Jon Manasse: The Clarinet Is My Voice

Ed Joffe interviews Jon Manasse, who has been a mainstay on the New York music scene for the past 40 years. He has developed an international reputation as one of the most eloquent clarinetists performing today. He is an in-demand principal clarinetist and serves in that capacity with the Mostly Mozart Orchestra in NYC, the Orchestra of St. Lukes, and the American Ballet Theater Orchestra. He has also played principal with The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the New York Pops Orchestra, the St. Louis and Seattle Symphonies, among many others. A frequent guest at chamber music festivals such as the Aspen, Caramoor, Newport, Sarasota, Colorado Springs, St. Bart’s, Seattle, Tuscon, etc., Jon also serves as co-artistic director of the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival. As a soloist, Jon has premiered and recorded concertos by Lowell Lieberman, James Cohn, Steven Gerber as well as Paquito D-Rivera’s Cape Cod Files for clarinet and piano. With 9 solo albums in addition to numerous additional recordings as an associate performer, Jon Manasse has established a reputation as an elegant statesman of the clarinet with a prodigious technique. He is also active as a teacher of clarinet and chamber music at The Juilliard School, The Lynn Conservatory, and The Mannes School of Music.

[@travel_and_explore_with_BIP]

What a great interview, how inspiring!!

[@billducker7404]

Thank you so much for this great video. Jon is a fantastic clarinet player who I first heard when he was I think thirteen playing Webber’s Concertino at the International Clarinet Competition at Denver. He won the competition with the judge being the great Karl Leister!
I have followed Jon’s career with interest and admire his classic sound and attention to detail. I like the way he plays tribute to his former teacher David Weber! Jon is a very modest gentleman dedicated to producing the best performances he can make. God bless you both. Bill. UK

[@Joffewoodwinds]

Thank you, Bill. Jon was a prodigy who continued to evolve.

[@jonmathis]

Thank you, Mr. Joffe, for posting these inspiring conversations!!

[@Zelde-M]

Excellent interview as always. Jon’s a great player and genuine mensch. Was fortunate years ago to have lunch with his parents! Thanks Ed & Jon for All you do! Zelde

[@michaelschuster206]

What a fascinating interview! I especially appreciated all of the audio excerpt recordings. Thanks again as always.

[@Joffewoodwinds]

Thanks Mickey. Too coldto play golf now but not to play music.

[@darrellscott2483]

What a great historical archive. This is important, entertaining work, Ed. Thank you.

[@CindyBartz]

Great interview, the stories, practice techniques, tips on teaching others, and the discussion on the emotional aspect was all very informative 👍 thank you

[@alexeysclarinet9109]

Wow, I am so happy to see this interview with Jon Manasse, thank you!

[@martinscalona-clarinet9042]

Wonderful Interview!!!! I used to collect all of Jon's recordings during the 90s. What a great tone!!

[@Joffewoodwinds]

Thanks Martin. Did you ever put out the recording you made several years ago at Curtis?

[@425gabe]

Great interview and insight into legacies that we as musicians are challenged to keep in the minds of our students of today. As time progresses musicians will still need to put together the puzzle of their careers, enthusiasm will create new opportunities and pieces to this puzzle. I believe that as long as the internet will allow creativity, musicians will continue to thrive broadly. Jon your purity of sound and musical sensitivity will always be inspiring and delightful.

[@vrufino]

Ed another wonderful interview. When you asked Jon about tone, I was reminded of a lesson with Mr. Allard. We were working week after week on my embrochure, breath support and phrasing. I was a freshman at JCSC then and so many of my classmates had more technique than I (there were 4 of us who studied with Mr. Allard). I asked him could he give me something to get my fingers moving. He said to me, "Vinny if you don't sound good no one will wait around to hear your fingers move". Our son is a horn player in the Cape Cod Symphony where we heard Jon play the Debussy Rhapsody. It was gorgeous. Speaking of LPs, during my masters, I was working on the Nielson cto. and Drucker's recording had been released. The way he played the cadenza completely defeated me and when I mentioned this to Mr. Allard (I began with him when I was 15 and stopped when I was 26, so I never called him Joe) he gave me his vinyl recording of Carhuzac who played the concerto very differently and allowed me to see it was doable.

[@Joffewoodwinds]

Vinnie,
Thanks for sharing those memories. The truth was that Joe never emphasized finger technique and had just enough in his own playing to survive the gigs he did. He never played a recital, concerto, etc. He was a sideman his whole career and taught/emphasized what he enjoyed most. No one else taught it that well so we were lucky. But if you needed finger technique, you had to go to others. Cahuzac may have had the best combination of resonant tone and great technique.

[@lookerona]

Thank you, Mr. Joffe! You present great musicians on your channel and that’s wonderful!
Could I contact you by email?

[@Joffewoodwinds]

Yes,of course. Thank you for your kind words.
-Ed

[@hudsoncampos2201]

Very nice

[@joachimakerlind4453]

Great interview- bit disturbing noice outside the studio. All those sirens, it gets to you somehow

[@pablodevadderclarinete]

❤