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Noted for the intensity and virtuosity of his playing, Alexey Gorokholinsky, has performed most of the standard solo clarinet repertoire and continues to expand the possibilities for his instrument. A native of Russia, Alexey began his musical studies at age 5 on the piano. At age 7, he took up the clarinet, studying with his father, Valery Gorokholinsky, an accomplished orchestral and solo clarinetist.

Alexey came to the United States at age 15 to attend the Idyllwild Arts Academy (CA) and then The Juilliard School, where he was a full scholarship student. During his freshman year he won The Juilliard Clarinet Concerto Competition and made his New York City debut at Alice Tully Hall, performing the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto with the Juilliard Orchestra. He was also a top prize winner of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Jefferson Symphony, first annual Buffet Crampon, and International Clarinet Association competitions.

Alexey seeks to explore new possibilities for the clarinet in works originally written for strings or for other woodwind instruments. His latest CD, “Delicacies,” recorded in the summer of 2008, showcases a variety of virtuosic and melodic pieces, most of which he arranged for clarinet and piano. Two previous discs, released while he was still in school, covered masterpieces of the clarinet repertoire by Brahms, Schumann, Chausson, Saint-Saens, Debussy, Milhaud, Muczynski, Ravel, Stravinsky, and others. He was accompanied on all three CDs by his mother, Marina Gorokholinsky, a student of legendary pianist Victor Merzhanov.

Alexey appears regularly as a soloist and chamber musician in the New York City area. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School. His principal teachers include world renowned clarinet soloist Charles Neidich, principal coarinetist of Metropolitan Opera, Stephen Williamson, Yehuda Gilad, and his father, Valery Gorokholinsky.