Richard Stoltzman

Richard Leslie Stoltzman (born July 12, 1942) is an American clarinetist. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he spent his early years in San Francisco, California, and Cincinnati, Ohio, graduating from Woodward High School in 1960. Today, Stoltzman is part of the faculty at the New England Conservatory and Boston University.

Stoltzman is perhaps the best-known clarinetist who primarily plays classical music. He has played with over 100 orchestras, as well as with many chamber groups and in many solo recitals. One of them, "Maid with Flaxen Hair", was used by Microsoft as "sample music" on Windows 7 to demonstrate the system's Windows Media Player in 2009. Stoltzman has received numerous awards and has produced an extensive discography. His virtuosity and musicianship were widely celebrated and have made him a highly sought-after concert artist. He's credited for bringing the clarinet to a large audience and changing the image of the instrument. He was sometimes criticized by some of his peers for his unorthodox style of play.

In addition to classical repertoire, Stoltzman also plays jazz and was noted for his interest in fusing genres. Some of his recordings, such as his album New York Counterpoint, feature both jazz and modern music. In 1983, Stoltzman commissioned composer/arranger Clare Fischer to write a symphonic work using Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn themes. The result was The Duke, Swee'pea and Me, an eleven-minute orchestral work which Stoltzman performed worldwide.