Skip to main content

Clarinet

Degrees and Programs

A great phrase is worth a lifetime of preparation.

Two clarinetists from the renowned San Francisco Symphony, Principal Clarinet Carey Bell and Solo Bass and Utility Clarinet Jerome Simas bring their vast years of performance and teaching experience to help you transform your playing and reach your full musical potential.

As one of fewer than 10 students, you’ll have a wealth of opportunities to collaborate and perform in a wide range of ensembles. Whether you have a penchant for auxiliary clarinets, orchestral excerpts, chamber music, classical 21st-century repertoire, or all of the above, we’re here to bring you to the next level. You’ll also have the opportunity to enter the biennial Woodwind Concerto Competition, which offers the opportunity to perform a concerto with the SFCM Orchestra.

Our alumni have gone on to successful careers as performers, educators, and entrepreneurs, and our faculty are committed to finding the career path that best suits your interests and abilities.

Expert teaching tailored to your needs

Guest Artists

Each year, the SFCM clarinet department welcomes professional clarinetists from a variety of musical genres to enrich and inspire students. Guest clinicians have included the following renown artists.

Mariam Adam
Jeff Anderle*
Julian Bliss
Bharat Chandra
Victor Chavez
Franklin Cohen
Eli Eban
Martin Fröst
Joshua Gardner
Stefanie Gardner*
 
Jonathan Gunn
Davis Hampton
David Howard
Karl Leister
Virginia MacDonald
Anthony McGill
Rob Patterson
Marie Ross
Jonathan Russell*

*Bass Clarinet Intensive

Beyond Your Major

Customize your degree with minors that deepen your musical interests or expand your skills across disciplines.
Explore music theory, history, humanities, and interdisciplinary coursework that broadens your perspective as both a musician and a scholar.
Perform in recitals, ensembles, orchestras, opera productions, chamber music, and more than 500 concerts each year.
Develop skills in entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, contracts, and career planning.
Live, learn, rehearse, and connect in a residence designed to bring artists together in one creative community.
Find community through student organizations, wellness resources, campus traditions, and life in the heart of San Francisco.