Stoltzman, Richard (Leslie)

Stoltzman, Richard (Leslie), outstanding American clarinetist; b. Omaha, July 12, 1942. He began clarinet lessons when he was 8 and gained experience playing in local jazz settings with his father, an alto saxophonist. He then studied mathematics and music at Ohio State Univ. (B.Mus., 1964); also studied clarinet with Robert Marcellus; after studies at Yale Univ. (M.Mus., 1967), he completed his clarinet training with Harold Wright at the Marlboro Music School and with Kalman Opperman in N.Y.; pursued postgraduate studies at Columbia Univ.’s Teachers Coll. (1967–70). He played in many concerts at Marlboro; also founded the group Tashi (“good fortune” in Tibetan) with pianist Peter Serkin, violinist Ida Kavafian, and cellist Fred Sherry in 1973, and toured widely with the group; likewise taught at the Calif. Inst. of the Arts (1970–75). He made his N.Y. solo recital debut in 1974; after being awarded the Avery Fisher Prize in 1977, he pursued an international career as a virtuoso; appeared as soloist with major orchs., as a chamber music artist, and as a solo recitalist. In 1982 he became the first clarinetist ever to give a solo recital at N.Y.’s Carnegie Hall. In 1986 he received the Avery Fisher Artist Award. In 1989 he made his debut at the London Promenade Concerts as soloist in the Mozart Clarinet Concerto. He maintains an extensive repertoire, ranging from the classics to the avant-garde, and including popular music genres; he has also commissioned works and made his own transcriptions.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire