With performances conveying “spiritedness and humor”, “unflagging precision and energy”, “eloquence and passion” , “dazzling technique” (The New York Times) and playing described as “something magical” (The Boston Globe), “compellingly musical” (The New York Times) and “thoroughly lyrical…expert” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), Benjamin Fingland interprets a diverse range of clarinet literature.
A proponent of the music of our time, he works closely with living composers. In addition to being a founding member of the critically-acclaimed new music collective counter)induction, he plays with many of the leading contemporary performance ensembles on the East Coast: the International Contemporary Ensemble, NOVUS NY, New York New Music Ensemble, Nunc Music, the Network for New Music, Ensemble 21, the Argento Ensemble, the Locrian Chamber Players, and Sequitur. He is also an artist faculty member of the annual Composers Conference, and a guest faculty member of the Bennington Chamber Music Conference.
He has performed worldwide as a recitalist and soloist, and has also collaborated, recorded, and toured with a wide variety of other artists – ranging in scope from Brooklyn Rider and the Horszowski Trio to Pierre Boulez and the Ensemble Intercontemporain, to jazz legend Ornette Coleman and pop icon Elton John.
Mr. Fingland is the principal clarinetist of the New Jersey Festival Orchestra. He has held principal clarinet positions with the Prometheus Chamber Orchestra and the New Haven Symphony, and has also played with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He has Bachelor and Master of music degrees from the Juilliard School, and is on the faculty of the Third Street Music School Settlement in New York City.
