Charles Neidich

Described as the greatest clarinetist of our time (Record Geijutsu, Japan) and an an artist of uncommon merit (The New Yorker, USA), CHARLES NEIDICH is renowned for his unique combination of technical perfection, profound musicality, and innovative approach to repertoire. He's an artist of uncommon merit - a master of his instrument and, beyond that, an interpreter who keeps listeners hanging on each phrase (The New Yorker). An ardent exponent of new music and a composer himself, he has expanded the technical and expressive possibilities of the clarinet and has championed the works of composers from Mozart to Copland. In past seasons Mr. Neidich has appeared in recital and as guest soloist all over the world and has been making his mark as a conductor praised for his dynamically expressive performances of works from different ages. In wide demand as a soloist, Mr. Neidich has collaborated with some of the world's leading orchestras and ensembles, including The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. An ardent chamber musician, he has performed with the Juilliard, Guarneri, American, Mendelssohn, and Parker string quartets and the Peabody Trio. He is a member of the renowned New York Woodwind Quintet and is a member emeritus of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Neidich commands a repertoire of over 350 solo works, including pieces written, commissioned or inspired by him, as well as his own compositions and transcriptions of vocal and instrumental works. He has premiered works by Milton Babbitt, Elliott Carter, Edison Denisov, William Schuman, Ralph Shapey, Joan Tower, Ursula Mamlok, and other leading contemporary composers. With a growing discography to his credit, Mr. Neidich can be heard on the Chandos, Sony Classical, Sony Vivarte, Deutsche Grammophon, Musicmasters, Pantheon, Bridge, and Bremen Music Hall labels. A native New Yorker of Belorussian and Greek descent, Charles Neidich had his first clarinet lessons with his father and his first piano lessons with his mother. Mr. Neidich’s early musical idols were violinist Fritz Kreisler, pianist Artur Schnabel, soprano Maria Callas, and other violinists, pianists, and vocalists rather than clarinetists. However, the clarinet won out over time and he continued studies with the famed pedagogue Leon Russianoff.Although Mr. Neidich became quite active in music at an early age, he opted against attending a music conservatory in favor of academic studies at Yale University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Anthropology. While at Yale, he received the Selden Prize for musicianship and scholarship and in 1975 he became the first American to receive a Fulbright grant for study in the former Soviet Union. His European honors include top prizes at the 1982 Munich International Competition sponsored by the German television network ARD, and the Geneva and Accanthes International Competitions. In 1985 Mr. Neidich became the first clarinetist to win the Walter W. Naumburg Competition, which brought him to prominence as a soloist. Mr. Neidich has achieved great recognition as a teacher, and is currently a member of the artist faculties of the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, the Mannes College of Music and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He is also a mentor for the noted Danish ensemble, Ensemble Midvest. In 2004, Charles Neidich was awarded the William Schuman Award for performance and scholarship at the Juilliard School. Together with his wife, Ayako Oshima, he founded the Kitakaruizawa Music Seminar and in 2016, the WA Concert Series in New York. In 2018 he was awarded a lifetime membership in honor of his artistic achievements by the International Clarinet Society and a medal for lifetime achievement from the National Society of Arts and Letters.Neidich and his wife established the Artene Foundation (Art, Technology, Nature) to promote worldwide innovation and collaboration through the arts. They recently formed a training ensemble and orchestra, WA Sinfonietta. In his review of the WA Sinfonietta’s second concert Jeffrey Williams wrote for New York Concert Review: “As for Mr. Neidich, what more can one say? It was spellbinding and the audience gave him an extended and well deserved standing ovation. It is also wonderful to see how much joy Mr. Neidich has and how he shared that joy with all the musicians that performed with ebullient handshakes for all.”