ARMANDO VAZQUEZ

Described as a worthy talented musician by El Diario La Prensa, Armando has performed in chamber Ensembles,Orchestras,and as soloist through out the tri-state area and abroad. He has been praised by colleagues and concert goers for his passion to music and for his sound . David Weber said to him when he met him for the first time ,"You have a really nice sound , what do you want to do with it ,you can do anything with it ,chamber music , solo ,orchestral ?,Armando Recorded most of his lessons with David Weber ,he didn't mind the recorder being present either , and yes he says lessons would go past the hour ,it wasn't uncommon for that to occur. Weber always would exact to his students to play with a full rich sound bel canto in style of approach that would ring , he was big on musicality ,phrasing and would always say hold it out for as long as you can ,which he meant during phrases and held notes the sound and quality and stressed not to clip phrases . David Weber studied with Simeon Bellison the principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic and with Gaston Hamelin and was freinds with Ralph Mclane Principal clarinet of the Philadelhia Orchestra , He had been sorrounded by great clarinetist's during his time which all had lineage to the French School ,He knew what and how the clarinet should sound .Armando He Recalls listening to the clarinet at school and liking the sound ..His first instrument was a plastic bundy clarinet which he still owns till this day which his parents brought for him for 300.00 at the time , He never had to be told to practice it was something he instinctively did as a child ,he remembers his first long tones and weeping since he didn't get the sound he thought he would , this was 4 days into having the instrument ,At an early age that is a great instinct to have to be striving for that sound for the ear knows what he heard before and seeks for that innate sound that is so unique to each musician .Both Armando's parent weren't musicians but were very musically inclined , he recalls his mother telling him when she was a child in her native cuba how she would listen to the piano from the window of one of her friends and she would be invited to try the piano at times and he recalls her telling him how she was involved in choruses in her country and how she was told what a beautiful voice she had. His father he recalls telling him how he would go when he was a young man in his native cuba on numerous occasions and sit in on live radio broadcasts and listen to all the great musicians of his time , one of his favorite artist singers was Olga Guillot ,this he all found out much later when he was an adult ,There was much music in the household with his mother playing recordings on the radio , but Armando recalls how he was first exposed to classical music ,He says he was 7 or 8 years old and on WQXR there was an orchestra playing along with a piano and he recalls how the 2nd movement largo of Beethoven 's piano concerto No.3 anyhow the lush sound of the strings and piano lured him to this genre. Armando Began his musical journey on the recorder ,then choosing the Clarinet as his instrument of expression, At an early age he recalls having also a very small organ which his grandmother found in a thrift store, he would play notes on it and recalls enjoying the sound it created. As a child he enjoyed singing as well in a group .He began his clarinet studies and recorder with matthew Favaro at the age of 9. At age 11 and 12 he was being invited to perform with the advanced HS symphonic bands in his area where he lived ,He then studied with clarinetist Bonnie Isbey Sholl at the Mannes College of Music .Armando served honorably his country in the USMC.He has been principal for the Operafestival di Roma Orchestra in Italy where the orchestra recorded for RAI television Mozart piano concerti K.488 in A and Mozart Kegelstatt's Trio K.498. Armando had the opportunity to partake in an orchestral celebratory concert for the High School for the Performing Arts which had Matthew Broderick, Eartha Kitt and many other celebrities performing that night .A Graduate of the Laguardia High School of Music and Art and The Performing Arts in NYC, the "FAME " high school ,He auditioned for a spot at the highly competitive Laguardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts which that year had only 2 openings and over 700 applicants from around the city he recalls arriving at the famed school and going to the audition room in the basement level of the school where the audition took place performing a concerto sight reading and scales and won the audition on the spot. It wasn't long before he auditioned for the Laguardia Symphony Orchestra which was known as Orchestra8 ,he orchestras conductor was Maestro Jonathan Strasser whom himself was a graduate of the institution , he invested many hours with all of the orchestra every year honing its sound technique discipline and producing very high quality passionate performances which were well attended.This was the top performing orchestra in the school compromised of many talented string players from the entire world literally . Every member was also attending and taking lesson at different conservatories during the same time Mannes ,Manhattan Julliard and many other fine conservatories. A graduate of the school and the Mannes College of Music PC div. He has played with Ensemble Du Monde, Ensemble Artist's Orchestra , New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble, New York Youth Symphony Chamber Music, Laguardia Symphony Orchestra , during conductor Jonathan Strassers Tenure Mannes College Of Music Orchestra during Bernard Yannotas Tenure,Interschool Orchestra of NY during Conductor Jonathan Strassers tenure, CLOC Opera Orchestra, Orange County Community Band, Ramsey Wind Symphony. He was E-Flat Clarinetist with the Ridgewood Concert Band now known as the New Jersey Wind Symphony since 2006 to 2011 where he can be heard on the Highlights of the 26th Season CD . Competitions and Festivals he has auditioned and has won a spot been are Tanglewood Music Festival which hundreds of musicians audition for worldwide to get in ,he won his audition and still remembers his audition in NYC this gave him the opportunity to meet and speak with Harold Wright then principal of the Boston Symphony Orchestra whom had nice compliment for the young Vazquez,Hampden Sydney music Festival which he won for 2 seasons , he received his acceptance letter praising him for his trios performance and Clarinetists Ethan Sloane's interest in Vazquez's performance and Bowdoin Music Festivals, He was the winner of the Mannes College of Music concerto competition which gave him the opportunity to perform the Mozart Clarinet Concerto With Conductor David Randolph conducting the orchestra at The Trinity School hall in NYC. Maestro Randolph was conductor of the Masterworks Chorus and Orchestra they appeared annually at Carnegie Hall with the Santa cecelia chorus and orchestra .He was also the host of the program "lincoln Center Spotlight which was heard weekly on the radio station WQXR and CBS television network.Maestro Randolph described Armandos Tone as smooth velvety and beautiful .The 2009-2010 season marked his 164th carnegie hall appearance as conductor of the St. Cecilia Chorus and Orchestra .He was winner of the Lincoln Center's Young Artist's Competition for two years in a row , his quintet performed the Ibert woodwind and taffanel woodwind quintets. which were coached by Alan Kay Clarinet and Robert Routch French hornist of the Lincoln Center chamber Music Society.He was finalist in the Interschool Orchestra's Advanced orchestral competition during Jonathan Strasser's tenure with the orchestra performing the Krommer Clarinet Concerto. His trio was chosen to perform Brahm's Trio op.114 at Merkin Concert Hall with the New York Youth Symphony chamber music recital series sponsored by the Greenwall Foundation in NYC and at the National Arts Club in the grand gallery in NYC. Armando revisited recently Merkin Concert Hall where he played as associate principal clarinet of The Ensemble Du Monde Orchestra, performing in the Piano Passion series Beethoven Piano Concerti. Clarinetist Jerry Kirkbride of the Dorian Quintet heard Armando perform and in a letter which he has amongst his archives of letters mentioned how he listened with interesting appreciation and commended him on his tone saying he is a talented and interesting performer.During his time at the High School for the Performing Arts in NYC he auditioned for the clarinet spot for a NYC young Artist Woodwind quintet which was forming . Out of the many applicants he won the audition this gave him the opportunity to take weekly masterclasses with Jerome Roth Oboist during Lenoard Bernstein's and Zubin Mehta's ten with the New York PhilharmonicOrchestra in NYC.He Auditioned for Clarinetist David Glazer of the NY woodwind Quintet which also had as french hornist John Barrows in the group,he recalls going to his Central Park West apt in nyc and playing the Mozart Clarinet Concerto and some excerpt for David Glazer he recalls Mr .Glazer commending him on his tone and technique .He took one lesson with Glazer and the rest were weekly masterclasses with jerome Roth of the NY Philharmonic orchestra. This provided him with numerous performance opportunities to perform at Merkin Hall and Abraham Goodman house in NYC ,the bulk of the works were transcriptions of jerome moth's of Beethoven String Quartets and JS Bach works. He was recipient of the Claire Caine Chamber mUsic award while at the High School for the Performing Arts .Masterclasses have been with Ronald Roseman, Richard Stolzman, Felix Galimir, Samuel Baron, Robert Routch, Alan Kay, Franco Ferranti, Ethan Sloane and David Gould . He is active in NY/ NJ as a clarinetist which has given him opportunities to work with conductors and ensembles of which are Roger of the Wesby, Wagner Symphony Orchestra ,Wagner

Buffet R 13 Clarinet Vandoren 5RV profile 88 mouthpiece given to him my Clarinetist David Weber this one of his own mouthpieces , Armando was a student of David Weber's of the Juilliard School of Music in NYC .Bonade Ligature piece , Moening Clarinet Barrels, Vandoren V12 Clarinet reeds Strength 4 . Vandoren B40 mouthpiece refaced my the late Jimmy Yang