Peggy Raushenberger: >>I was wondering who members would consider the best clarinetists >>of today? Steve Schwartz: >My favorite clarinettist, hands down, right now is David Shifrin. His >line is seamless, long, and extraordinarily flexible. You almost can't >tell where he breathes. A very distinguished clarinetist and teacher in Moscow seems to have recently adapted the technique of "circular breathing" quite effectively to the clarinet. Charles Neidich spent some time with him, I believe, and in any case has been known to use it. This may be an evolving trend in woodwind playing of our time. Joel Lazar Conductor, [and once a clarinetist] Bethesda MD [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>