He'll be performing at the 2024 BBC Proms, and is musical trailblazer. But who is clarinettist Anthony McGill?

Who is Anthony McGill?

Anthony McGill has been principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic since 2014. He is the first African-American principal player in the organisation's history.

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He was previously principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera for 10 years, and was also associate principal clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

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Anthony McGill performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician. In 2020 he won the Avery Fisher Prize. In 2009 he took part in the inauguration of President Barack Obama, premiering a piece by John Williams and performing alongside violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and pianist Gabriela Montero.

‘I have eclectic tastes as a musician, and I’ve fortunately gotten to work with a lot of different composers and play a lot of different types of music,’ he told BBC Music Magazine.

Anthony McGill performs the Adagio from Mozart's Clarinet Concerto

How old is Anthony McGill?

Anthony McGill was born on 17 July 1979 and is 45 years old. He is originally from Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in the city's Chatham neighbourhood.

His older brother, Demarre, is currently principal flautist of the Seattle Symphony, following principal flute positions with the Dallas and San Diego symphonies.

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Where did Anthony McGill study?

McGill studied at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Which musicians has Anthony McGill performed with?

McGill has performed as soloist with the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, and Detroit symphony orchestras.

As a chamber musician, McGill has collaborated with the Brentano, Daedalus, Guarneri, JACK, Miró, Pacifica, Shanghai, Takács, and Tokyo Quartets. He has also worked with Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, Gil Shaham, Midori, Mitsuko Uchida and Lang Lang.

‘I love the Pacifica Quartet musicians; they’re my recording partners, but also friends and colleagues,’ he told us. ‘I love their intensity of music-making and their dedication to the artform. They play with such passion, musicianship and emotion.’

Where does Anthony McGill teach?

McGill serves on the faculty of The Juilliard School and also at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he holds the William R. and Hyunah Yu Brody Distinguished Chair.

He is the artistic director for Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program, which trains young musicians from backgrounds underrepresented in classical music. This is funded by a permanent endowment grant of $50m.

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What are Anthony McGill’s best recordings?

McGill earned his first Grammy nomination for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for his album American Stories with the Pacifica Quartet (Cedille).

‘I’m really happy about this album because all of the composers are living composers who I know and whose works I perform regularly,’ he told BBC Music Magazine. 'We musicians carry our own personalities and stories as we perform, but the composers do as well, and I wanted to bring all their voices together in one place.’

McGill has also recorded the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto with Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic.

Anthony McGill performs Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto with the New York Philharmonic

He and his flautist brother, Demarre McGill, joined the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras and Allen Tinkham to record Winged Creatures, an album of works for flute, clarinet, and orchestra on Cedille.

‘This album was special for a lot of reasons,’ he told us. ‘The recording took place in our hometown of Chicago, which means so much because of the history of where we grew up, on the South Side. We went to music school in the downtown area every Saturday for many years – and we recorded this album in the same building. My brother was older and I looked up to him. So this was a full-circle moment where we were able to revisit our roots.’

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When is Anthony McGill performing at the 2024 BBC Proms?

McGill performs Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gemma New on Friday 16 August (Prom 36) at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

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Also on the programme are Mel Bonis’s colourful Salomé and Mendelssohn’s musical retelling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

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