Clarinet
- Major
- Bachelor of Music (BM)
Our clarinet program offers a collaborative studio environment for weekly lessons, master classes of solo, chamber, and orchestral excerpt study, and reed making with clarinet reed room access. Students will work closely with master teacher, Richard Hawkins, whose nearly 30-year career has resulted in some of the most notable performers and teachers in the field of clarinet today.
Why Study Clarinet at Oberlin?
Photo credit: Carina Wu
Master Classes
Weekly master classes for the clarinet studio involve mock orchestral auditions, fundamental enforcement, chamber music performances, solo recital performances, guest master classes and many other types of performance opportunities. We encourage students to support their colleagues with positive and constructive feedback. It is a learning environment open to making mistakes without consequence in larger public performances.
Time to Play
We place first-year students among returning students equally and fairly within the sections of all ensembles. We work with and nurture students in a collaborative studio environment to inspire personal growth and development. We offer orchestra, chamber music, jazz, and contemporary music for the clarinet, which encourages versatility and provides immense breadth of experience.
Sample Courses
- APST 800 - Chamber Music 2 credits
- APST 802 - Orchestral Repertoire for Woodwinds 2 credits
- APST 805 - Contemporary Chamber Music 2 credits
- PVST 010 - Principal Private Clarinet 6/8 credits
Clarinet Faculty
Conservatory faculty maintain active performance schedules while remaining accessible and committed to their students. Individual instruction is paramount to helping students develop their mechanical, technical, stylistic, psychological, and musical skills.
Explore Faculty within ClarinetSee Profile“Preparing students for today’s music field is ever-changing. Oberlin provides an atmosphere of growth and preparation for my undergraduate students to expand their musical knowledge. It is my aim to present traditional and modern teaching methods to prepare each individual to find their career path while promoting a healthy and happy environment to work with their peers.”
Richard Hawkins, Professor of Clarinet
Clarinet News
Life After Oberlin
Clarinet and Double Degree Program graduates are prepared to pursue professional music careers as soloists or with a range of ensembles—from major orchestras to contemporary chamber groups; many earn principal appointments. Other grads work in schools, conservatories, and in all facets of society.