Anthony McGill to perform for Obama inauguration

I may have said before that I went to high school with many talented artists and thinkers. There are several names I could list that you would immediately recognize, but one that you might not is about to be properly recognized by the world for his talent and accomplishments.

In the summer of 1989 I went to the National Music Camp for the first time. I stayed for eight weeks in a cabin with eleven other boys. One of these, Chip, is still my best friend in the world. The next summer I was cabin-mates with Demarre McGill, a flautist and now principal flute with the San Diego Symphony. I met Demarre’s younger brother, Anthony, at the Interlochen Arts Academy. Anthony is a clarinetist, and he was always at the top of his game.

He attended Curtis Institute, which is considered by many to be the top conservatory in the country. Those who are accepted attend tuition-free and typically perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra before they are done. In fact, many locals consider the Curtis Symphony Orchestra to be superior to the storied Philadelphia Orchestra.

Anthony went straight from Curtis to the Cincinnati Orchestra as principal clarinetist–he got the job before he even graduated. In that year he also was awarded the Avery Fischer Career Grant. After a four-year stint there, he got, perhaps, the top job in the country: principal with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Naturally, he is also sought after as a soloist and chamber artist.

The reason I’m telling you about him today is that I read yesterday that Obama’s inauguration will include music by John Williams for quartet. The musicians will be pianist Gabriela Montero, violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and clarinetist Anthony McGill. Playing with Perlman and Ma is august company, indeed. I applaud Anthony’s brilliant career and wish him continued success.

Enjoy a performance by clarinetist Anthony McGill and pianist Natalie Zhu, including Francis Poulenc: Sonata for clarinet and piano
Claude-Achille Debussy: Première Rhapsodie for clarinet and piano
Johannes Brahms: Sonata No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 120

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