Clarinet Seminar

Program Overview

Please join us for this exciting 5-day clarinet seminar set in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. This fun and engaging intensive will surely help you to hone your skills through daily masterclasses, private lessons, clarinet chamber music, and solo performances.

Areas studied will include:

Practice strategies
Tone development
Building facile finger technique
Study of articulation technique and speed
Orchestral excerpts
Etudes
Solo repertoire
The Art of Interpretation
Audition preparation for college, grad school and professional positions

We will also include time to take advantage of the natural beauty of the Pisgah Forest and other extracurricular activities.

Faculty

Daniel Gilbert Clarinet Clarinetist Daniel Gilbert joined the faculty at the University of Michigan in 2007 where he holds the position of Professor of Clarinet. Previously, he held... Read More

D. Ray McClellan Clarinet Acclaimed for “a remarkable technique, tone and lyricism”, D. Ray McClellan is Professor of Clarinet at the University of Georgia, and a member of the... Read More

Ellen Breakfield Glick Clarinet Praised for her “skill and poise” and “lovely” playing (Cleveland Plain Dealer), clarinetist Ellen Breakfield-Glick maintains a versatile career as an educator, orchestral clarinetist and... Read More

Praised for her “skill and poise” and “lovely” playing (Cleveland Plain Dealer), clarinetist Ellen Breakfield-Glick maintains a versatile career as an educator, orchestral clarinetist and chamber musician. She joined the faculty of the Irving S. Gilmore School of Music at Western Michigan University in 2019, where she holds the position of Associate Professor of Clarinet. Prior to her appointment at WMU, Dr. Breakfield-Glick served on the faculty at Cleveland State University from 2013-2019. During the summer, in addition to the Brevard Clarinet Seminar, she serves on the faculty of the University of Michigan MPulse Clarinet Institute, the Hawaii Symphony’s Pacific Music Institute and is in residence at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory Composer’s Seminar. She is a sought after soloist, recitalist and clinician, most recently serving as Guest Faculty at University of Michigan in the fall 2025 semester.

An active orchestral musician, Ellen is Associate Principal Clarinet with CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra, a position she has held since 2012. A performer interested in inclusive and innovative programming, she is a founding member of the American Wild Ensemble (AWE), a chamber ensemble formed to commission and engage in context-driven programming. The ensemble has commissioned over 50 works and toured extensively throughout the country, beginning with their inaugural partnership with the US National Park Service. AWE has received awards and grants from organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, New Music USA and was a 2020 winner of a Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Grant, which led to a residency at the University of Hawaii and a tour of the Hawaiian Islands. They have released albums with ArtistShare and New Focus Records and have been featured on composers Yotam Haber and Margaret Brouwer’s recent albums.

Ellen received a Bachelor of Music Degree and Arts Leadership Program Certificate from the Eastman School of Music and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts Degrees from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance.

Dates and Deadlines

Dates: Saturday June 13 (arrival) – Thursday June 18, 2026 (departure)
Application Deadline: March 15, 2026
Ages: 14-29
Tuition: $1650 fee includes all instruction, housing, meals, and on-campus health services
Application fee: $40
Questions? Email us at admissions@brevardmusic.org

Audition Requirements

Admission to the Brevard Music Center is determined by audition. Clarinetists may upload audio recordings or link(s) to YouTube video auditions directly into the application.

Perform two contrasting solo works or movements from different style periods.

Sample Daily Schedule

7:30-8:30am Breakfast
8:30-9:30am Breathing/Warm-Up Class
9:30-11:00am Chamber Rehearsals/Coaching
11:00am-12:30pm Masterclass
12:30-1:30pm Lunch

1:30-3:30pm Lessons / Practice Time
3:30-4:30pm Chamber Rehearsals/Coaching or Large Ensemble
4:30-5:30pm Faculty Presentation / Group Class
5:30pm Dinner
Evenings: Seminar Recitals/Performances, Round Table Discussions, Recreational Activities

Arrival and Departure

Attendees should arrive and check-in on Saturday, June 13, 2026 between 11:00am-3:00pm. The first meeting will start at 4:00pm, followed by dinner and an evening class/activity. Departure is on Thursday, June 18, and students must depart the dorms by 10am. For airport shuttle information, please visit the Transportation section of our FAQ page.

Tuition & Scholarships

The program dates are June 13-18, 2026, and the tuition is $1650. The tuition fee includes all instruction, housing, meals, on-campus health services, and concert admission. Each participant is responsible for travel to and from Brevard.

Limited scholarship support is available in the form of financial need-based assistance.
The application fee is $40. A non-refundable enrollment fee of $400 is due within 10 days of acceptance and applies toward the cost of tuition. The remaining tuition balance is due by May 15.

Refunds

All payments, except the $40 application fee and $400 enrollment fee, will be fully refunded if the Center receives notice of cancellation due to serious illness before May 15. Written verification from an M.D. is required. No reduction in fees can be made for late arrival or early departure. No refunds will be made after May 15.

Resident Assistants

A limited number of Clarinet Seminar Resident Assistant (RA) positions are available for the program. Brevard’s RAs provide guidance to younger students and supervise student living quarters.

RAs have the same ensemble and performance opportunities as other students. Clarinet Seminar RAs pay only a non-refundable enrollment fee of $400 which covers tuition, room, and board, and must be 21 by the start date of the program. RAs should arrive and check-in with the other students on Saturday, June 13, 2026 between 11:00am-3:00pm. RA departure is on Thursday, June 18 after noon to ensure all residents are checked out and the dorm is inspected before departure.

Selected individuals will participate in a telephone interview, and, if chosen, submit to a formal background check and participate in an RA orientation session.

Apply Now

Brevard Music Center