amanda walker, clarinet

International clarinetist AMANDA WALKER is originally from the United Kingdom. Her training in England was at the Royal College of Music where she studied with the British legend Dame Thea King. In America, Amanda graduated from UCLA with a Master of Fine Arts in performance in 1991 where she studied with famed clarinetist Gary Gray and then at USC with the revered Yehuda Gilad. Amanda was Principal Clarinet of the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra where she performed Copland’s Clarinet Concerto. She has performed with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Los Angeles Music Center Opera Orchestra, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Pacific Symphony, the Long Beach Symphony, the Royal and Swedish Ballets, the Los Angeles Music Center Opera Orchestra and the Santa Barbara Symphony. Miss Walker was acting Principal for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for a recording of Ned Rorem’s works. She has appeared as one of the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra’s Chamber Musicians performing such works as the Mozart Clarinet Quintet. Several other Chamber Music series that Amanda has participated in include the Bach Camerata of Santa Barbara now called Camerata Pacifica, the Henry J. Bruman Summer Chamber Music series and the Summer Music series at the Getty. Amanda Walker has appeared on The Tonight Show playing for the 4 Tenors “Il Divo.” Other TV credits include “Legends of Chima” and Visa commercials with the voice of Morgan Freeman.

Ms Walker’s playing has been described as “a virtuoso technique which provided moments of unforgettable illumination”.

Amanda has recorded for film and can be heard on such films as Pirates of the Caribbean, Castaway, Peter Pan, Team America, Gattaca, South Park, City Slickers II, Atlantis,What Women Want, and America’s Sweethearts to name a few.

Recordings include The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s “Music of Ned Rorem”, Viklarbo’s “Songs and Romances” which can be found on the Raptoria Caam label, Morten Lauridsen’s “Northwest Journey” and the Mozart and Strauss Serenades with the California Philharmonic.

Amanda currently freelances and is very in demand as a teacher. She is currently on the faculty of UC Irvine where she has taught for 16 years. Her former students are currently studying Clarinet performance at Northwestern University, Cincinnati Conservatory, Minnesota Conservatory, Princeton and UCLA. During the summer she coaches at the prestigious Idyllwild School for the Arts. Amanda resides in Santa Monica with her husband Randy and is very proud to be Mum to their son, London.