DePaul’s clarinet studio is well known for its high level of clarinet education, its productive and collegial atmosphere, and its successful alumni. Our goal is to give students the tools needed for success as clarinetists and musicians, no matter the career path they choose. We strive to give our students a clear understanding of what it takes to be a professional, and we do this in an environment of constructive support. We are one studio, with three teachers, and a terrific set of enthusiastic and talented students.
Faculty
The Clarinet Studio
There are approximately 22 – 25 clarinet students at DePaul, of whom 16 – 18 are undergraduate students and 6 – 8 are masters and certificate students. All students have contact with the three faculty members through weekly studio class, and students often study with more than one faculty member during their career at DePaul. The faculty members are good colleagues with similar teaching ideas, playing styles and attitudes. This applies to DePaul’s clarinet students as well, who support each other’s growth and become a cohesive unit.
While at DePaul, clarinet students have opportunities to perform in DePaul’s orchestras, wind ensembles and chamber music groups. They may also take orchestral repertoire courses, courses in studio teaching as a career and in the business of music. Studio class topics include the study of performance, how to teach, supervised peer teaching, reed making and adjustment, repertoire, orchestral excerpts, audition preparation and much more.
Studio and playing assignments are based on the needs of the particular student, but all students receive a well rounded education to improve technical basics, such as embouchure and tongue position, tonal development, consistent intonation, articulation, breathing, technical development and how to practice, how to take a successful audition, etc. Study materials consist of much of the basic scale and etude repertoire, solo and chamber literature, and orchestral literature and excerpts. Our goal is to prepare students for the probability of success in many different careers in music.
Recent Student Performances
Junior Recital
Première Rhapsodie – Claude Debussy
Shepherd on the Rock. Op. 129 – Franz Schubert
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 167 – Camille Saint-Saëns
Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano – Aram Khachaturian
Senior Recital
Dance Preludes – Witold Lutoslawski
Concertpiece No. 2, Op. 114 – Felix Mendelssohn
Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, Op. 115 – Johannes Brahms
Graduate Recital
Sonatina – Bohuslav Martinü
Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 – Robert Schumann
Duos for Flute and Clarinet – Robert Muczynski
Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A Major, K. 581 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Alumni Accomplishments
DePaul alums have won positions in major orchestras, teach at universities, high schools and elementary schools, work in arts management or in recording studios and have successful free-lance performance careers. We are proud of the many successes of our students and alumni, who continually prove to us that they leave DePaul not only as good clarinetists, but as confident individuals and educated, thoughtful musicians.
Orchestra positions held by DePaul alumni include:
Indianapolis Symphony
Minnesota Orchestra
National Symphony Orchestra, Washington D.C.
Philadelphia Orchestra
San Antonio Orchestra
San Francisco Symphony
Syracuse Symphony
L'Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, Canada
Ottawa Symphony, Canada
Osaka Philharmonic, Japan
U.S Marine Band, The President’s Own
We love to keep up with our alums. What are you doing now? Please contact Julie DeRoche at jderoche@depaul.edu to update us on your accomplishments.
