THE USUAL SUSPECTS
Dr. Gio Washington-Wright's Top Los Angeles Studio Musicians Tribute Site
EMILY BERNSTEIN
(posthumous, 1959 - 2005)
At the time of her death, Emily Bernstein was the principal clarinetist of the Los Angeles Opera. She also played first chair with the Pasadena Symphony under the direction of Jorge Mester. She was a member of the acclaimed contemporary music ensemble, XTET, which has presented numerous world premieres. She performed with many southern California ensembles including the Angeles String Quartet, and the Pacific Trio. She enjoyed many happy summer seasons in Jacksonville, Oregon as principal clarinetist with the Peter Britt Music and Arts Festival. In addition to her busy performing career, Emily maintained an active private teaching studio and was affiliated with the Mancini Institute.
Ms. Bernstein graduated with honors from Stanford University and earned a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music.
Ms. Bernstein made frequent appearances as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the west and recorded for the Delos, Phillips, and Sony Classics labels. She was an active studio musician and has performed on hundreds of motion picture and television scores including, Catch Me If You Can, Pirates of the Caribbean, Sea Biscuit, and JAG. She was featured in the John Williams score for the movie The Terminal. An article in the La Cañada Valley Sun reported that after Emily recorded the clarinet solo for "The Terminal," director Steven Spielberg - a former clarinetist himself - insisted that Bernstein's name appear in the film's end credits, although traditionally individual musicians performing in studio orchestras remain anonymous.
GARY BOVYER
Clarinetist Gary Bovyer, "a virtuosic and passionate soloist" according to the Los Angeles Times, is principal clarinetist of the Santa Monica Symphony. He serves that same role with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Long Beach Symphony and was formerly a principal clarinetist of the Los Angeles Opera and the Jerusalem Symphony. Bovyer returns as soloists with the Santa Monica Symphony, having performed in 1999 the Clarinet Concerto by Dan Welcher. Bovyer spends much of his professional time in the recording studios playing for soundtracks and albums. He has worked with numerous composers including David Newman, James Horner, Danny Elfman, William Ross and Stephen Warbeck. Recently he has been heard on the motion picture soundtracks for "Mystery Men", "Instinct", "Titanic" and "Anastasia". He is also a member of Pacific Classical Winds, a period instrument ensemble. He received his Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School where he was a pupil of the legendary Joseph Allard and is currently on the faculty of Pomona College.
DONALD FOSTER
Donald Foster is one of Southern California’s most in-demand clarinetists, serving as Principal Clarinet of both the Pasadena and Santa Barbara Symphonies and Assistant Principal Clarinet of the New West Symphony. He is a frequent substitute musician with the San Diego Symphony and the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra and is active in the motion picture and television studios, performing on numerous soundtracks for feature films and television commercials including "The Chronicles of Narnia", "King Kong", "The Number 23", "Spiderman 3", "Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End", and "Blades of Glory".
GARY GRAY
WEBSITE: www.clarinetbygray.com
During his long career in Hollywood, Gray has recorded film and television scores with such composers as John Williams, Henry Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith, Lalo Schifrin, James Horner, Shirley Walker, Randy Newman, Christopher Young, Alf Clausen, Don Davis, Bruce Broughton, Paul Chihara, Christopher Caliendo, John Debney and Ron Jones.
JIM KANTER
Jim Kanter is the leading solo clarinet artist in the Los Angeles film studios. In thirty years Jim has taken part in over a thousand motion picture scores and hundreds of television shows. Motion pictures on which he can be heard include ET, Benny and Joon, Nine Months, Schindler's List, As Good As It Gets, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Hercules, Mulan, and many more. In addition, he is currently Principal Clarinet with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra and Pacific Symphony Chamber Players. Jim also has considerable pit experience with companies such as New York City Ballet, Kirov Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet.
In addition to his very active playing career, Jim finds time to conduct masterclasses throughout the USA and Canada. For many years Jim Kanter made clarinet mouthpieces which are being used by prominent orchestral, jazz and studio players all over the world.
PHILIP O'CONNOR
A Bachelor of Arts from California State University at Hayward, a Master of Arts from the Manhattan School of Music and an Advanced Studies Performer's'Certificate from the University of Southern California. As jazz saxophonist, Mr. O'Connor has performed with such artists as Donald Byrd, Art Blakey, The Branford Marsalis Quartet, Louie Belson's Jazz Orchestra, Diane Shuur, John Stowell and the Eliane Alias Trio. As a classical clarinetist, he has performed in symphony orchestra with the following conductors; Kurt Masur, Jerzey Semkov, Anton Coppolla, Kent Nagano, Robert Craft, Pierre Boulez, Gunther Schuller and Michael Tilson Thomas. Awards include Outstanding Jazz Soloist at the Pacific Coast Jazz Festival, and the Manhattan School of Music Concerto Orchestra Competition. Philip is a recording musician on saxophone and clarinet for television and motion pictures.
STEVE ROBERTS
Steven Roberts is a freelance musician in both the live concert and recording industry. As principal clarinet, he performs regularly with the Pacific Symphony, the Los Angeles Opera and Opera Pacific. He has been involved with more than 200 movie scores, including Geisha, Munich, King Kong, and War of the Worlds, to mention a few. He is in demand for virtually every live music venue in Los Angeles.
AMANDA WALKER
Amanda Walker is currently principal clarinet of the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra where she performed Copland’s Clarinet Concerto on their 1999-2000 series. She has also performed with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Pacific Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, the Royal and Swedish Ballets, the Los Angeles Music Center Opera Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for a recording of Ned Rorem’s works. She has appeared as one of the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra’s Chamber Musicians and has also participated in the Bach Camerata of Santa Barbara, the Henry J. Bruman Summer Chamber Music series and the Summer Music series at the Getty. She is active in recording for film, freelances and is also in demand as a teacher. Her training in England was at the Royal College of Music where she studied with Thea King. Recordings include Viklarbo’s recent CD release Songs and Romances which can be found on the Raptoria Caam label and the Mozart and Strauss Serenades with the California Philharmonic.
RALPH WILLIAMS
Ralph Williams is Principal Clarinet with the Opera Pacific Orchestra and has played principal clarinet with the Hollywood Bowl, Pacific Symphony and Pasadena Pops Orchestras, as well as being a regular member of the Pasadena Symphony. He has also played with the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Ojai Festival Orchestra
In over twenty years as a film studio musician, Ralph has recorded over five hundred motion pictures including Home Alone, Titanic, A Bugs Life, Meet Joe Black, Lethal Weapon 1-3, Batman, Back to the Future 2, to name but a few. He has recorded with notable composers including John Williams, James Horner, Danny Elfman, Jerry Goldsmith, Bill Conti, Tom Newman and Randy Newman, as well as artists such as Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond and Bocelli.
