CarolinaClarinet

CarolinaClarinet seeks to bring the clarinet quartet literature to appreciative audiences in the Triangle area. We have performed for the chamber music series of the Durham and Raleigh Symphony Orchestras, Carol Woods, Carolina Meadows, the Forest at Duke, Chapel Hill Friends of the Library and many other Triangle area venues. We play a wide variety of music, including music originally written for clarinet quartet as well as arrangements of pieces originally written for other ensembles. The clarinet quartet musical form includes many serious compositions including original works as well as transcriptions. In addition, there are many quartets that are intended as academic training exercises or simply fun playing in the tradition of chamber music. Some are quartets for four equal clarinets while others are for mixed combinations including bass clarinet, Eb alto clarinet, Eb soprano clarinet, contrabass clarinet, etc. Most of our performances are based on serious musical compositions for four equal clarinets or three clarinets and bass clarinet. Members of the Quartet rotate parts.

Tara Glaspey, originally from Pittsburgh, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Clarinet Performance from Carnegie Mellon University and taught in Pennsylvania before moving to Fuquay-Varina NC. She now teaches in the Wake County NC School system. Tara is an active performer in the area, playing with NC Wind Orchestra, the Triangle Wind Ensemble, and other groups.

Janice Lipson, originally from Winston-Salem, has lived in Raleigh since 1983. She received a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet and in Music Education from UNC-Greensboro. Janice has taught in NC public and private schools, as well as in the NC State University Music Department. Janice and Brent performed together as the clarinet section of the Raleigh Civic Symphony for over 20 years. Janice performs with the NC Theater and Broadway Series South, the NC Wind Orchestra, and the Tar River Orchestra and Symphonic Band (of Rocky Mount NC). In addition to the clarinet and bass clarinet, she also doubles on saxophones and flutes. Janice maintains a private teaching studio at Ravenscroft School and in her home.

Brent Smith, a Raleigh native, performs regularly with many regional ensembles, including the Raleigh Symphony, the Tar River Orchestra and Symphonic Band, Hillyer Orchestra, and the NC Wind Orchestra. As a youngster, Brent studied clarinet with Curtis Craver in Raleigh, and he now studies with Mike Cyzewski of the NC Symphony. Brent is a retired faculty from NC State University, where he served on the faculty for 23 years. He devotes as much of his time as possible to studying and playing the clarinet.

Jim Williams, originally of California, earned his Bachelor of Music Education at the University of Florida where he studied with Terrance Small. He went on to earn a Master of Music in Clarinet Performance from the New England Conservatory. Jim served on the faculty of NC Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount before moving to Raleigh. He performs regionally with the North Carolina Symphony, Raleigh Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, NC Wind Orchestra, and other regional orchestras. He is a founding member of the Tar River Orchestra and the Symphonic Band.