Program Overview

Clarinet

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 work closely with master teacher Richard Hawkins, who since 1990 has developed some of the most notable performers and teachers in the field of clarinet today.

clarinet professor instructs student in his studio
Richard Hawkins guides Dustin Lin, a third-year clarinet performance major from Nashville, Tennessee, during a private lesson.
Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97

Program Facts

  • Program Type: Major, Performance Diploma, Artist Diploma
    • Bachelor of Music (BM)
    • Performance Diploma (PDip)
    • Artist Diploma (ADip)
  • Division: Winds, Brass, and Percussion

Division Director

Michael Rosen,
Professor of Percussion

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Clarinetist Anthony McGill playing as student observes
Anthony McGill, principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic and a former student of Richard Hawkins, leads a master class in Oberlin.
Photo credit: Carina Wu

Master Classes

Weekly studio classes and regular master classes for clarinet students involve mock orchestral auditions, reinforcement of fundamentals, 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. Oberlin cultivates a learning environment in which students are open to making mistakes without consequence in larger public performances.

Master Classes at Oberlin

Opportunities for Clarinet

Ensemble experience is an essential component of Oberlin’s professional training; starting in the first semester, each student is assigned to and rotated through the major ensembles, one person per part. Clarinet students may pursue solo performances through the annual Concerto Competition and can play in at least six of the more than two dozen performance ensembles on campus.

Private Study

Individualized instruction is a hallmark of the conservatory. Students learn the art of balancing technical skills with natural musical growth and experience. The chief goal through private study is to help students progress in all phases of performing: technique, style, musicianship, interpretation, and repertoire. Clarinet students have access to and instruction on auxiliary instruments including E-flat, bass, and basset clarinets. This exposure ensures that Oberlin woodwind students are prepared for the greatest possible variety of professional opportunities.

Sample Courses

  • WELL 110 - Introduction to Body Mapping (2 credits)
  • APST 802 - Orchestral Repertoire for Woodwinds (2 credits)
  • APST 805 - Contemporary Chamber Music (2 credits)
  • PHYS 054 - Musical Acoustics (4 credits)
Curriculum and requirements

Time to Play

We place first-year students among returning students equally and fairly within the sections of all ensembles. We nurture them in a collaborative studio environment to inspire personal growth and development. Through orchestral, chamber music, jazz, improvisational, and historical through contemporary music for the clarinet, we encourage versatility and provide immense breadth of experience.

student musicians standing and holding instruments while on stage
Members of Oberlin Sinfonietta complete a performance in Warner Concert Hall.
Photo credit: Dale Preston ’83

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.

“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

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Clarinet News

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Life After Oberlin

Clarinet and double-degree 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. Others work in schools, conservatories, and in all facets of society.

Notable Oberlin Alumni

Benjamin Chen ’18

Principal Clarinet, Kennedy Center Opera House (Washington, D.C.)

Lin Ma ’11

Principal Clarinet, National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, D.C.)

Boris Allakhverdyan ’06

Principal Clarinet, Los Angeles Philharmonic