Richard Stoltzman is "the quintessential clarinetist…No one has done more to reshape the public's perception of the instrument," according to The New York Times. For this special Seven Days performance, Stoltzman will team with Tallahassee's world-class Trio Solis for two afternoons of inspired chamber music, featuring Messiaen's staggering Quartet for the End of Time.

A two-time Grammy winner and Emmy winner, Stoltzman performed the first clarinet recitals in the histories of both the Hollywood Bowl and Carnegie Hall, and was the first wind player to be awarded the Avery Fisher Prize. He has performed as soloist with more than 100 orchestras, and as a recitalist, chamber musician and jazz artist. He performed or recorded with the Canadian Brass, Chick Corea, Judy Collins, Keith Jarrett, George Shearing, Wayne Shorter and Mel Tormé. A founding member of the Tashi chamber music ensemble, Stoltzman has performed with the Beaux Arts Trio and the Cleveland, Guarneri, Tokyo and Emerson string quartets. He has commissioned and premiered dozens of new works for clarinet. And to top it off, he's a Cordon Bleu trained pastry chef.

The San Francisco Chronicle called Stoltzman "a national treasure…the greatest clarinetist of the century," while The Washington Post described him as "an artist of indescribable genius ... a musician of flawless taste, one with few rivals anywhere on any instrument."

Joining Stoltzman will be Trio Solis, three dynamic virtuosi who also happen to be artist faculty at FSU: Corinne Stillwell (violin), Gregory Sauer (cello) and Read Gainsford (piano). The trio formed in 2008 and made its Carnegie Hall debut in May of 2009. Each member brings a wealth of performing experience to the group, which brings a vitality and freshness to its musical approach.

"It's invigorating for a group that plays together regularly to add a musician to the mix," said Sauer. "To add a player who possesses the breadth of experience and the world-class artistry that Richard Stoltzman does is a dream come true."

Program:
Trio Solis: Trio in B-flat major, K 502 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Richard Stoltzman: Air by Toru Takemitsu
Richard Stoltzman & Trio Solis: Quartet for the End of Time by Olivier Messiaen

http://www.richardstoltzman.com