Gregory Raden

Gregory Raden, principal clarinetist of the Dallas Symphony since 1999, will join the faculty of SMU Meadows School of the Arts in January 2016 as adjunct associate professor of clarinet. Raden was previously assistant principal of the National Symphony and principal clarinetist of the Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra and the Charleston Symphony. He has been heard as guest principal with the orchestras of Minnesota, San Francisco, Saint Louis, Bergen (Norway) and Saint Paul.

Raden has appeared as soloist with the Dallas Symphony, National Symphony, Grand Teton Festival Orchestra, Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra, New York String Orchestra, Baton Rouge Symphony and Charleston Symphony.

He also appears regularly at the Grand Teton, Newport and Bravo Vail Music Festivals and has performed at the Aspen, Marlboro, Mainly Mozart, Mimir, Bellingham, Pacific, Evian, Bay Chamber and Fort Worth Chamber Music Festivals. Raden has been heard in performance with members of the Juilliard, Guarneri, Cavani, Enso and Arianna String Quartets.

San Diego Arts said of his performance of Weber’s Clarinet Quintet, “As he played, I was reminded of Mozart traveling out on all those trips of his when he would discover wonderful players and write home to his father about them…Raden is like that. A magician. He makes you wonder how it’s done - how any reed instrument can produce a sound of such beauty and lyricism.” Raden’s playing has been hailed by The Dallas Morning News as “…exquisitely phrased, his playing was of amazing half-lights and subtle shadings of pastels …” and The Washington Post said “Gregory Raden piped sweetly, raptly and with exquisite nuance.”

As an artist/clinician for Buffet clarinets and Vandoren products, Raden regularly gives recitals, master classes and clinics throughout North America. He has also been on the faculty at George Washington University and the College of Charleston and maintains a private studio in the Dallas area.

Raden began his early studies at the Juilliard School Pre-College with David Weber and then continued with Donald Montanaro at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he graduated in 1994.