Famous Clarinetists of the World — From Classical to Jazz
With its warm timbre and wide range, the clarinet is a highly popular instrument across many genres, including concert band, classical, and jazz.
Another hallmark of the clarinet is its versatility: it adapts to a variety of performance settings, from ensembles to solo playing.
Many people may have first learned of the instrument through the well-known children’s song “I Broke My Clarinet.”
In this article, we’ve gathered notable clarinetists from around the world who are active in classical and jazz.
Read on, and the clarinet might start to feel even more familiar to you.
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Famous Clarinetists of the World — From Classical to Jazz (21–30)
Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581 / Wolfgang Amadeus MozartMichel Arrignon
He is a clarinetist from France and also an educator.
This is a quintet written for solo clarinet and string quartet, with the main melody carried by the clarinet.
Although the ensemble is small, the piece still has a sense of brilliance and offers a relaxing listening experience.
Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 120 No. 2, II. Movement / Johannes BrahmsAlfred Prinz
A famous clarinetist born in Austria.
Although this video doesn’t play the entire piece, it still conveys the allure of his tone very well.
The second movement of Brahms’s Second Sonata is especially dramatic; it isn’t a long piece, but it has quite a lot of fans.
World-Famous Clarinetists: From Classical to Jazz (31–40)
32 Etudes No. 1 / Cyrille RoseIsobe Shuhei
A former clarinetist of the NHK Symphony Orchestra.
This piece is one of the studies in a collection of exercises for clarinet mainly used by middle and high school students, and it is also a standard text often assigned as a required piece at music universities.
When studying the clarinet, it is practically a must-do.
Clarinet Quintet in B-flat major, Op. 34, Movement IV / Carl Maria von WeberRichie Hawley
The Clarinet Quintet is a chamber work for clarinet and string quartet composed by Carl Maria von Weber.
This fourth movement (Rondo, Allegro giocoso) is in 2/4 time and is characterized by a fast tempo and brilliant passages.
Clarinet Concertino in E-flat major, Op. 26 / Carl Maria von WeberYoshida Makoto
Carl Maria von Weber’s 1811 composition, Concertino by Weber.
Weber is best known for works that prominently feature the clarinet, and this piece is his first to center on the instrument.
It is a short work in three sections, performed without breaks, yet its shifting scenes are clearly delineated.
Although it is a technically demanding piece often chosen as an assignment at music conservatories, it is very relaxing and enjoyable to listen to, making it a piece I highly recommend even to beginners.
Frenesi／Alberto DomínguezArtie Shaw
Artie Shaw was an American jazz clarinetist born in New York.
Regarded as one of the finest clarinetists in the jazz world, he reigned as the leader of a popular big band in the 1930s and 1940s.
In addition to Frenesi, he also scored hits with famous songs such as Begin the Beguine and Stardust.
Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622, Movement I / Wolfgang Amadeus MozartJohn Hixso
John Hickson is a clarinetist born in New York.
He is expanding his activities both as a soloist renowned for his exceptional technique and as a chamber musician.
After living in New York for about 20 years, he has been living in Tokyo with his family since 2008.