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As all professions avail themselves of the furthering of their respective fields, there are special people who become icons and role models for all members and others to admire, emulate, and hold special respect for their accomplishments and service to their field of calling. The World Clarinet Alliance, as part of its mission to effectively promote the Clarinet Profession, has promoted these ideals through exposure of accomplishments by all levels of players, teachers, students, and others connected to the Clarinet and Music field.

Listed below, with an increasing list updated frequently, are Artist VIP's who have been bestowed this status from the above attributes. Many of these artists wear the Official WKA Artist VIP Polo Shirt recognizing their position with WKA and the profession. These artists represent the pinnacle of the field, as Orchestral members and soloists, Professors, Jazz Soloists, Instrument Artisans, and others.

WKA Artist Recognitions - Artist VIP's

Artist VIP Officer Directory

Sir Neville Marriner - World Acclaimed Conductor and Conductor of the Academy of St Martins in the Fields in London, founder of the St Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, former Conductor with the London Symphony and the Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, and Founding President of the World Clarinet Alliance - WKA in Stuttgart, Germany in 1988

Mike Getzin, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Mariam Adam - Renowned Clarinetist and Founding member of IMANI Winds in New York, The TransAtlantic Ensemble, and co-founder of the AdZel Duo, specializing in Ethnic Music with 2 Clarinets

BORIS ALLAKHVERDYAN - Newly appointed Solo Clarinetist in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York and formerly Solo Clarinetist in the Kansas City Philharmonic

Deborah Andrus - Second and Eb clarinetist with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, and member of the SATORI Chamber Ensemble and the East Winds Quintet; Artist-Lecturer in Clarinet at Moravian College and Lehigh University

Alexander Bader - 2nd Klarinettist of the Berliner Philharmoniker and Acclaimed Chamber Music Artist and Soloist

Noah Bendix-Balgley, 1st Concertmaster of the Berliner Philharmoniker and Renowned Soloist

Jozsef Balogh - Internationally Renowned Soloist, Chamber Musician, Pedagogue and Performer of Klezmer and Taragoto Music; Solo Clarinetist in Bad Wörishofen Symphony in Germany

Christy Banks - Professor of Clarinet and Saxophone at Millersville University in Pennsylvania and acclaimed Soloist and Chamber Music Artist; Director and Founder of the Millersville University Single Reed Symposium.

Diane Barger - Hixson-Lied Professor of Clarinet at the University of Nebraska School of Music and a member of the Moran Woodwind Quintet. She currently serves as principal clarinet with Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra

Gregory Barrett - Professor of Clarinet - Northern Illinois University, DeKalb

Sauro Berti - Bass Clarinetist of the “Teatro dell’Opera di Roma” and major International Soloist

David Blumberg - Acclaimed Performer and Pedagogue; Principal Clarinetist of the Seabrook Opera, Clarinet Instructor for the Philadelphia International Music Festival, Recording Producer,

J. Lawrie Bloom - Clarinetist and Bass Clarinetist in the Chicago Symphony; Renowned Soloist and Active Chamber Music Artist

Jan Jakub Bokun - Acclaimed Soloist and Professor at the Wrocław Academy of Music in Poland and Artistic Director of the Clarimania Music Festival in Wroclaw, Poland

Sergio Bosi - International Soloist - Professor at the Conservatory "G. Rossini" of Pesaro, Italy

Shirley Brill - Acclaimed Soloist, Winner of Geneva and Munich Competitions; Faculty at Hans Eisler Hochschule fur Musik in Berlin

Jerome Bunke - Acclaimed Performer and New York Recording Artist - CEO of the Recording firm DIGITAL FORCE

Chad Burrow - International Soloist; Professor at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Alessandro Carbonare - Solo Clarinetist Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Rome, Solo Clarinetist in Lucerne Festival Orchestra

Radovan Cavallin - Principal Clarinet, Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria, Professor of Clarinet, Academia de Orquestra Filarmonica de Gran Canaria, Artistic Director, Artistic Director, VIMM Clarinet Festival in Virovitica, Croatia, Artistic Director, Cyprus Clarinet Festival in Agia Napa, Cyprus

Ixi Chen - 2nd and Eb Clarinetist in Cincinatti Symphony; Adjunct Professor at the Cincinnati Conservatory

Robert Chesbro - WKA Academic Affairs Chairman; Professor of Clarinet at Furman University

Stephen Clark - Acclaimed Clarinet Pedagogue and Professor Emeritus at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee

Anat Cohen - Israeli Jazz Clarinetist/Tenor Saxophonist and International Soloist

Diana Cohen - Concertmaster of Calgary Symphony (Canada); acclaimed pedagogue and Chamber Musician and Soloist - Director of the ChamberFest Cleveland with Inaugural Season 23 - June - 1 July 2-12

Franklin Cohen - Renowned Soloist, Solo Clarinetist Emeritus in Cleveland Orchestra; Professor at Cleveland Institute of Music; Founding and Co-Director of ChamberFest Cleveland

Steve Cohen - Former Solo Clarinetist in the Louisiana Philharmonic in New Orleans; Renowned Pedagogue and Professor at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois

Jonathan Cohler - International Soloist; Faculty at New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, Longy School of Music, Harvard University; Artistic Director of International Woodwind Festival (IWWF)

Kimberly Cole Luevano - Acclaimed Soloist, Chamber Music Artist, Professor at the University of North Texas in Denton

Larry Combs - Solo Clarinetist Emeritus in the Chicago Symphony; Teacher at DePaul University, and Renowned Soloist, Chamber Music Artist, and Jazz Artist

Grant Cooper - Renowned Conductor and Music Director of the West Virginia Symphony in Charleston

John Corigliano - Renowned American Composer, Pulitzer Prize Recipient and Chair of Composition at the Juilliard School and Distinguished Professor of Music at Lehman College, City University of New
York, which has established a scholarship in his name

Anthony Costa - Professor at Penn State University; member of the

Leslie Craven - Solo Clarinetist in Welsh National Opera Orchestra; International Soloist and Pedagogue

Philippe Cuper - Renowned Soloist, Pedagogue; Solo Clarinetist in Paris Opera Orchestra

Eddie Daniels - Legend Jazz/Classical Clarinetist and Recording Artist

Robert DiLutis - Former Eb Clarinetist in Rochester Philharmonic; former Faculty at Eastman School of Music and Louisiana State University; Professor at University of Maryland at College Park

Cynthia Doggett - Renowned Soloist and Pedagogue; Professor at Central College in Pella, Iowa

Karel Dohnal - Renowned International Soloist

Stefan Dohr - Legendary Principal Horn in the Berliner Philharmoniker and Major Horn Soloist

Stanley Drucker - Solo Clarinetist Emeritus in the New York Philharmonic; Recipient of Guinness Book of Records as longest standing Professional Clarinetist in Music History, Newly initiated into the listings of Musicians in the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Society; Conferred Honorary Doctor of Music at the University of Florida 1 May 2010

Mary Alice Druhan - Professor of Clarinet, Texas A & M University, Commerce - Director of the Clarinet Colloquium

Maria du Toit - Solo Clarinetist in the Cape Philharmonic in Capetown, South Africa; Renowned Soloist and Chamber Music Artist

Eli Eban - Former Solo Clarinetist in Israel Philharmonic; Professor of Clarinet at Indiana University

Mitchell Estrin - WKA Performing Organization Chairman, Professor of Clarinet at University of Florida, and Creative & Educational Manager with Buffet-Crampon USA

David Etheridge - David Ross Boyd Professor of Clarinet at University of Oklahoma; Director of the Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium

Alexander Fiterstein - First Prize winner at the Carl Nielsen International Clarinet Competition and received the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant - Award - Professor at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland

Pascual Martinez-Forteza - Associate Solo Clarinetist and Eb Clarinetist in New York Philharmonic; International Soloist and Pedagogue and the duo Forteza-Nieto

Wenzel Fuchs - Solo Klarinettist - Berliner Philharmoniker; International Soloist and Pedagogue; Professor of Klarinette at the Universitat Mozarteum Salzburg (Austria)

Kazuo Fujii - Renowned Clarinet Soloist and Conductor in Japan Designer of the D'Core Clarinet Barrels

Yehuda Gilad - Renowned International Clarinet Pedagogue, Conductor - Professor at the University of Southern California and the Colburn Center for the Arts

Dan Gilbert - Former 2nd Clarinetist in Cleveland Orchestra; Professor at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Stephen Girko - Solo Clarinetist in the Austin Symphony; former Principal Clarinetist in the Dallas Symphony; Faculty at Texas State University

Sabine Grofmeier - Acclaimed Soloist and Pedagogue in Germany

David Gould - Acclaimed Soloist and Chamber Artist; Artist Director with Vandoren USA; Faculty at Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music - Founder of the Clarinet Quartet Ensemble 54 in New York

Kenneth Grant - Solo Clarinetist in the Rochester (New York) Philharmonic and Professor at the Eastman School of Music

Laura Grantier - Senior Chief Musician, Section Leader and Soloist with The United States Navy Band in Washington, DC and Director of the Navy Clarinet Day held each Fall in Washington

Gary Gray - Renowned Studio Clarinetist in Los Angeles; Professor at the Herb Alpert School of Music at the University of Southern California (UCLA)

Jonathan Gunn - Former Solo Clarinetist in the Cincinatti Symphony and Professor at the State university of Texas at Austin

Larry Guy - Professor of Clarinet - Vassar College, New York, Faculty at the Juilliard School

Stefan Harg - Acclaimed Soloist and Chamber Music Artist; Principal Clarinet of the Drottningholm Court Orchestra, Sweden

J David Harris - Professor at the University of Illinois - Champaign; Renowned Performer and Pedagogue

Caroline Hartig - Acclaimed International Soloist and Pedagogue; Professor at Ohio State University; Past President of the International Clarinet Association - ICA

Diana Haskell - 2nd Clarinetist in the St Louis Symphony and Acclaimed Chamber artist and Pedagogue

D Stanley Hasty - Retired Solo Clarinetist in Rochester Philharmonic; Professor Emeritus at Eastman School of Music and Major Teacher Legend

Maureen Hurd-Hause - Acclaimed Soloist, Chamber artist, and Proponent of New Music; Professor at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey

Richie Hawley - Former Solo Clarinetist in Cincinnati Symphony and Professor at Cincinnati Conservatory; Professor at Rice University in Houston, Texas

Julia Heinen - Professor at CalState University, Northridge, California and major Solo Artist and Pedagogue

Jean Johnson - Renowned Soloist and Chamber Music Artist in the United Kingdom

Nicola Jürgensen - Acclaimed Klarinette Solist - Solo Clarinetist in West German Radio Orchestra in Cologne, Germany

Alan Kay - Faculty, Juilliard School, State University at Stony Brook, New York, Solo Clarinetist in Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

Wonkak Kim - Renowned Soloist and Chamber Music Artist - Professor at Tennessee Tech University

Francois Kloc - Artisan Clarinet maker and Technician; Buffet Group USA President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Acclaimed Leader in the Clarinet Field

Howard Klug - Professor at Indiana University in Bloomington; noted soloist and Chamber Music Artist and Renowned Teacher

John Kurokawa - Clarinet Faculty Instructor at Wright State University and Solo Clarinetist in Dayton, Ohio Symphony

Ted Lane - Solo Clarinetist in the American Sinfonietta, and Solo Clarinetist in the Equador Symphony

Seunghee Lee, Acclaimed Clarinet Soloist, Professional Recording Artist and Producer in Hong Kong

Karl Leister - International Soloist and Chamber Music Artist; Solo Klarinettist Emeritus in Berliner Philharmoniker

Luigi Magistrelli - International Soloist; Professor at the Milan Conservatory, Italy

Richard MacDowell - Professor Emeritus from University of Texas at Austin; Acclaimed Soloist and Pedagogue

Harri Mäki - Principal clarinet of Tapiola Sinfonietta, the Lecturer of Clarinet in Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and the Artistic Director of the Crusell Music Festival in Uusikaupunki, Finland

Jon Manasse - International Soloist; Solo Clarinetist in New York City Ballet Orchestra, Mostly Mozart Orchestra; Faculty at Juilliard School and Eastman School of Music

Eric Mandat - Renowned Clarinetist/Composer; Professor at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

Sebastian Manz - Renowned Soloist, Solo Klarinettist in the Stuttgart (SWR) Radio Sinfonie Orchester

Albrecht Mayer - Solo Oboist in the Berliner Philharmoniker and member of Orchestra ensembles Berlin Philharmonic Winds Soloists and Berliner Philharmonisches Bläserensemble and Renowned Soloist and Chamber Music Artist

D Ray McClellan - Renowned Soloist, Chamber Music Artist, Past Director of the ClarinetFest in Atlanta in 2006; Professor at the University of Georgia

Anthony McGill - Newly appointed Solo Clarinetist in the New York Philharmonic, Former Principal in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Acclaimed Soloist and Chamber Music Artist

Sabine Meyer - Renowned Soloist and Chamber Music Artist; Founder of the Trio di Clarone and Professor at the Musikhochschule Luebeck in Germany

Wolfgang Meyer - Renowned Soloist and Chamber Artist; Founding member of Trio di Clarone; Professor at the Musikhochschule in Karlsruhe, Germany

Andre Moisan - Acclaimed Soloist and Conductor; Bass Clarinetist in Symphonique Montreal

Donald Montanaro - Associate/Eb Clarinetist Emeritus in the Philadelphia Orchestra; Renowned Chamber Music Artist - Professor at the Curtis Institute

Jorge Montilla - Former Solo Clarinetist in the Simon Bolivar Orchestra in Venezuela; Professor at the Longy School of Music at Harvard University

Ricardo Morales - Solo Clarinetist in the Philadelphia Orchestra and former Solo Clarinetist in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Faculty at Curtis Institute, Juilliard School, and Temple University

Mattias Mueller - International Soloist, Composer, Professor at Zurich University of the Arts in Switzerland; President of the European Clarinet Association - ECA

Charles Neidich - Professor at Juilliard School, International Soloist, member of New York Woodwind Quintet, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Proponent of New Music

Michael Norsworthy - Acclaimed Soloist, spearheading proponent of New Music -

Mark Nuccio - Former Associate Solo Clarinetist and Eb Clarinetist, New York Philharmonic; Faculty Manhattan School of Music and Mannes College of Music, and Solo Clarinetist Designate in the Houston Symphony

Richard Nunemaker - Bass Clarinetist Emeritus, Houston Symphony; Faculty - University of St Thomas and Proponent of New Music

Fred Ormand - Professor Emeritus from University of Michigan and Acclaimed Performer, Pedagogue and Author

Ayako Oshima - Acclaimed Soloist and Pedagogue - Faculty at Juilliard School; founder of the Kita Karuizawa Music Seminar

Andreas Ottensamer - Solo Klarinettist in the Berliner Philharmoniker

Colonel Thomas Palmatier - Leader and Commander of The United States Army Band (Pershing's Own) Emeritus in Washington, DC

Rocco Parisi - International Soloist in Clarinet and Bass Clarinet; Professor at the Antonio Vivaldi Conservatory in Alessandria, Italy

Jean-Marie Paul - Major authority on Clarinet Reperoire and Director of Publications and Communications with Vandoren Paris; A founding member of the World Clarinet Alliance - WKA in 1988 in Stuttgart, Germany

Randall Paul - Professor and Chair of the Music Department at Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio)

Ludmila Peterkova - International Soloist; Professor at Prague Conservatory, Czech Republic

Nicolai Pfeffer - Acclaimed Soloist and Chamber Music Artist in Germany

Timothy Phillips - Professor at Troy University (Alabama)

Jessica Phillips-Rieske - 2nd and Eb Clarinetist - Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Faculty at Rutgers University, Columbia University and the Juilliard School

Evgeny Petrov - Professor of Clarinet - Moscow Conservatory - Russia

Thomas Piercy - International Soloist and Recording Artist

William E Powell - Acclaimed Soloist and Chamber Artist - Professor at Cal-Arts University

Manfred Preis - Clarinetist and Bass Clarinetist in the Berliner Philharmoniker and Acclaimed Soloist and Pedagogue

Roman Rabinovich - Internationally Renowned Pianist and International Soloist and Chamber Music Performer

Gregory Raden - Solo Clarinetist in the Dallas, Texas Symphony and Acclaimed Teacher and Soloist

Simon Reitmaier - Renowned Soloist and Proactive performer of New Music

Alcides Rodriguez - Acclaimed Soloist and Bass Clarinetist; member of the Atlanta Symphony

Marie Ross - International Authority on Performance of Clarinet Historical Instruments; Associate Principal Clarinetist with the French orchestra, Ensemble Matheus (Jean-Christophe Spinosi) where she performs everything from Mozart on the 5-key classical clarinet to premieres of contemporary works by composers like Guillaume Connesson on the modern clarinet

Alia Sabur - WKA Student Affairs Chairperson; Youngest Professor in the Guinness Book of Records and Professor at Konkuk University in Seoul, Korea; Prodigy Clarinetist with Ricardo Morales

Kevin Schempf - Renowned Clarinetist and Bass Clarinetist - Professor at Bowling Green State University, Ohio

Ecesu Sertesen - Solo Clarinetist at the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet Orchestra (Turkey) in parallel with her International Solo and Chamber music career

Walter Seyfarth - Eb Klarinettist in Berliner Philharmoniker; Professor at the Berliner Philharmoniker Orchestra Academy; founder of the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet and Philharmonic Winds

David Shifrin - Renowned Soloist, Winner of the Avery Fisher Prize, former Director of the Chamber Music Northwest and Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center, and Professor at Yale University

Andrew Simon - Renowned Solo Clarinetist in the Hong Kong Symphony

Michael Skinner - Acclaimed Studio Performer, Composer, Music Educator, and President of DANSR (Importer for Vandoren)

Rose Sperrazza - Professor at Northeastern Illinois University; Artistic Director of the Chicago Clarinet Ensemble

Robert Spring - Renowned Soloist, Pedagogue, Proponent of New Music - Professor at Arizona State University in Tempe

Richard Stoltzman - Internationally Renowned Soloist and Chamber musician and Celebrated Recording Artist

Margaret Thornhill - Renowned Clarinetist and Professor at Concordia College in California and Director of the Los Angeles Clarinet Choir

Antonio Tinelli - International Soloist, Professor of clarinet in the Music Conservatory "E.R. Duni" of Matera as well as a Visiting Professor at the Academy of Arts of Tirana, Italy; Artistic Director of the International Clarinet Competition "Saverio Mercadante"

Bernard Vandoren - Legend Pioneer and Maker of the Reeds and Mouthpieces and Chief Executive Officer of Vandoren Paris

Annelien Van Wauwe - Acclaimed Soloist and Professor at the Antwerp Conservatory in Belgium

Eddy Vanoosthuyse - International Soloist and Pedagogue; Professor at Ghent Conservatory in Belgium

Gabor Varga - Professor of Clarinet at the Tibor Varga Faculty of Musical Arts - Solo Clarinetist in the Hungarian Symphony in Budapest

Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr - Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University; Founder of Acclaimed Verdehr Trio (Violin, Clarinet, and Piano) and renowned Soloist and Pedagogue

Stephan Vermeersch - Renowned Belgian Clarinetist, Bass Clarinetist, Saxophonist, composer, and Innovative Proponent of New Music; Faculty at the Academy of Art in Knokke-Heist, Belgium - Zeeuwse Muziekschool in the Netherlands - worldwide master classes, workshops and clinics

Piero VINCENTI - Clarinetist, Renowned Pedagogue, President of the Accademia Italiana del Clarinetto and Director of ClarinetFest 2013 Assisi, Italy

Anna Vinnitsky - Pre-eminent Concert Pianist, Chamber Music Artist, Pedagogue, Accompanist for many of the Premier Clarinetists Internationally - Faculty at both St. Luke’s School and Lucy Moses School at the Kaufman Center in New York City as well as a staff accompanist position at the Mannes College of Music

Pavel Vinnitsky - Renowned Soloist, Chamber Music Artist, Associate Clarinetist in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and other Orchestras in New York

Rasa Vitkauskaite - World Renowned Pianist and Chamber Music Artist; faculty at the Concord Conservatory of Music and Pianist with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra

Mingzhe Wang - Renowned Clarinetist and Professor at Austin Peay State University - Clarksville, Tennessee

Eva Wasserman-Margolis - Renowned International Performer and Pedagogue, Former Solo Clarinetist in Hiafa Symphony in Israel and Researcher on Israeli Clarinet Literature

Michael Webster - Former Solo Clarinetist in Rochester Philharmonic, Acclaimed Soloist and Chamber Music Performer; Professor of Clarinet at Rice University in Houston, Texas

Reiner Wehle - Solo Klarinettist in the NDR Orchestra in Hannover Germany; Founding member of the Trio di Clarone, and Professor at the Luebeck Musikhochschule

Orion Weiss - Internationally Renowned Pianist and Chamber Music Artist

Sarah Willis - Celebrated Hornist in the Berliner Philharmoniker and Major Horn Soloist

Stephen Williamson - Solo Clarinetist in the Chicago Symphony, former Solo Clarinetist in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Diane Wittry - Renowned International Conductor and Music Director of the Allentown, Pennsylvania Symphony

John Bruce Yeh - Associate Solo Clarinetist and Eb Clarinetist in the Chicago Symphony; Faculty at DePaul University, New School and Music Director of the Chicago Clarinet Ensemble

Guy Yehuda - International Soloist and newly appointed Professor at Michigan State University

Stephanie Zelnick - Acclaimed Soloist, Chamber Musician, Principal clarinet of the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra and the Central City Opera; Professor of Clarinet - University of Kansas

Celeste Zewald - Acclaimed Soloist and Chamber Music Artist; Professor at Utrecht Conservatory and active in Amsterdam

Michele Zukovsky - Los Angeles Philharmonic and Solo Clarinetist and Celebrating 50 Years in the Orchestra; Major International Soloist

More VIP's continuously posted soon