Clarinet Quartet Project

David Schorr, Music Director

I have played in clarinet quartets for over 30 years, now.  I paid my way through college playing clarinet quartets on the street and in parks.  My love of this ensemble is one of the reasons why I founded the Clarinet Institute.  My goal, and I don't think it's too unreasonable.... is someday to have the clarinet quartet as accepted and popular as the string quartet.

I think that a well rehearsed clarinet quartet sounds better than any string quartet.  The sound is richer and louder.  The sonority of the ensemble is beautiful.  The clarinet quartet is much better suited for music at weddings and parties than a string quartet.  You can hear clarinets playing over the din of conversation at a party, whereas the sound of a string quartet quickly gets lost.  

Most string quartets can be adapted to be played by clarinets.  While there are hundreds of string quartets, there are only a handful of pieces written or arranged for a quartet of clarinets.

The problem is that clarinet players are few and far between.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of clarinet players out there.... Every year, our colleges and universities award thousands of music performance degrees to clarinetists.  Typically, these clarinet players go out and try to find work.  Well, you can do the math.  A thousand new clarinet players and, well, how many clarinet jobs open each year?

Most clarinet players give up and get a career doing something else; stock brokers, plumbers, doctors, ditch diggers, lawyers....  The sad part is that these musicians, who at one time were practicing their art for hours every day, will simply put their instruments down and walk away.  I can't tell you the number of times I've heard of collegues who have gotten non-music jobs and felt they simply didn't have the time to play anymore.

The Clarinet Quartet Project is for students, professionals and amateurs and everybody in between.  Clarinet quartet playing teaches students intonation and ensemble techniques necessary for orchestral playing.  For everyone else, it's just plain FUN.

Start your own quartet

It's easy to start your own quartet.  I've arranged some music to get you started.  Now all you need to to find the other clarinetists.

Step 1:  Get Other Musicians

Clarinet players are ubiquitous... that's a good word.  They are everywhere.  There's probably one living just around the corner from you.  Post a notice here that you are either forming your own quartet or would like to join someone else's quartet. Click here to post your information.

Click here to see a list of clarinet players looking to play in quartets or other ensembles

Step 2:  Get Free Music

Below is a "starter kit" of music to get any clarinet quartet off the ground.  It's all in pdf format and it's all free.  Feel free to donate your own arrangements to the list. Click here to find out how.

Step 3:  Buy Music

The music listed above is great for getting started and doing your first concert.  Here are some arrangements of longer, more virtuosic works.  They're not free..... but they are not expensive either.  Each one costs less than $10.  Consider it a donation to the Quartet Project cause.....

Clarinet Institute Quartet Repertoire

If you live in Los Angeles, you have a great opportunity to play some fantastic quartet music.  Institute members have access to the Institute's rather large and growing library of clarinet music.  Below is a partial list of the quartet literature available.  Members of the Institute meet on a regular basis and play through this music.

Clarinet Choir Repertoire

Soon enough, you'll have enough clarinet players to support a larger group.  The clarinet choir allows clarinet players to play orchestral literature.  Who needs violins, anyway.....   Below is a partial list of the clarinet choir literature available to Institute members.