This idea sprung to me as I was thinking about this past weekend’s concerto performances. I performed these from memory, or by heart, and why was it that I as a professional clarinetist, at the top of my game, thought this was a slightly stressful, albeit enjoyable endeavor specifically because I had no notes in front of me. My entire life I’ve been thinking about this, but a few recent experiences have set me onto this journey of curiosity that I plan to share with you. I read an article this morning about Barbara Streisand one of the arguably greatest singers/performers/musicians of our...

http://www.abc2news.com/content/gmm/default.aspx?articleID=19212 Woke up this morning for a fun interview in Baltimore before my concert tonight in Annapolis with the Annapolis Symphony.

I have some exciting news to share. In the September issue of Gramophone Magazine I am the focus of the column called Encounters. Pick one up at your local bookstore. Barnes&Noble is where I picked up my 10 copies. Enjoy! FYI This is the photo used in the magazine.

Hello everyone! Here’s a sample from my upcoming CD! Details to be announced soon.  An arrangement of Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise. Gloria Chien on piano as recorded by Da-hong Seetoo. Enjoy! Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Driving to rehearsal down Columbia Parkway in Cincinnati, OH listening to WGUC, the classical station. This is my second year in the Cincinnati Symphony and I am very excited to start this new season. We are rehearsing with Paavo Jaarvi our newly appointed maestro. Break time. There is a small TV in the orchestra lounge. It looks like there is a plane that accidentally flew into some buildings across the country in New York. That is not what it is. It cannot be real. It does not look real. It is.  Shock, fear, horror, fear, sadness. Call my family. My dad is a Chief in the Chicago Fire Department....

To satisfy my old Interlochen friend and great composer Corey, I will write more now before going to conduct Wind Class at Mannes. Mahler 5 rehearsal was great. We worked predominately on the 2nd and 3rd movements. Jimmy Levine was conducting and I’ll just briefly describe why I think he is a great conductor. He has a way of allowing the group to play freely and yet communicate exactly how he would like it to sound. This sounds like a no-brainer but there are very few people that can do this well. Sound and style are all important to him. True dynamics are king. The rehearsals often resemble...

Hello All!  This is my first time blogging and  I’m going through the site figuring it out. I am also practicing Weber Concerto No. 1 for my concerts with the Annapolis Symphony on Sep. 25th and 26th. This is a whole new world for me so I hope it is enjoyable for everyone. Also I’m trying to leave an audio clip so I hope it works. If not I’ll try again later. A