A native New Yorker of Russian and Greek descent, Charles Neidich began his clarinet studies with his father, Irving Neidich, at the age of eight, and continued them with the renowned teacher Leon Russianoff and, later in Moscow, with Boris Dikov. His reputation has grown steadily since his 1974 New York recital debut while still a student at Yale. A series of prizes helped launch his early career: the Silver Medal in the 1979 Geneva International Competition, First Prize in the 1982 Munich International Competition and one of three Grand Prizes in the 1984 Accanthes International Competition in Paris. In 1985, he won the first major clarinet competition in the United States, the Walter W. Naumburg Competition, which catapulted him into prominence as a soloist.
Neidich has appeared in concerts throughout the world, including engagements throughout Japan, and a seven-city tour of the Soviet Union.
Notably, he performed the world premiere of Joan Tower's Clarinet Concerto with the American Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall. This exceptional virtuoso has given four critically acclaimed solo recitals in New York, as well as countless other New York performances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the New York Woodwind Quintet, the Aeolian Chamber Players, Parnassus, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and with Heinz Holliger at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He performs about 80 concerts annually, including solo recitals, and orchestral and chamber ensemble appearances. He is currently a member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the New York Woodwind Quintet. Charles Neidich also holds a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Anthropology from Yale University.
For Sony Classical, Charles Neidich has made numerous recordings on both modern and historical instruments, both as soloist and with his period-instrument wind ensemble Mozzafiato. Recent recordings on modern clarinet have included the Brahms Clarinet Quintet (with the Juilliard Quartet, S2K 66285), and, with period instruments on the VIVARTE label: clarinet sonatas by Weber, Danzi and Mendelssohn (with fortepianist Robert Levin, SK 64302); wind ensemble music by Beethoven (Mozzafiato, SK 53367) and Mozart and Pleyel (Mozzafiato, SK 64306); as well as chamber music with clarinet by Weber, Hummel and Reicha (with L'Archibudelli, SK 57968).
