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Biographies
Artistic director/clarinetistNeil Rynston
Neil Rynston’s career has been diverse and
innovative. He has been concerto soloist and
principal clarinetist with several orchestras
in New York and Europe, including Musik-
kollegium Winterthur (formerly, the Stadt-
orchester Winterthur) in Switzerland where
he performed Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie at
the Stadthaus Winterthur, and the Vivaldi Tra-
velling Virtuosi (NYC) with whom he perfor-
med Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A, KV 622
and Bärmann’s Adagio for Solo Clarinet and
String Orchestra. He is presently the principal
clarinetist and orchestra manager of the Chamber
Philharmonia of NY under the direction of Maestro
Tali Makell and the Cosmopolitan Symphony Orch-
estra under the direction of Maestro Bernard
Rubenstein. In the 2010-11 season he will perform
Copland’s Clarinet Concerto with Maestro Makell
and the CPNY. He has also collaborated
laborated with such luminaries as David del
Tredici for whom he contracted the ensemble for
and performed in his monodrama Dracula for del
Tredici’s 70th birthday gala and Lowell Lieber-
mann for whom he assisted in the revision
of his Quintet for clarinet, violin, viola, ’cello and piano.
An experienced chamber musician, Mr. Rynston has been a repeated guest recitalist at the American Landmark Series NY), the Dame Myra Hess Series (Chicago), Trinity Church Summer Series (NY), the Glencairn Series (Philadelphia), the Frye Museum (Seattle); has been featured on KING FM (Seattle).
The performances were expressive, musically alive and technically brilliant. The Fantasy Pieces of Schumann showed off the strong suits of the clarinetist. Rynston's tone always sang, was unerringly in tune and the quality of his tone held even, from the lowest to the highest register. . . The slow movement of the Beethoven [Op. 11 Trio] gave this listener a hint of what paradise must be all about. . . The musically aware audience responded to a simply wonderful performance with enthusiasm. -- Morton Gold (Journal Tribune, July 31, 2008)
In May 2009 he performed chamber music concerts at Michael H. Lord Gallery Palm Springs, CA:
There was something so right for Palm Springs in the "Brahms Meets Rauschenberg" concert performed last weekend at the innovative Michael H. Lord Gallery. It was excellent. . . . And it was appreciated by a serious group of art and music lovers who are still here a month after the snowbirds fly east.
Their selections were the "Trio" by Vincent d'Indy, Opus 29, and the "Trio" by Johannes Brahms, Opus 114, and they played them with intoxicating clarity. Seated in the resonant sound stage created by the large gallery with high rounded ceiling and bare cement floor, they fabricated a mixed-art synergy with the white, red and blue decor and the hanging works of such exciting visual artists as Robert Rauschenberg, Nicholas Africano, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Carlo D’Alessio, Jan Groover, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Mapplethorpe, Joan Miro, Roger Selden, Frank Stella, Andy Warhol and Michael Weems.
"Michael is going to have more events like this," said John Hussar of PRNewsWorks who has recently associated with the Gallery "when Palm Springs can attract such world-class artists as these". The mix of art, artists, architecture and audience here has finally begun to reach the fine wine stage and I want to taste more of it. Patty Selah (My Desert, May 21, 2009)
Their selections were the "Trio" by Vincent d'Indy, Opus 29, and the "Trio" by Johannes Brahms, Opus 114, and they played them with intoxicating clarity. Seated in the resonant sound stage created by the large gallery with high rounded ceiling and bare cement floor, they fabricated a mixed-art synergy with the white, red and blue decor and the hanging works of such exciting visual artists as Robert Rauschenberg, Nicholas Africano, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Carlo D’Alessio, Jan Groover, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Mapplethorpe, Joan Miro, Roger Selden, Frank Stella, Andy Warhol and Michael Weems.
"Michael is going to have more events like this," said John Hussar of PRNewsWorks who has recently associated with the Gallery "when Palm Springs can attract such world-class artists as these". The mix of art, artists, architecture and audience here has finally begun to reach the fine wine stage and I want to taste more of it. Patty Selah (My Desert, May 21, 2009)
After many years of improvising and studying Jewish music at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in New York, he composed several virtuoso solo works for clarinet based on Jewish cantorial arias. The Cantorial Arias have been choreographed in collaboration with Cathy Ward (Erick Hawkins Company). Mr. Rynston’s recording of these works has been used for a critically acclaimed production of Shana Mad’l in London’s Kings’ Theatre and for several documentaries.
As principal clarinetist and orchestra manager of Opera Manhattan (1991-1998), he developed an orchestra comprised of distinguished soloists. This company presented its Lincoln Center début at Alice Tully Hall in 1997.
Opera Manhattan was formed to present productions of various neglected operas in theaters around town. Its other driving goal was to raise money for AIDS research and care. In both areas the company has made notable contributions to the city… The orchestra playing was stylistically assured. -- Anthony Tommasini (New York Times)
In “Pleurez mes yeux,” from Le Cid, clarinetist Neil Rynston eloquently limned Chimène’s pathos with
stirring virtuosity. -- Bruce-Michael Gelbert (New York Native)
After having received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Oberlin Conservatory, Mr. Rynston continued his professional training with legendary clarinetist Robert Marcellus at Northwestern University, chosen as one of three out of almost 1,000 prospectives. He was invited by Gunther Schuller to perform at the Sandpoint Chamber Music Festival in Idaho in 1987. That same year he received a stipend to study at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. He has also studied arts management and German literature at New York University’s Gallatin Division.
In February 2007 he joined the faculty of the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music where he teaches classical clarinet and chamber music.