An orchestra is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families, including bowed string instruments such as the violin, viola, cello, and double bass, brass instruments such as the horn, trumpet, trombone and tuba, woodwinds such as the flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon, and percussion instruments such as the timpani, bass drum, triangle, snare drum and cymbals, each grouped in sections. Other instruments such as the piano and celesta may sometimes appear in a fifth keyboard section or may stand alone, as may the concert harp and, for performances of some modern compositions, electronic instruments.
John (Jack) Alexander Brymer OBE was an English clarinettist. The Times called him "the leading clarinettist of his generation, perhaps of the century". He was largely self-taught as a player, and he performed as an amateur before being invited by Sir Thomas Beecham to join the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1947. He remained with the orchestra until 1963, two years after Beecham's death.
Vernon George "Tod" Handley CBE was a British conductor, known in particular for his support of British composers. He was born of a Welsh father and an Irish mother into a musical family in Enfield, London. He acquired the nickname "Tod" because his feet were turned in at his birth, which his father simply summarised: "They toddle". Handley preferred the use of the name "Tod" throughout his life over his given names.
Jiří Bělohlávek CBE was a Czech conductor. He was a leading interpreter of Czech classical music, and became chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in 1990, a role he would serve on two different occasions during a combined span of seven years. He also served a six-year tenure as the chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 2006 to 2012. He gained international renown and repute for his performances of the works of Czech composers such as Antonín Dvořák and Bohuslav Martinů, and was credited as "the most profound proponent of Czech orchestral music" by Czech music specialist Professor Michael Beckerman.
Emma Johnson is a British clarinettist, who was awarded an MBE for services to music in 1996.
Claus Peter Flor is a German conductor.
Reginald Clifford Kell was an English clarinettist. He was noted especially for his career as a soloist and chamber music player. He was the principal clarinettist in leading British orchestras, including the London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, and Royal Philharmonic, and was also active as a solo recording artist.
Mark Simpson is a British composer and clarinettist from Liverpool, who won the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2006 title on 20 May 2006, playing Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto with the Northern Sinfonia and Yan Pascal Tortelier at The Sage Gateshead. In the same year, Simpson was also the winner of the BBC Young Composer of the Year competition, becoming the only person in history to have ever won both competitions.
Roger Argente is Principal Bass Trombone for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and teaches at Trinity College of Music, London.
Alison Lambert is a British clarinetist.
Lawrence Leighton Smith, an American conductor and pianist, was born April 8, 1936 in Portland, Oregon and died on October 25, 2013 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Frederick John Thurston was an English clarinettist.
Christopher Ball is a British composer, conductor and clarinettist.
Leslie Craven is a British clarinettist. Until 2018, he was Principal Clarinettist in the orchestra of the Welsh National Opera. He teaches at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.He is co founder of the Clarinet Convention hosted by the University of Cardiff College of Music. He has given master classes in many establishments including the Royal College of Music, Trinity College of Music, Birmingham Conservatoire, the Clarinet Summer School and as far afield as Cape Town and Hong Kong .He has played principal clarinet on recordings and for many performances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia, the London Symphony Orchestra, London Musici and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Discography includes the CD Expressions,Romantic Trios with "2CELLOS" star Stjepan Hauser and Yoko Misumi and Rota Centenary with Michael Pollock and Yoko Misumi and Stjepan Hauser.Other discs include "Clarissima" with virtuoso friends Lana Trotovsek and Yoko Misumi, Katharine Thomas (Harp), Boris Bizjak (flute) and Patrick King (Bodhran). He has recorded much of the music of Christopher Ball written for and dedicated to him - his Concerto for clarinet and chamber works including "Celtic Twilight" and the recently recorded (2013) "Quintet" for clarinet and string quartet. With flautist Anna Noakes he has recorded "Sonatine" by Andre Jolivet and "Choros no2" by Villa Llobos. Commercial work includes film soundtracks for the original "Wicker Man", "Howards End", "The Pope must Die", "Mickey Blue Eyes","Pirate Prince" and many TV series including "House of Elliot", "Soldier Soldier", "Anna Lee" and many others. He is one of Great Britain's most sought after teachers and has written a pedagogical self-help book for clarinet : Instant Help for playing and teaching the Clarinet.Leslie's personal design mouthpiece is made by Bradford Behn in the U.S.A. and is played by many leading players in the profession in U.K. and overseas.
Bernard Walton was a British classical clarinettist.
Philip Turbett is a British bassoonist and clarinettist also specialising in historically informed performance.
Frank Renton is a British musician, conductor and broadcaster, and former host of Listen to the Band on BBC Radio 2.
Robert Plane is a British clarinettist.
Michael Benjamin Nigrin is a musician and music composer at large who has scored the music for numerous independent and experimental films and is a double bassist with the Grammy Award winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, a not-for-profit, symphonic orchestra based in Buffalo, New York.
Anna Hashimoto is a British clarinettist who was born in Japan. At the age of 15, she made her London Concerto debut with the English Chamber Orchestra at the Barbican Centre. Anna is a Vandoren UK artist and is represented by Nippon Artists Management Inc. for Japanese engagements. She performs on a Peter Eaton Clarinet and Basset Clarinet who list her as a "Gifted young soloist".
