Why I Chose Backun
"When I first played my Backun Essence clarinet, I was captivated with the evenness of the tone throughout all registers and the incredible response of the instrument. I truly believe that the ease of articulation on Backun clarinets is unmatched in the industry! The richness of the sound provides me with a full spectrum of color to paint with and the instrument's flexibility allows me to feel comfortable playing in a variety of settings and styles . Not to mention, the instruments are beautiful works of art! I am forever grateful to Morrie and the Backun family for creating this incredible clarinet that is my true musical voice!"
About
Dr. Amanda R. Morrison is a dynamic clarinetist, educator, and advocate whose artistry bridges virtuosic performance, innovative scholarship, and vibrant community engagement. She serves on the faculty of Slippery Rock University, where she teaches applied clarinet, chamber music, and pedagogy, and founded and directs the university’s thriving Clarinet Choir. She has served on the staff of Fairmont State University, West Liberty University, Florida State University, and Gulf Coast Community College and is a private clarinet instructor in Pittsburgh, PA. Deeply invested in student mentorship, her graduates have earned teaching assistantships, military band and orchestra appointments, festival fellowships, music therapist positions, and K–12 and collegiate teaching positions across the United States and abroad.
An internationally active performer, Morrison has appeared as a recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist throughout the United States, Canada, Asia, and South America. She is a frequent featured performer and presenter at the International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest, with appearances spanning more than a decade. Recent concerto highlights include premieres and performances of works by James M. David, Scott McAllister, and Theresa Martin, as well as Artie Shaw’s iconic concerto. She has performed with ensembles including the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, the Butler Symphony Orchestra, the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, and the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, among others.
A passionate champion of new music, Morrison has commissioned and premiered numerous works for solo clarinet, chamber ensembles, and clarinet choir by leading composers including Eric Mandat, Roger Zare, Jenni Brandon, James M. David, Stacy Garrop, Theresa Martin, and many others. Her scholarship on the music of Eric Mandat—published in The Clarinet Journal, the NACWPI Journal, and the Vandoren Wave Series—has contributed significantly to the understanding of extended techniques and contemporary clarinet repertoire. Her current creative work explores EFX Clarinet, an amplified clarinet medium incorporating guitar pedal effects. In 2024, she was awarded an artist residency at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute with the Grant Avenue Clarinet Duo, further expanding the repertoire for amplified clarinet duo. Her debut EP, Back Home, My Love (2025), also celebrates contemporary works for clarinet and collaborative partners.
Morrison’s chamber ensemble collaborations include the Milano Duo, the Grant Avenue Clarinet Duo, and the PM Woodwind Project. She has performed at the Music by Women Festival, the SHE Festival of Women in Music, the American Musicological Society National Conference, and numerous universities and arts series nationwide. In addition to being a Backun Artist, Morrison is also a Vandoren USA Artist-Clinician and Rice Clarinet Works Performing Artist. In these artist roles, she has presented clinics and educational sessions for students and educators across the country, including appearances at The Midwest Clinic and state music educator conferences.
Committed to meaningful community impact, Morrison is the founder and Artistic Director of Steel City Clarinet Day in Pittsburgh, a multi-generational celebration of clarinet artistry and learning. Internationally, she serves on the faculty of the Ensamble de Clarinetes de la Provincia de Buenos Aires in Argentina, where she conducts, performs, and leads masterclasses. She is also Co-Chair of the Youth Involvement Committee and member of the New Music Committee for the International Clarinet Association and co-host of the Hidden Cues podcast with Dr. Amy Guffey, a platform fostering dialogue around pregnancy and parenthood in professional music settings. Both her passion for research and cultivating community have been shared in appearances at the College Music Society Regional and National Conferences, NACWPI National Convention, the Music by Women Festival, The Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Conference, the Maryland Music Educators Association Conference, and the West Virginia Music Educators Association Conference.
Dr. Morrison holds degrees from Duquesne University (BM) and Florida State University (MM, DM), where her doctoral research examined the life and works of Eric Mandat from a performer’s perspective. Her principal teachers include Deborah Bish, Frank Kowalsky, and Mark Nuccio, with additional studies with Michael Rusinek, D Ray McClellan, and Rebecca Rischin.
Recognized for her artistry, leadership, and mentorship, Dr. Morrison continues to shape the clarinet community through performance, scholarship, commissioning, and compassionate advocacy—cultivating both bold new repertoire and the next generation of clarinetists.
