March Winds
Friday, March 21, 2014
8:00 PM
West Side Presbyterian Church
Ridgewood, New Jersey
Meet The Soloist: Richard Summers
Richard Summers is a music educator, performer, arranger, conductor, and composer. He grew up in Wheeling WV, became interested in a musical career, and attended the University of Kentucky for two years under a full scholarship. He moved to the NY/NJ area when he was accepted as a clarinetist and saxophonist of the United States Military Academy Band at West Point from 1972-1975. Following his military career, he attended Juilliard, where he received his BM and MM degrees in music performance on clarinet under Leon Russianoff and Joseph Allard.
Newly retired from NJ public schools, Mr. Summers taught instrumental music for 32 years in Kinnelon and Pequannock, NJ and served as adjunct professor for concert band, clarinet, and woodwinds at William Paterson University, where he established the Summer Honors Band.
As a performer on clarinet, saxophone, and other woodwind instruments, Mr. Summers has performed as a member of the New Jersey Pops Orchestra, The Orchestra at William Paterson, The New Music Ensemble, The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Adelphi Chamber Orchestra, North Jersey Philharmonic, and has been principal clarinetist, soloist, assistant conductor, personnel manager, and arranger with the Ridgewood Concert Band for over 25 years. Throughout his career, he has been a featured performer both locally and internationally, playing solo works across the US and Europe.
Mr. Summers has recently arranged and composed music that has been published for Bandworks Publications, and Carl Fisher Publications, and is hoping to write and publish more music in the future. Mr. Summers resides in West Milford, NJ and has a musical family of his own. His wife Karen and his son Stephen are also clarinetists and perform together in area music ensembles like the Ridgewood Concert Band.
