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CONTEMPORARY CLARINET CONCERTOS

Modern Clarinet Concertos

This page presents a collection of contemporary clarinet concertos and modern clarinet repertoire. It features new clarinet concertos for clarinet soloist with orchestra, including information for conductors and clarinetists.

CLARINET CONCERTO

for clarinet and orchestra

CONTEMPORARY CLARINET CONCERTOS

Duration:
22 minutes
 
Instrumentation:   
Clarinet solo, 2 flutes (2nd doubles piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 percussion, strings
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Year Composed:  
1996
 
Dedicated to:
Sharon Kam
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Premiere Performance:
28 May 2003, 
Hanover, Germany
Sharon Kam, clarinet
Hannover Radio Philharmonie, NDR
Yaron Traub, conductor

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About Clarinet Concerto

Composed in 1996 and dedicated to Sharon Kam, the Clarinet Concerto is a three‑movement work shaped by the composer’s early dialogue between classical and jazz worlds. Rhythmic contrasts, shifting meters, and the clarinet’s wide expressive range drive a vibrant conversation — sometimes playful, sometimes lyrical — between soloist and orchestra.
 

For the Performers

Level: For professional clarinet soloists and advanced university or conservatory orchestras.

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Style: Traditional fast–slow–fast structure; rhythmic vitality; contrasting moods; soloist alternates between dialogue and integration with the orchestra.

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Program Notes

The Clarinet Concerto (1996) is my first orchestral work. At that time, while living in both the worlds of classical music and jazz, I aimed to create a piece based on the contrast between orchestra and soloist, incorporating strong rhythmic contrasts, changing meters, and moods. The clarinet, with its wide range of expressive abilities—from soft and melancholic to bold and humorous—was the natural choice.
 

The concerto is structured traditionally in three movements: fast, slow, fast. At times, the clarinet engages in dialogue with the orchestra; at others, it becomes part of the orchestral texture. Occasionally, there is a friendly argument between the clarinet and the orchestra that is happily resolved. The Clarinet Concerto is dedicated to Sharon Kam.

Related Music:

Selected Clarinet Concerto Repertoire 

  • Aaron Copland – Clarinet Concerto – Clarinet, String Orchestra, Harp & Piano – 1948

  • Anders Hillborg – Peacock Tales – Clarinet & Orchestra (with theatrical elements) – 1998

  • Carl Nielsen – Clarinet Concerto, Op. 57 – Clarinet & Orchestra – 1928

  • Ellen Taaffe Zwilich – Clarinet Concerto – Clarinet & Orchestra – 2002

  • Frank Ticheli – Clarinet Concerto – Clarinet & Orchestra – 2010

  • Kalevi Aho – Clarinet Concerto – Clarinet & Orchestra – 2005

  • Krzysztof Penderecki – Clarinet Concerto – Clarinet & Orchestra – 1995

  • Lior Navok – Clarinet Concerto – Clarinet & Orchestra – 1996

  • Magnus Lindberg – Clarinet Concerto – Clarinet & Orchestra – 2002

  • Michael Daugherty – Brooklyn Bridge – Clarinet & Orchestra – 2005

  • Oscar Navarro – Clarinet Concerto No. 2 – Clarinet & Orchestra – 2012

  • Paul Hindemith – Clarinet Concerto – Clarinet & Orchestra – 1947

  • Paul Moravec – Clarinet Concerto – Clarinet & Orchestra – 2008

  • Samuel Adler – Beyond the Pale – Clarinet & Orchestra – 2002

  • Scott McAllister – Black Dog – Clarinet & Wind Ensemble – 2002

  • Unsuk Chin – Clarinet Concerto – Clarinet & Orchestra – 2014

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