He is a clarinettist, conductor and teacher, born in Torreon, Mexico, and living in Anaheim, California after he moved there when he was twelve. It was when he was in Anaheim that he became interested in music while at school. He took his further studies at the California State University, Fullerton followed by and Yale University.
He is a co-founder of the Amici Chamber Ensemble who have been active for more than two decades and has held the position of Principal Clarinet with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for 40 seasons.
Over the course of his career he has worked with countless string quartets, the BBC Welsh Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the English Chamber Orchestra, and artists that include Sir Andrew Davies, Pinchas Zuckerman, Joshua Bell, Yo Yo Ma and Kathleen Battle.
Very active in the recording studio he has made more than 30 acclaimed albums, which include a Juno Award for the clarinet concerto by Jacques Hetu, 4 Juno Award nominations with the Amici Chamber Ensemble, a 2007 Grammy Award nomination with the ARC ensemble and another for his “Right Through the Bone”.
An active participant and performer at many music festivals, for the past 20 years or so he has been on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and school. He is also a member of the faculty of the Royal Conservatory of Music and has been appointed the position of its Young Artist Performance Academy Orchestra.
In the role of conductor he has often led the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. He is also the resident conductor of the Royal Conservatory Orchestra.
He is married to Mi Hyon Kim who is a violinist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Toronto Symphony Orchestra Recordings
Cantique de Noel (Adolphe Charles Adams)
CBC SMCD 5119 I (CD – Adeste Fidelis)
Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Children’s Chorus
Conductor – Jean Ashworth Bartle
Soloists – Louis and Gino Quilico
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