Kalmen Opperman, my teacher, my clarinet father, my inspiration,
my conscience, died Friday morning June 18, 2010. To those who had the
honor of being his students the loss is irreplaceable. His passion for
each of us was both personal and pure, honest and relentless, caring
and uncompromising. To the clarinet world and music world at large Kal
stood for the highest level of mastery, sensitivity,and dedication to
ideals of beauty, knowledge, and devotion.
He gave his life to us. His wisdom will live beyond us. "If there
are no good reeds in heaven, I'm not going".
Richard Stoltzman
Richard Stoltzman's virtuosity, musicianship and sheer personal magnetism have made him one of today's most sought-after concert artists. As soloist with over a hundred orchestras, a captivating recitalist, an innovative jazz artist, and a prolific recording artist, this two-time Grammy Award winner has defied categorization, dazzling critics and audiences alike throughout many musical genres. Stoltzman's unique way with the clarinet has earned him an international reputation as he has opened up possibilities for the instrument that no one could have predicted. He gave the first clarinet recitals at both the Hollywood Bowl and Carnegie Hall, and became the first wind player to receive the Avery Fisher Prize. He has performed or recorded with such jazz and pop greats as Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Judy Collins, Eddie Gomez, Woody Herman, Keith Jarrett, Mel Torme, and Spyro Gyra founder Jeremy Wall. His commitment to new music has resulted in numerous premieres, including acclaimed clarinet works by Steve Reich, Toru Takemitsu, Stephen Hartke and Einojuhani Rautavaara. Richard Stoltzman's discography numbers well over sixty recordings and he has won Grammy Awards for his recordings of the Brahms Sonatas with Richard Goode and Trios of Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms with Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax.
Simone Dinnerstein and Richard Stoltzman, March 2011
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What type of mouthpiece do you use?
A: I play on a mouthpiece made by Kalmen Opperman.
Q: What type of clarinet do you play?
A: My clarinets are Buffet R-13 clarinets (both A and B-flat). They have gold-plated keys and are worked on by Mr. Opperman.
Q: What reeds do you use?
A: Vandoren White Master reeds, size 3.
Q: What type of ligature do you use?
A: I play on a Buffet ligature, which was reworked for me by my teacher, Kalmen Opperman. I also use an M. Martin ligature which is very similar. When I'm testing out reeds, I use a Ratterree to save time.
Q: How much do you practice every day?
A: It would be difficult to know the exact number of hours every day, but I take the clarinet out when I wake up and come back to it all throughout the day.
Q: Where can we find your concert information?
In addition to this blog, you can check my website, Frank Salomon Associates' website (links are listed just to the right of these posts), or contact/friend me on FaceBook.
Q: When and why did you start using double lip embouchure? I switched to double lip after hearing a recording of Schubert's Der Hirt Auf Dem Felsen for soprano, clarinet, and piano with Benita Valente, Harold Wright, and Rudolph Serkin. Wright's gorgeous legato and sublime homogeneous sound was so inspiring. I discovered that he used double lip embouchure. He suggested I work with Kalmen Opperman. Mr. Opperman basically tore my playing apart and rebuilt it again based on his philosophy of sound and understanding of technique.
I find double lip feels organic and natural for me. It allows for subtle variations in the amount of mouthpiece and reed inside of my mouth. It also seems to allow for greater variety in tone color.
A: I play on a mouthpiece made by Kalmen Opperman.
Q: What type of clarinet do you play?
A: My clarinets are Buffet R-13 clarinets (both A and B-flat). They have gold-plated keys and are worked on by Mr. Opperman.
Q: What reeds do you use?
A: Vandoren White Master reeds, size 3.
Q: What type of ligature do you use?
A: I play on a Buffet ligature, which was reworked for me by my teacher, Kalmen Opperman. I also use an M. Martin ligature which is very similar. When I'm testing out reeds, I use a Ratterree to save time.
Q: How much do you practice every day?
A: It would be difficult to know the exact number of hours every day, but I take the clarinet out when I wake up and come back to it all throughout the day.
Q: Where can we find your concert information?
In addition to this blog, you can check my website, Frank Salomon Associates' website (links are listed just to the right of these posts), or contact/friend me on FaceBook.
Q: When and why did you start using double lip embouchure? I switched to double lip after hearing a recording of Schubert's Der Hirt Auf Dem Felsen for soprano, clarinet, and piano with Benita Valente, Harold Wright, and Rudolph Serkin. Wright's gorgeous legato and sublime homogeneous sound was so inspiring. I discovered that he used double lip embouchure. He suggested I work with Kalmen Opperman. Mr. Opperman basically tore my playing apart and rebuilt it again based on his philosophy of sound and understanding of technique.
I find double lip feels organic and natural for me. It allows for subtle variations in the amount of mouthpiece and reed inside of my mouth. It also seems to allow for greater variety in tone color.
Richard Stoltzman and Mika Yoshida rehearse at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall
Patrick Wilkins, composer
Check out two neat pieces for clarinet and piano by composer Patrick Wilkins! They are available as audio tracks at:
http://www.myspace.com/patrickvonwilkins . You can contact Mr. Wilkins to order the pieces at patrickvonwilkins@gmail.com
