United States of America

Dr. John Cipolla, past president of the International Clarinet Association (2012-2014), is currently Professor of Music at Western Kentucky University (USA). John has performed throughout the US, Europe and South America and has recorded on Sony, ECM New Series, Centaur, Nonesuch, Music Minus One, Gde Records, Dance Vision Records, and NBC television.

Prior to teaching full time, John had a varied career as a multiple woodwind player (clarinets, saxophones, flute, piccolo) in New York City performing and/or recording with an eclectic array of artists and ensembles including The New York City Opera, St. Luke’s Chamber Orchestra, Meredith Monk, Aretha Franklin, Liberace, Johnny Mathis, Dizzy Gillespie, Mario Bauza’s Latin Jazz Ensemble, as well as being a tenured member of the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra and one of the longest running Broadway shows, CATS. He is regularly invited to serve on international competition juries in the USA and Europe.

John was a scholarship student of Joe Allard at The Juilliard School in New York City. He holds the Bachelor of Music degree in saxophone performance from The Eastman School of Music, the Master of Music degree in clarinet performance from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in clarinet performance from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

John is a Gonzalez Reeds, Selmer Paris, and Zac Ligature artist.