Kenneth Long

Woodwinds: Clarinet

Lauded for his “outstanding technique” by the International Clarinet Association, Kenneth Long is professor of clarinet at Georgia State University in Atlanta. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, a Master of Music degree from Yale University where he was awarded the prestigious Thomas Daniel Nyfenger Prize for the most outstanding woodwind performer, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Ohio State University.

He enjoys a multifaceted performing career including orchestral, chamber music and solo engagements. He currently serves as clarinetist/bass clarinetist with the Utah Festival Opera Orchestra and performs frequently with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He is a founding member/principal clarinetist of the Atlanta Chamber Winds (heard on Albany Records), principal clarinetist of the Atlanta-based contemporary chamber ensemble Bent Frequency, and has been a guest artist on numerous occasions with the Atlanta Chamber Players.

Dr. Long’s appearances abroad have included solo and chamber music performances in Germany, Greece, China, Canada and Mexico. Recent conference and symposium highlights include performances at the San Francisco Festival of Contemporary Music, National Association of Composers/USA East-Coast Chapter Conference in New York City, Indiana State University Contemporary Music Festival, College Music Society National Conference, Percussive Arts Society International Conference, North American Saxophone Alliance Conference, and a solo recital at the Society of Composers, Inc. National Conference in Atlanta. A recognized scholar on the music of Elliott Carter, he presented lecture-recitals on Carter’s solo clarinet work Gra at the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest® in Porto, Portugal and at the College Music Society Southern Chapter Conference. He performed several of Carter’s works in the presence of the composer-most notably his Clarinet Concerto in New York City under the baton of Charles Neidich.

Prior to his arrival at Georgia State, Dr. Long was an active freelance clarinetist performing with several orchestras in the New York City area including the American, New Haven and Princeton Symphony Orchestras, among others. He has performed professionally at every major concert venue in NYC including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center and Symphony Space. Live chamber performances have been heard on WNYC-New York and WABE-Atlanta. He has served as principal clarinetist with the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra and the Ashlawn Highland Opera Orchestra, and was a fellowship recipient at the Aspen, Tanglewood, National Repertory Orchestra and Norfolk Music Festivals. Primary teachers include James Pyne, David Shifrin and Charles Neidich.

Recordings by Kenneth Long on Albany Records include Citizens of Nowhere[TROY1439] featuring works for clarinet and saxophone by Lee Hyla, Perry Goldstein, Gregory Wanamaker, Lansing McLoskey, and Nickitas Demos; Jan Berry Baker, saxophone; Odysseia [TROY1413] featuring premiere recordings of chamber works by George Tsontakis, Christos Samaras, Theodore Antoniou and Nickitas Demos, and Music from Paris [TROY1127] with the Atlanta Chamber Winds including works by Claude Pascal, Claude Arrieu, Jules Mouquet, François Casadesus, Gabriel Pierné, and Francis Chagrin. Upcoming recording releases include Rites of Passage featuring the solo clarinet music of the late Donald Erb and his protégés Paul Osterfield and Nickitas Demos on the MSR Classics label and a premiere recording of American works with the Atlanta Chamber Winds on Albany Records. He can also be heard on the Summit and Aucourant labels.