Derek Bermel, clarinet
“Brilliant” and “rhythmically fluid, rich-hued” are how the New York Times has described performances by composer/clarinetist Derek Bermel. He was soloist alongside Wynton Marsalis in Mr. Bermel’s sprawling The Migration Series for jazz band and orchestra, and he has performed his clarinet concerto Voices (BMOP/Sound) with dozens of orchestras worldwide, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Bermel’s chamber music appearances also include the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, collaborations with the Borromeo, Pacifica, and JACK string quartets, and festivals across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The Boston Globe wrote, “There doesn't seem to be anything that Bermel can't do with the clarinet,” and collaborators cover a similarly eclectic musical landscape, from jazz luminaries Paquito D’Rivera and Luciana Souza, to virtuoso violinist Midori, to hip-hop legend Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), and composer/conductors John Adams and Tan Dun.
Derek Bermel is thrice Grammy-nominated: for Best Contemporary Composition for his Migration and Intonations (Naxos), and as Best Soloist with Orchestra for Voices (BMOP/Sound). His works have been programmed internationally by orchestras, ensembles, and festivals. His many honors include the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts; the Rome Prize; and the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Guggenheim, and Fulbright fellowships. Recent projects include a concerto, Spring Cadenzas, for violinist Midori, and a new opera for the Glimmerglass Festival with librettist Sandra Cisneros, based on her bestselling novel The House on Mango Street.