An acclaimed soloist and widely sought-after chamber music collaborator, clarinetist MICHAEL NORSWORTHY has emerged as one of the most gifted artists of his generation.
Michael Norsworthy’s performances have taken him to distinguished concert venues throughout the United States and Europe, including New York City’s Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Jordan Hall, St. Louis’ Sheldon Concert Hall, Festival Casals de Puerto Rico and Aspen Music Festival. Recent seasons have included world premieres of works written for him by Michael Finnissy, Chris Dench and Pozzi Escot, domestic and international recital tours, radio appearances on Boston’s WGBH, recordings for the Mode, Gasparo and Cauchemar labels and performances withthe world's leading contemporary music groups, including the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Klangforum Wien, Callithumpian Consort, Ensemble 21 and Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble. He has also given a series of East Coast recitals with pianist Marilyn Nonken, recitals on the West Coast with pianist Tyson Deaton, with the composer, a Boston performance of the music of Magnus Lindberg and a performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto with the Kalistos Chamber Orchestra, in honor of the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth.
A dedicated and persuasive champion of the music of our own time, Michael Norsworthy has given premieres of over 80 works in collaboration with composers Harrison Birtwistle, Elliott Carter, Chris Dench, Pozzi Escot, Brian Ferneyhough, Michael Finnissy, Lukas Foss, Hans Werner Henze, Magnus Lindberg, Ralph Shapey and Marc Anthony Turnage, among many others.
As soloist, Michael Norsworthy has performed an extensive repertoire of concerti, ranging from Mozart to Ferneyhough, with the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, Callithumpian Consort, NEC Contemporary Ensemble, Pottstown Symphony, Soria Chamber Players, Southern Illinois Symphony and Symphony Pro Musica, while audiences have heard his numerous recitals in Boston, Cambridge, Chicago and St. Louis. He has also collaborated with Tony Arnold, Patrick Demenga, Stephen Drury, Aleck Karis, John Zorn, the Borromeo String Quartet, Orpheus Chamber orchestra and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project.
Michael Norsworthy is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, among them: The John Cage Award, Borromeo String Quartet Guest Artist Award and Southern Illinois University’s Chancellor’s Research and Creativity Award, grants from the Yvar Mikahashoff Trust for New Music, St. Louis Artist Presentation Society and St. Botolph Club Foundation, as well as a fellowship from the Aspen Music Festival.
Michael Norsworthy holds advanced degrees with honors from New England Conservatory and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and has attended Michigan State University. His teachers included Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, Eric Mandat, Kalmen Opperman and Richard Stoltzman. Beginning with the 2005-2006 season, he is artist in residence at Harvard University with the Harvard Group for New Music; in the fall of 2006, he begins service on the faculties of both The Boston Conservatory and Columbia University. He is co-director of the Sound Encounters Festival at the New England Conservatory. Mr. Norsworthy also maintains a respected private studio for advanced students in the Boston area.
Michael Norsworthy performs on mouthpieces by Bradford Behn and plays exclusively on Buffet Clarinets and Rico Reserve reeds. He is a performing artist for Buffet Crampon, the Parisian firm that is the world's oldest and most distinguished clarinet maker and Rico International, the world's largest and most popular manufacturer of reeds.
