Carol McGonnell

Hailed as “an extraordinary clarinetist” by the New York Times, “elastic, exacting, stupendous” by the LA Times and “clarinet genius” by Time Out NY, Dublin born clarinetist, Carol McGonnell, is known for the expressive power of her playing of standard repertoire while also enjoying acclaim for her fearless exploration of cutting-edge developments in new music. Carol is a founding member of the Argento Chamber Ensemble. She has been involved in the commissioning of over 100 new works, ranging from solo pieces to clarinet concerti.

Carol has appeared in the inaugural concert of Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall and in Lincoln Center’s Great Performers Series, has performed as soloist in both John Adam’s “In Your Ear Festival” at Carnegie and in LA’s “Monday Evening Concerts”, curated by Esa-Pekka Salonen and with numerous orchestras around the world and ensembles including Ensemble Modern, St. Paul’s Chamber Orchestra, the Zankel Band of Carnegie Hall, Decoda and the Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert. She has performed at the Marlboro, Mecklenburg, Santa Fe and Charlottesville Chamber Music Festivals, among many others. Carol is artistic director of Music for Museums, in association with the National Gallery of Ireland, and involving Museums such as the Isabella Stewart Gardner in Boston, J.P. Getty in LA and the Metropolitan Museum in NYC.

Carol has been broadcast on RTE, Lyric FM, BBC, WQXR and NPR and is awaiting the release of her latest CD including a new concerto by Phillipe Hurel.

Carol spent two years in residence with Trio Ariadne at Weill Hall at the Green Music Center in Sonoma and on faculty at Sonoma State University. She is an alumni of the Carnegie/ Juilliard Academy and is on faculty at the Aaron Copland School of Music of CUNY and auxiliary faculty for contrabass clarinet at the Juilliard School in NYC.