Capstone Records label imprints, and the label is distributed by Naxos...
and MMC Recordings, labels owned by PARMA Recordings and producer Bob Lord
Bob Lord
Bob Lord is a producer/composer/bassist and CEO of PARMA Recordings, parent company of label imprints Navona Records, Ravello, Big Round, MMC, and Capstone Records...
.
A review in the 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?"
Awards and recognitions
Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance has been awarded since 1959. The award has had several minor name changes:*From 1959 to 1960 the award was known as Best Classical Performance - Chamber Music ...
:
- Emanuel AxEmanuel AxEmanuel Ax is a Grammy-winning American classical pianist. He is currently a teacher on the faculty of the Juilliard School. He is considered one of the best known concert pianists of the 21st century.-Early life:...
, Yo-Yo MaYo-Yo MaYo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
& Richard Stoltzman for BrahmsJohannes BrahmsJohannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
/BeethovenLudwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
/MozartWolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
: Clarinet Trios (1996Grammy Awards of 1996The 38th Grammy Awards were held on February 28, 1996. The awards recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Alanis Morissette was the night's big winner, scoring four trophies, including Album of the Year.-Award winners:...
) - Richard GoodeRichard GoodeRichard Goode is an American classical pianist, especially known for his interpretations of Ludwig van Beethoven and chamber music.Goode was born in East Bronx, New York...
& Richard Stoltzman for BrahmsJohannes BrahmsJohannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
: The Sonatas for Clarinet & Piano, Op. 120 (1983Grammy Awards of 1983The 25th Grammy Awards were held February 23, 1983. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Awards:*Record of the Year**Toto for "Rosanna"*Album of the Year**Toto for Toto IV...
)
Other Awards:
- On 1 September 2005, Stoltzman was presented with the Yale School of MusicYale School of MusicThe Yale School of Music is one of the twelve professional schools at Yale University and one of the premier music conservatories in the world....
's Sanford Medal. - In 1986 he was the first wind player to be awarded the Avery Fisher PrizeAvery Fisher PrizeThe Avery Fisher Prize is an award given to American musicians for outstanding achievement in classical music. Founded by philanthropist Avery Fisher in 1974, it is regarded as one of the most significant awards for American instrumentalists. The award is decided by members of the Avery Fisher...
External links
- Hear Richard Stoltzman in concert from WGBH Boston
- Richard Stoltzman interview by Bruce Duffie, 1994