ClarinetMike in Los Angeles!

Hey! Next week I’ll be performing and teaching on a mini tour of Los Angeles. California! ClarinetMike says, “Watch the Livestream on Tuesday! FYI, I perform first!”

Los Angeles, California Mini Tour 2023
Michael Dean, clarinet

Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (AVPA)
Culver City High School
Culver, City, California
Monday, May 15
Lecture Recital, 1:30 pm
Master Class, 2:30 pm

University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
Herb Alpert School of Music
Schoenberg Hall
Los Angeles, California
Tuesday, May 16
Performance, 8 pm PDT (Pacific Daylight Time)
Information and Livestream: Click Here

At AVPA, my master class is “Career Development in Music and the Arts.” My lecture recital includes the following (subject to change):

Summer Sunrise on the Mississippi (2009) (clarinet & media) by Robert Fruehwald (b. 1957)

Andy and Me (2006) (clarinet & media) by Robert Fruehwald

“Fairly slowly” from Low Register Suite No. 1 (c. 1973) (solo clarinet) by Alec Wilder (1907-1980)

“Gently” from Three Smiles for Tracey (1989) (solo clarinet) by Adolphus Hailstork (b. 1941)

Nimbus! (2021) (clarinet & media) by Austin Ali (b. 1997)

At UCLA, I will be perform Nimbus! for a graduate composers concert. Here’s a program note for Nimbus!:

Nimbus! (clarinet & media) (2021) by Austin Ali (b. 1997)

Austin Ali said, “Nimbus! is dedicated to the Dean family and their two-year-old golden retriever, Nimbus. The work blends the spirit of Nimbus (a big, loving dog who’s still a bit of an excited puppy) and the inspiration for the name Nimbus (meaning ‘halo’). Nimbus! represents both Nimbus the dog and the companionship dogs offer us humans, a sacred gift of common grace for us all to enjoy. The media track features pre-recorded clips of clarinetist Michael Dean playing four clarinets: Bb, A, Eb, and Bass clarinets. In the piece, the spirit of Nimbus finds itself in the rapid, fluttering gestures in the media accompaniment. The solo part and media accompaniment part mirror each other at times like a companion. Yet, the parts are not exact mirror images of each other. The fragmented melodies in the media swell and burst, continually breathing life and excitement into the piece, feeding its rhythmic pulse. The clarinet solo compliments this driving rhythm often with soaring lyrical melodies, foreshadowing the heartfelt ending of the piece. Eventually, the lyrical solo part tames the frenetic accompaniment. The work ends with an homage to Nimbus’ great-uncle Andy with a whimsical quote from Robert Fruehwald’s ‘Andy and Me.’”

Hailing from Texas, Austin Ali (b. 1997) is a composer, trumpeter, and educator based in Los Angeles, California. An insatiably curious person, he strives to inspire wonder through his music. From complex-meter jazz to spacey orchestral scores, he seeks to compose infectiously fun and unforgettable music. Austin graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin, earning two undergraduate degrees in four years (Music Composition and Plan II Honors) and studying composition principally with Drs. Yevgeniy Sharlat and Donald Grantham. After completing his MA in Music Composition from UCLA, Austin is currently pursuing his PhD at UCLA, studying with Drs. Ian Krouse and Richard Danielpour. His compositions have been premiered by world-class musicians including the Austin Symphony Orchestra in Austin, Texas, Spanish Brass in Valencia, Spain, and the Carpe Diem String Quartet in Siena, Italy. As a trumpeter, Austin was named “Promising Artist of the 21st Century” on tour with Big Wy’s Brass Band, performing for the U.S. Ambassador and President of Costa Rica. Most recently, the Tampa Bay Symphony premiered his orchestral work Defiant Overture in February, April, and May 2023. Austin is looking forward to the premieres of The Beginner’s Guide to Space Travel with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra in June 2023 in Indiana and his Harp Concerto by the Los Angeles Chamber Music Company in July 2023.

Acclaimed American clarinetist Dr. Michael Dean “ClarinetMike” performs and teaches worldwide. He’s appeared at Carnegie Hall and other prestigious venues, and is faculty artist-in-residence at the summer Orfeo Music Festival in Italy. He successfully taught at the college level for 25 years and has performed with numerous orchestras and ensembles. In addition to being a busy freelancer in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, he’s also studying digital assets and their application to music and music education.

About ClarinetMike

American Clarinetist Michael Dean “ClarinetMike” performs and teaches internationally and across the USA to consistent praise and acclaim such as, “world-class clarinetist and pedagogue,” “consummate performer,” “inspirational,” “outstanding teacher,” “super,” “brilliant performer,” and “one of the best clinicians I have ever seen.” Dr. Michael Dean’s career is headlined by appearances at Carnegie Hall, ClarinetFest, NACWPI, Royal Northern College of Music, and Eastman School of Music, with recent recitals and master classes in Italy, Canada, Spain, Michigan, Ohio, Kansas, Iowa, Louisiana, and Texas. He is currently planning an international recital and master class tour of Israel for spring 2025. He is on the faculty of the international Orfeo Music Festival in Vipiteno, Italy as Clarinet Artist Faculty in Residence. Michael Dean performed with the Paducah Symphony Orchestra for 11 years and has also performed with the Texas Chamber Music Project, Northeast Orchestra, Dallas Chamber Wind Ensemble, Southwest Symphony, Nevada Symphony, Abilene Philharmonic, Abilene Opera, Southeast Chamber Players, Red Mesa Trio, and Duo 35 with saxophonist Todd Oxford. As a clarinet performing and recording artist, he has commissioned, premiered, edited, toured with, and recorded new and lesser-known clarinet works. He is featured on 6 commercial CDs, including the soon-to-be-released Postcards from Silver Lake CD. He is also prominent on New Media, such as YouTube and Facebook. He has given more than 1000 master classes, clinics and performances at universities, colleges, conservatories, festivals, conferences, and high schools. His ClarinetMike Blog and ClarinetMike QuickTips are widely read on the internet and social media and viewed in more than 150 countries on 6 continents. His articles also appear in professional journals such as Southwestern Musician, WINDPLAYER, The Bandmasters’ Review, and NACWPI Journal. He is a past president and former National Board Officer of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors (NACWPI). A committed teacher and noted pedagogue, Dr. Dean’s students enjoy successful careers as professional performers, educators, and administrators and are consistently accepted into prestigious university music schools. They consistently win awards and distinctions at competitions and festivals including solo & ensemble, all-region, all-state, and various concerto and other competitions. After a successful 20+ years of teaching the clarinet and music at the university level, he relocated to his native Texas due to family concerns. He is currently an active clarinet and woodwind performer, teacher, clinician, and consultant based in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. He is also currently studying digital assets and their application to music and music education. Dr. Michael Dean studied clarinet performance at Texas Tech University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Colorado at Boulder, and University of Texas at Arlington. His teachers include Robert Walzel, Philip Aaholm, Carol Jessup, Bob Ackerman, and Jesse Youngblood. He is a BG France Performing Artist and his professional website is clarinetmike.com. Mike and his family live in Hurst, Texas. His family’s Golden Retriever, Nimbus, is a relative of Andy.

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