Joseph Rutkowski, clarinet

Hailed by The New York Times as  "...an agile and powerful player," and by the International Clarinet Magazine as a clarinetist with "awesome technical prowess," clarinetist Joseph Rutkowski has performed with James Galway, Mstislav Rostropovich and Maurice Andre and under the batons of Alan Hovhaness, Karel Husa, Laszlo Halasz and JoAnn Falletta.  His recording of Schubert's "Shepherd on the Rock" for Ali Mar Records received critical acclaim in Richard Gilbert's The Clarinetist's Discography.

His lineage includes clarinet studies with Lawrence Sobol, Heinrich Geuser, Eric Simon, David Weber, David Glazer, Pamela Weston.

With degrees from Mannes and Queens College, Rutkowski is a retired teacher of music. While teaching teenagers for the past 44 years bringing his students to perform at Carnegie Hall 16 times, he regularly performed as a clarinetist, pianist and accordionist in orchestras, chamber ensembles, jazz combos in venues that include Carnegie, Alice Tully, Avery Fisher and David Geffen concert halls as well as jazz clubs and saloons. He is the WQXR 2018 Classical Hero, and the LI Music Hall of Fame 2015 Educator of Note.

Since recently retiring from public school teaching, Rutkowski’s recent performances have been with the Chatham Chamber Ensemble, the Broad Street Orchestra and the Karol Rathaus Ensemble. After a 10-year hiatus, he is thrilled to be back performing with Cross Island!