| Michael Edwards Michael Edwards completed his Bachelor of Music degree in 1968 from the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University, in Chicago, on scholarship awarded through the College. While a student, he studied with Clark Brody, Walter Wollwage and Ray Still. Following graduation, he joined the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and was simultaneously appointed principal clarinetist with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, also in Montreal. He has performed under the batons of many outstanding conductors including Carlo Maria Giulini, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, Zubin Mehta, Kiril Kondrashin, Pavle Despalj, and Franz-Paul Decker. As a soloist, Michael Edwards is recognized as one of the world’s leading exponents of the clarinet. He has performed as soloist in some of the world’s greatest concert halls including Town Hall, St. Lawrence Center for the Performing Arts in Toronto, Carnegie Hall in New York, Orchestra Hall in Chicago and Lisinski Hall in Zagreb. He has performed many recitals and made many numerous recordings for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s radio and television networks all across Canada accompanied by such artists as Charles Reiner, John Newmark and George Brough. Other artists he has performed with include Michael Flaksman, Pavle Despalj, Christiano Rossi and Timothy Bach. He has performed as soloist with many of the world’s leading ensembles including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra in the United States, the Hamilton Philharmonic in Canada, the Varazdin Chamber Orchestra in Zagreb and the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra. He has performed chamber music extensively, and continues to persue chamber music interests internationally. Other performances have taken him to Japan, Italy, Eastern Europe and across North America. Michael Edwards records for Crystal Records. “Bravura from first to last” IN TUNE MAGAZINE, JAPAN “Virtuosic performer” THE INSTRUMENTALIST, UNITED STATES “Excellent technique and a real sense of dynamics” LONDON FREE PRESS, CANADA “His performance was an exciting, convincing “tour de force” that left the audience breathless, and that brought forth so many curtain calls that the closing section of the last movement had to be repeated as an encore” NEWS CHRONICLE, CANADA “Technical perfection, musicality, and the absolute sovereignty of his musicianship resulted in the most impressive interpretation of this concerto.” NOVI LIST, ZAGREB CROATIA O1C Performances: Michael Edwards, Michael Flaksman & Hatem Nadim Michael Edwards, clarinet |
