Neil Rynston


Artistic Director /Clarinetist

Neil Ryns ton’s career has been diverse and innovative. He has been concerto soloist and principal clarinetist with several orchestras in New York and Europe, including Musikkollegium Winterthur (formerly, the Stadtorchester Winterthur) in Switzerland where he performed Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie at the Stadthaus Winterthur, and the Vivaldi Travelling Virtuosi (NYC) with whom he performed 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 Orchestra 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 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.


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);, Michael H. Lord Gallery (Palm Springs, CA) 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)

        Michael H. Lord Gallery Concert a Treasure: 
           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. . .  "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".   
                                                                                                                                                                Patty Selah (My Desert, May 2009)

In 2004 he founded the chamber music ensemble Vista Lirica. Vista Lirica had its inaugural concert in New York in 2005 . Vista Lirica has been creating a buzz ever since.

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 contri-
           butions 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.