Michael Norsworthy
Michael Norsworthy's virtuosity, versatility and musicianship have earned him a unique place among rising young stars today. Hailed by the Pittsburgh Tribune as a "dramatic performer...with beautiful tonal nuances" and the Chicago Tribune as having "expertly played...giving the music precision and polish", his performances have taken him to important venues around the USA and Europe including Carnegie Hall, The Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, Boston's Jordan Hall, St. Louis' Sheldon Concert Hall, Italy's FestiVal Gardena and the Aspen Music Festival to work with conductors such as Knussen, Ozawa, Robertson, DePriest, Muti and many more.
Highlights for the 2002-03 season include the world premiere of Michael Finnissy's Giant Abstract Samba for clarinet and wind ensemble at Boston's Jordan Hall, a performance of Stravinsky's complete L'histoire du Soldat at the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, the world premiere of Chris Dench's The Sadness of Detail for solo clarinet, Scelsi's chamber concerto Kya with the Callithumpian Consort, the Boston premiere of Elliott Carter's clarinet duo Hiyuko, an 80th birthday celebration with composer Lukas Foss, recordings for Mode and Albany records, as well as recitals and guest appearances on chamber music series around the country including the Cloud Foundation and the New Gallery Concert Series.
A unique artist, Norsworthy's artistic personality is largely defined by his commitment to the music of today. He has given world and local premieres of over 35 new works in collaboration with composers Elliott Carter, Hans Werner Henze, Pozzi Escot, Marc Anthony Turnage, Ralph Shapey, Robert Cogan, Lukas Foss, Chris Dench, Michael Finnissy and many others. His repertoire defies categorization as he can often be seen performing music from three different centuries on a single concert. In a recent performance of Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, the Northeast Performer said, "Norsworthy demonstrates amazing tone in each of the clarinet's registers, his melodic lines are sinuous and simply beautiful, and his crescendos are subtle and effective." In addition, he is co-director of the Boston-based new music ensemble Callithumpian Consort and clarinetist with the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble.
Among his many awards are the Borromeo String Quartet Guest Artist Award, the John Cage Award for new music, an Aspen Music Festival fellowship, a grant from the Yvar Mikahashoff trust for new music, a recital award from the St. Louis Artist Presentation Society, Southern Illinois University's Chancellor's Research & Creativity Award, a St. Botolph Club Foundation grant, second prize in the Kathryn McPhail Competition in Philadelphia and first prize in the Southern Illinois Symphony Concerto Competition.
He holds a Master's Degree with Academic Honors and Distinction in Performance from the New England Conservatory and a Bachelor of Music degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. His teachers include Richard Stoltzman, Kalmen Opperman, Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, and Eric Mandat.