CherryValleyMusic.com Home Page >>>

About > Charles Stier > Clarinet

Charles Stier

...is the heir to an artistic and aesthetic tradition that goes back through his teachers and mentors (and their teachers) to the time of Mozart and the beginnings of the clarinet.

To them, he would like to express his unending gratitude and admiration...

  • George Pieterson, Solo Clarinet, Royal Amsterdam Concertgebouworkest and the Netherlands Wind Ensemble (deceased)
  • Dr. Robert Marcellus, Principal Clarinet, The Cleveland Orchestra (deceased)
  • Alan Balter, Principal Clarinet, The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (deceased)
  • Dr. Norman M. Heim, Professor of Clarinet, The University of Maryland at College Park (retired)
  • Dr. Randall S. Thompson, Professor of Clarinet, The College of Charleston, SC
  • Dr. Gordon C. Bobbett, Private Instruction, Charleston, SC (deceased)

and

  • W. Hans Moenning, Master Woodwind Repairman, Philadelphia, PA (deceased)
  • Herbert Wurlitzer, Master Clarinet Maker, Kunstwerkstatt für Holzblasinstrumente, Neustadt an den Aisch, Germany (deceased)

Since 1987, Stier has performed exclusively on Wurlitzer Reform-Böhm clarinets.

Performed Repertoire

Discography

Charles Stier

Dr. Stier (D.M.A., 1982 and M.M., 1979, University of Maryland at College Park) has been instructor of clarinet in the private studio for over 30 years. He has created several critically acclaimed books and compact discs on the subject. He has given countless masterclasses during his concert tours.

He has taught high school kids and young pre-professionals. Some of them have continued their studies at the Juilliard School, Peabody, Northwestern, University of Maryland, Stanford, Brown, Catholic University and the Sweelinck Conservatorium, Amsterdam, Holland.

He has worked with college music majors, graduate school students and gifted adult "amateurs" who were scientists, doctors and engineers.

Many full-time musicians from around the world at the height of their careers and creative powers have sought him out for guidance and perspective.

In years past he taught at the Catholic University of America and the Washington Conservatory of Music in Washington, DC as well as the Peabody Conservatory Preparatory Division in Baltimore, MD.

Charles Stier
Charles Stier

Charles Stier is hailed for his gorgeous tone,
seamless lyricism, excellence and consummate artistry as a classical clarinet soloist. He has dazzled audiences and critics alike with concerto, recital and chamber music performances in seventeen countries on three continents.

American venues included the Kennedy Center and Library of Congress, Washington, DC; Weill [Carnegie] Recital Hall and Alice Tully Hall, New York, NY; the Cleveland Museum of Art (OH) and the Frick Museum, Pittsburgh, PA.

Charles Stier

 

International performances included Brazil, Curacao, Venezuela, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Russia and the Czech Republic.

He often toured as an American "artistic and cultural ambassador"
for the United States Information Service.

Charles Stier
Charles Stier

His guest performances with chamber music organizations included the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and String Quartets such as the Cleveland, Shanghai, St. Petersburg, Helios, Leontovitch, Franciscan, St. Lawrence and Sibelius Academy.

As a summer artist, he appeared at the Newport Music Festival (RI), the Chautauqua Institution (NY), Music Mountain (CT), Piccolo Spoleto (SC), Helsinki and Korsholm (Finland), among others.

His recordings, The Art of the Romantic Clarinet, Cameos, ONE and The Clarinet in the Age of Enlightenment have received outstanding critical acclaim and are regularly broadcast throughout the world. Other releases include Peace On Earth, K439b, The American Myth and Lush Life.

His book titles are On Performance, Clarinet Reeds and What Happens After Graduation?
Dr. Stier has authored numerous articles for periodicals.

Charles Stier
  • "Clarinet magic from the USA" -- Augsburg, Germany
  • "Undeniable talent" -- Caracas, Venezuela
  • "The event-packed tour of Charles Stier was a splendid success. It was everything that one could hope for" -- St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "The audience was enthralled" -- Prague, The Czech Republic
  • "Delightful" -- Stuttgart, Germany
  • "Brilliant" -- Göteborg, Sweden
  • "Representing the best that America has to offer in the arts" -- Belo Horizonte, Brazil
  • "Charles Stier had the audience enraptured" -- Willemstad, Curacao
  • "Saturday night at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Charles Stier showed that virtuosity and top-notch musical instincts can void any predjudices against wind players as serious artists." -- Washington, DC
  • "Suave" -- New York, NY
"Stier's performances are always exhilarating; he has an extraordinary stage presence that invites his audience to participate with him in the music he performs. Beyond that, once participating, his performances are keenly construed and well-thought-out both musically and artistically. He has the rare ability among performers to penetrate to the innards of the composition he is performing. His programming is imaginative and challenging. All in all, he brings to the performing stage an alive and most satisfying experience for his audience." -- Washington, DC Charles Stier
Charles Stier
  • "Remarkable" -- Albuquerque, NM
  • "Thoughtful, refined clarinet artistry" -- Cleveland, OH
  • "One of the best clarinetists around" -- Pittsburgh, PA
  • "It was more than a fine concert. It was an unforgettable experience." -- Stony Brook, NY
  • "Outstanding" -- Buffalo, NY
  • "Verve diabolique" -- Charleston, SC
  • "Soulful-sounding lower register, mellow middle and pure upper range" -- Greenville, SC
  • "A superb tapestry of dynamic power coupled with subtle strands of introspection" -- Cedarhurst, IL
  • "Stier added inspiration to technique" -- Pueblo, CO
  • "Dazzling" -- St. Louis, MO
  • "Masterful, yet effortless" -- College Park, MD
  • "His tone sings throughout all the registers, and he is capable of producing any kind of musical mode of expression at will." -- Prince George's, MD