Why I Chose Backun
"My MoBa is the clarinet I always wanted, but never thought was possible. Dreams can come true!"
About
Chad Burrow is recognized as one of the premiere clarinetists of his generation. He has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in concert halls across the globe. The European press has said that Chad performs with “brilliant technique and tonal beauty mixed with an expressive ferocity.” Danish critic, Henrik Svane, described a performance as filled with "virtuosity, energy, and power without compromise." The New York Times recently called a Carnegie Hall appearance in Poulenc’s, Sonata, as giving a “strong impression” and being a “bright and genial account.”
In 2009, Chad was appointed to the clarinet faculty of the University of Michigan, where he teaches clarinet, chamber music and serves as the director for the Michigan Chamber Players. Additionally, he serves as co-artistic director for the Brightmusic Society of Oklahoma and is on the faculty of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival and Alpenkammermusik Festival in Austria. Chad is the current principal clarinetist with the Ann Arbor Symphony and regularly performs with the Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra. He is also the former principal clarinetist of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, the New Haven Symphony, Quartz Mountain Music Festival, the Arizona Musicfest Orchestra and the past Associate Professor of Clarinet at Oklahoma City University.
Chad’s engagements abroad have included concerts in Austria; Strasbourg, France; and at Denmark’s Thy Chamber Music Festival; a recital in the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan; and Concerto appearances with the Taichung Philharmonic, the “Classic” Orchestra of Taichung and the Shin Sharn Ensemble in Taipei. Performances in the United States have included appearances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in Alice Tully Hall, Chamber Music Northwest, and performances on a series of Benny Goodman centennial concerts in Carnegie Hall and at Yale University. Other performances have included venues at Rice University, the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, the University of Houston, three International Clarinet Association conferences, Northwestern University, the Music Mansion in Providence (RI), the Notre Dame University, Texas Tech University, University of North Texas, Texas Christian University, the University of Texas, Louisiana State University and the University of Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium.
In addition to his own schedule of performances, Chad is the clarinetist for Duo Clarion, formed in 1999 at Yale University with pianist Amy I-Lin Cheng. Duo Clarion maintains an active series of performances throughout the United States, Europe and the Far East. Duo Clarion’s work has been recorded and released by Albany Records, CD Baby, and Wei Studios in Taiwan. The duo’s most recent recording on CD Baby features works of Brahms and Schumann. Violinist Sean Wang joins Duo Clarion to form Trio Solari. The trio has had a regular touring schedule around the world since 2006, and their most recent recording, on the Centaur label, features works of Bartok, Khachaturian, Milhaud and Edward Knight.
Chad is the winner of prizes and awards from the 2001 Young Concert Artist International Competition in New York City, the 2000 Woolsey Hall Competition, the 2000 Artist International Competition, and the 1997 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University where he was a student of Russell Dagon, and a Master of Music degree from Yale University, where he was a student of David Shifrin.
Chad serves as an artist for Backun Musical Services and Vandoren. He plays exclusively on Backun MoBa clarinets.
Performs On
Photo Credit: Nathan Garfinkel
