Faculty

Clarinetist and conductor Charles Neidich has  gained worldwide  recognition as one of the most mesmerizing virtuosos  on his instrument. With a  tone of hypnotic beauty and a dazzling  technique, Mr. Neidich has received  unanimous accolades from critics  and fellow musicians both in the United States  and abroad; but it is  his musical intelligence in scores as diverse as Mozart  and Elliott  Carter that have earned for Mr. Neidich a unique place among   clarinetists. In the words of The New Yorker, “He’s an artist  of  uncommon merit -- a master of his instrument and, beyond that, an  interpreter  who keeps listeners hanging on each phrase.”      

In 1985 Mr. Neidich became the first clarinetist to win the Walter W. Naumburg Competition, which brought him to prominence as a soloist. He then taught at the Eastman School of Music and during that tenure joined the New York Woodwind Quintet, an ensemble with which he still performs. His European honors include a top prize at the 1982 Munich International Competition sponsored by the German television network ARD, and the Geneva and Paris International Competitions. Mr. Neidich has achieved recognition as a teacher in addition to his activities as a performer, and currently is a member of the artist faculties of The Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, the Mannes College of Music and Queens College. During the 1994-95 academic year he was a Visiting Professor at the Sibelius Academy in Finland where he taught, performed and conducted. Mr. Neidich is a long-time member of the renowned chamber ensemble Orpheus.