John Bruce Yeh (born 1957) is an American

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

ist. He has been the assistant principal clarinetist and E-flat clarinetist of the

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenure ...

since 1977. Yeh is the founder and director of the chamber ensemble, Chicago Pro Musica, whose first recording, Stravinsky's ''

L'Histoire du soldat ' (''The Soldier's Tale'') is a theatrical work "to be read, played, and danced" () by three actors and one or several dancers, accompanied by a septet of instruments. Conceived by Igor Stravinsky and Swiss writer C. F. Ramuz, the piece was bas ...

'', won the 1985

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for the Best New Classical Artist.

Early life

Yeh was born in

Washington DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, although he grew up in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. Yeh's parents were originally from China. Yeh's father was a scientist and a singer. Yeh's mother was a scientist and a pianist.

Education

Yeh initially studied as a pre-med student at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

and also played in local chamber music ensembles and youth symphonies. After two years at UCLA, Yeh transferred to the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...

in New York City.

Career

In 1977, at age 19, Yeh was hired by

Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-servin ...

as a clarinetist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He started as solo bass clarinetist and two years later was appointed assistant principal and E-flat clarinetist. Lebovitz, Carl (29 September 1988)
Chicago Symphony's John Bruce Yeh to Perform"
''Mattoon Journal Gazette'', p. 19. Retrieved 9 February 2017. While in New York Yeh became a founding member of the New York New Music Ensemble and retained an interest in contemporary music throughout his career. In 1979 he founded the chamber ensemble, Chicago Pro Musica and remains its director. The ensemble's first recording, Stravinsky's ''

'', won the 1985 Grammy Award for the Best New Classical Artist. He has also collaborated with composer and electronic musician Howard Sandroff, performing and recording

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music. Born in Mont ...

's 1985 work for clarinet and electronics, ''

Dialogue de l'ombre double ''Dialogue de l'ombre double'' (Dialogue of the double shadow) is a mixed work by Pierre Boulez for clarinet and electroacoustic device composed in 1985. The play is dedicated to Luciano Berio for his sixtieth birthday. There exists a version fo ...

''. Yeh cofounded INVENTIONS, a visual-musical quartet.

Personal life

Yeh's first wife was Jody Yeh, a social worker, who is of Jewish descent; they have two daughters, Molly and Jenna. Yeh's second wife is Teresa Reilly, a clarinetist, and together, they have a daughter, Mia. Yeh, his wife Reilly, and his daughter

Molly Yeh Molly Yeh (born May 22, 1989) is an American cookbook author and blogger who is the host of the Food Network cooking show ''Girl Meets Farm''. Early life Yeh was born and raised in Glenview, Illinois, to Jody (née Shinbrod) and clarinetist ...

, a percussionist, perform together on the album ''Synergy'' released by

Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 1 ...

in the Naxos Wind Band Classics series.Grames, Ronald E. (May 2010)
"Review: Synergy"
''

Fanfare A fanfare (or fanfarade or flourish) is a short musical flourish which is typically played by trumpets, French horns or other brass instruments, often accompanied by percussion. It is a "brief improvised introduction to an instrumental perfo ...

''. Retrieved 9 February 2017 .

Recordings

Yeh's recordings include: *Stravinsky: ''

'' (also includes works by Rimsky-Korsakov, Walton, Hasenohrl, and Nielsen) – Chicago Pro Musica: George Vosburgh (cornet, trumpet); Daniel Gingrich (horn); Jay Friedman (trombone); Richard Graef (flute); John Bruce Yeh (clarinet); Willard Elliot, (bassoon); Albert Igolnikov (violin); Donald Moline (cello); Joseph Guasgafeste (bass); Easley Blackwood (piano); Donald Koss (percussion). Label: Reference Recordings *Hindemith: Clarinet Chamber Music – John Bruce Yeh (clarinet), Easley Blackwood (piano), Amelia Piano Trio. Label:

Cedille Records Cedille Records () is the independent record label of the Chicago Classical Recording Foundation. History In 1989, James Steven Ginsburg, James Ginsburg, the son of Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice of th ...

*Boulez: ''Dialogues With My Shadow'' (also includes works by Sandroff, Donald Martino, and Rami Levin) – John Bruce Yeh (clarinet), Howard Sandroff (computer). Label:

Koch International Classics Entertainment One Ltd., trading as eOne, is an American-owned Canadian multinational entertainment company. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the company is primarily involved in the acquisition, distribution, and production of films and television s ...

*''Synergy'' (works by Daugherty, Burritt, Gillingham, David, and McAllister) – John Bruce Yeh (clarinet), Teresa Reilly (clarinet), Molly Yeh (percussionist), Columbus State University Wind Ensemble. Label:

Awards

* Frank Sinatra Musical Performance Award. * 1986 Grammy Award for Best New Classical Artist

References

External links

*Giacona, Christina (2009)
''A study of comparative interpretations by Stanley Drucker, Elsa Ludewig -Verdehr, Hakan Rosengren, and John Bruce Yeh of the clarinet concerto by Carl Nielsen''
Doctor of Music Dissertation, University of Oklahoma.
Audio: Live from Studio A: John Bruce Yeh

Interlochen Public Radio Interlochen Public Radio (IPR), established in 1963, is the National Public Radio member network for Northern Michigan. It broadcasts classical music and news on five stations in the northwestern Lower Peninsula. It is operated by the Interloch ...

(2015 interview with Yeh and Yeh playing an extract from Stravinsky's ''Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet'')
Chicago Symphony Orchestra clarinetist John Bruce Yeh speaks on musicians strike (April 15, 2019)
July 9, 1987 ainly about the Basset Horn {{DEFAULTSORT:Yeh, John Bruce 1957 births American classical clarinetists American musicians of Chinese descent Living people Musicians from Chicago Musicians from Washington, D.C. 20th-century American musicians 20th-century classical musicians 21st-century American musicians 21st-century classical musicians University of California, Los Angeles alumni Juilliard School alumni 21st-century clarinetists Classical musicians from Illinois Cedille Records artists