Linnea Nereim

Clarinet, has been bass clarinetist of the Cleveland Orchestra since 1985. She previously was a studio artist and freelancer with the Milwaukee Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Grant Park Orchestra. At the University of Chicago, Nereim was solo clarinetist and bass clarinetist with the Contemporary Chamber Players. A native of Chicago, she received her bachelor of music education degree from Northwestern University, where she studied with Jerome Stowell, Robert Marcellus, Larry Combs and Russ Dagon. She was a member of the Colorado Philharmonic (now the National Repertory Orchestra) and the Florida Symphony. Nereim participated in live radio broadcasts of the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts in Chicago and broadcasts from the Library of Congress. She appeared as soloist at the International Alban Berg Society conference in Chicago in 1985. Nereim is a faculty member at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her teaching experience includes master classes in Japan and the United States.

Her vast catalogue of commercial recordings with the Cleveland Orchestra – exclusively on Selmer bass clarinets – comprises performances under Christoph von Dohnanyi, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Pierre Boulez, Oliver Knussen and Riccardo Chailly. She is especially proud that her dulcet clarinet tone provided the original character sound for the popular video game Ms. Pacman, which is still heard worldwide.

Photo courtesy of Roger Mastroianni (www.rogermastroianni.com)

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