Clarinetist to Perform for Obama's Inauguration

The clarinet world is abuzz about the selection of Anthony McGill to play at Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration. McGill is principal clarinetist for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. McGill’s relative lack of name recognition has some clarinetists wondering why he was chosen for this honor. An African-American, McGill will be part of a quartet made up of Itzhak Perlman, an Israeli-American and internationally recognized violinist; Yo-Yo Ma, a Chinese-American who is one of the world’s most renowned cellists; and Gabriela Montero a gifted pianist who was born in Caracas, Venezuela. The composer and arranger for the work that will be performed by this unique quartet is John Williams, perhaps America’s greatest living composer. McGill is in excellent company.

Diversity seems to be one of the hallmarks of this quartet, aside from the obvious musical gifts of each individual. Perlman is Jewish and disabled, Yo-Yo Ma is a Chinese-American, Montero is a Latin American woman, and McGill is a black man. John Williams has not only written two symphonies and a cello concerto for Yo-Yo Ma, he has written the music for popular films from Star Wars to Harry Potter, and he conducted America’s orchestra, the Boston Pops. A better example of the diversity of the United States could hardly be found in a classical quartet of such talent.

Just as the musicians are diverse, the instrumentation of violin, cello, piano, and clarinet is unusual for a quartet. However, instrumentalists and instruments should meld together in harmonious accord. McGill, an accomplished chamber musician, has performed in concert with Yo-Yo Ma. Montero is not only an accomplished interpreter of classic compositions, she is also highly regarded for her skills as an improviser. These two relatively unknown, but highly acclaimed, musicians will perform with the renowned Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma to create a musicians dream team playing an original work by a great American composer.

The quartets appearance will follow the Oath of Office administered to Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and precede the Oath of Office administered to President-elect Barack H. Obama.

If there is a political statement in all of this it is that 21st century America is ready in all of it’s diversity to create and appreciate unique music for a new era.