Nancy Braithwaite
Nancy Braithwaite graduated from the renowned Eastman School of Music with the highest musical distinction, the Performers Certificate. At the age of 23 she won the position of solo-clarinetist with the Savannah Symphony Orchestra, where she was also very active in chamber music. As soloist she has performed with various professional orchestras in The United States in works by Mozart, Nielsen, von Weber and Rossini. Nancy participated in summer festivals in Spoleto (Italy), Maine (USA) and Tanglewood (USA).
She studied with Stanley Hasty at the Eastman School and Robert Marcellus, former Principal clarinetist of the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell. During her Master’s study at Northwestern University with Robert Marcellus she worked as his teaching assistant in both clarinet and chamber music. In the USA she furthered her study with Larry Combs, former Principal clarinetist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In Europe she took a chamber music degree with the renown violinist Eli Goren, former leader of the Allegri Quartet and Melos Ensemble and concertmaster of the BBC Symphony. and continued her clarinet studies with the famous Belgian soloist, Walter Boeykens.
Since living in The Netherlands she has made a number of radio recordings, toured throughout much of Europe and performed as guest artist with Camilli Quartet, Raphael Quartet, Goffriller Quartet, Spinoza Quartet and Trio Microcosmos in works by Mozart, Brahms, Hindemith, Bliss, Keuris, Howells and von Weber.
Her chamber music repertoire encompasses more than 250 works.
Presently Nancy is a member of Selima Trio (soprano, clarinet and piano), La Rondine (winds and piano) Trio Canteloube (oboe, clarinet and bassoon) Arto Ensemble (mezzo soprano, clarinet, violin, viola and cello ), Rietveld Ensemble (violin, clarinet, cello and piano), Emmelos Ensemble (octet with strings and winds) Clara Trio (clarinet, viola and piano) and Frühling Trio (clarinet, cello and piano) and regularly gives recitals with piano.
Nancy Braithwaite is founder and artistic director of the series Kromme-Rijn Concerten in Bunnik in which the Arto ensemble functions as core musicians performing with a wide variety of guest artists.
In 2014 she and the other members of the Rietveld Ensemble founded thier own chamber music series in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
A number of composers have written works for her ranging in instrumentation from solo clarinet to octet.
At the Rotterdam Conservatory (Codarts) Nancy is Professor of Clarinet and Chamber Music.
Nancy is an Uebel artist and plays Uebel Superior clarinets and uses a Silverstein ligature.
She is the mother of two wonderful children, a daughter, Amarins and a son, Tsjalling.
