Credit: Ben Wright

Julian Bliss

CLARINET

Representation: General Management

Julian Bliss is one of the world’s finest clarinettists, excelling as a concerto soloist, chamber musician, recitalist, jazz artist, and masterclass leader. As co-creator of his Conn-Selmer range of affordable clarinets under the Leblanc brand, he has inspired a generation of young players and introduced a substantial new audience to his instrument. Julian started playing the clarinet aged four and went on to study in the United States at the University of Indiana and in Germany under Sabine Meyer, turning professional aged just twelve.

In recital and chamber music he has played at most of the world’s leading festivals and halls, including Gstaad, New York’s Lincoln Center,  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Verbier and London’s Wigmore Hall. As a soloist, he has appeared with a wide range of international orchestras, including the Auckland Philharmonia, BBC Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of Paris, RoyalPhilharmonic Orchestra, Sao Paolo Symphony and the Queensland Symphony.

This season, Bliss travels all around the UK with numerous performances of Mozart’s clarinet concerto, joining the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and Royal Northern Sinfonia. He joins the Yehudi Menuhin School as their first Artist in Residence for several projects including Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time. Elsewhere he gives a recital in Dubai, returns to festivals in Risor, East Neuk and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and gives further performances of a new concerto for Clarinet and Wind Orchestra, written for him by the eminent composer John Mackey, which he premiered with Dallas Winds last season.

Bliss ended last season with the Singapore Symphony and a return visit to Mondsee Festival in Austria. Other concerto highlights included Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and with London Mozart Players at Inner Temple Hall, London. He appeared at festivals across the UK in recital and chamber music with regular partners James Baillieu and the Carducci Quartet as well as many other colleagues.

Excellent reviews, record of the week spots and media attention flow from his recording output. He will be adding to his discography in 2024 with a number of new releases, including the new Mackey concerto. This follows previous releases on Signum Records in 2021 which included Brahms Clarinet Sonatas with pianist James Baillieu, and an EP of Julian’s arrangements for clarinet of wind ensemble works by legends of the US band world John Mackey, Frank Ticheli and Eric Whitacre. Other recent albums include Mozart and Weber Quintets with the Carducci String Quartet; Schubert’s Shepherd on the Rock with Ailish Tynan (soprano) and Christopher Glynn (piano); Steve Reich’s New York Counterpoint; Mozart and Nielsen’s Clarinet Concertos with the Royal Northern Sinfonia.

In 2010, Bliss established the Julian Bliss Septet, creating programmes inspired by the King of Swing, Benny Goodman, and a show built around the extraordinary musical output of George Gershwin. A recording of the Gershwin programme “I Got Rhythm” released in 2021 received rave reviews – “impressive recording by talented clarinettist Julian Bliss and his excellent Septet […] Bliss’s quick-fire clarinet starts weaving free-flowing improvisational lines around the tune from the very outset […] jaw-dropping, side-stepping vibes solo […] the whole ensemble is on fire” – Gramophone. The Septet has performed to packed houses across the US and in European festivals, at Ronnie Scott’s (London) and Live from Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola (Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York).

With the launch of Bliss Music in 2020, Julian’s arrangements of a selection of pieces for clarinet and piano have been made available as sheet music. These include Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata Op. 19, the third movement of which has been set as a Grade 6 piece on the new London College of Music clarinet syllabus.

Promoters please noteif you wish to include this biography in a concert programme etc, please contact James Brown Management to ensure that you receive the most up to date version.  Email: Isabella Hopkins

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News

Julian Bliss is first Artist in Residence at Yehudi Menuhin School

September 27th, 2023

We are delighted to announce that Julian Bliss will be the first Artist in Residence at the Yehudi Menuhin School for the 23/24 season. He joins them several times over the year for a range of projects, including his first concert on 28th September when he appears alongside Maxim Rysanov and Dasol Kim for anRead more ›

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Julian Bliss makes his debut with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra

August 23rd, 2023

Julian Bliss is in Singapore for two performances of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra at Victoria Concert Hall. Julian will also be visiting the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore to lead a clarinet masterclass to work with the conservatoire’s clarinet students. More info here. Julian gave a shortRead more ›

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Julian Bliss back on the road with Mackey’s ‘Divine Mischief’

February 6th, 2023

This month, Julian Bliss is back on tour with John Mackey’s new Clarinet Concerto ‘Divine Mischief’. Following tonight’s (6th Feb) performance with the Texas Tech University Wind Ensemble and Sarah McKoin, Julian takes the Mackey to Washington, D.C. with the US Airforce Band and Colonel Don Schofield (16th Feb), and to Bloomington, Indiana with theRead more ›

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‘The Genius of Gershwin’: Julian Bliss Septet at Ronnie Scott’s

January 11th, 2023

On Sunday 5th March, the Julian Bliss Septet will be performing at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, the home of jazz in the UK. Their programme, The Genius of Gershwin, celebrates the composer’s genius and his amazing talent for combining classical music with jazz. The septet will be performing some of his most beloved tunes, includingRead more ›

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Julian Bliss on tour with John Mackey’s Clarinet Concerto

December 14th, 2022

This week, Julian Bliss begins his tour of John Mackey’s Clarinet Concerto Divine Mischief with the Baylor University School of Music Wind Ensemble and Director of Bands Eric Wilson. Starting at Baylor University in Waco (16 Dec), with further performances in Broken Arrow, OK (18 Dec), St. Louis, MO (19 Dec) and West Aurora, ILRead more ›

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Discography

Johannes Brahms with James Baillieu

Julian Bliss and James Baillieu present a recording Johannes Brahms’ Clarinet sonatas, Op. 120 and an arrangement of his 4 Ernste Gesänge, Op.121 arranged by Bliss. These late works were inspired by the great clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld, principal clarinet of the Meiningen Court Orchestra, without whom we would not have had this clarinet repertoire.

SIGNUM CLASSICS (2021)

I Got Rhythm – Julian Bliss Septet

Following an acclaimed tribute album to Benny Goodman, the ‘King of Swing’, the Julian Bliss Septet returns with a new album that showcases the music of jazz legends, George and Ira Gershwin, and – by popular demand – some of Benny’s compositions and much-loved tunes.

SIGNUM CLASSICS (2021)

In the Middle of Things with Fidelio Trio

Julian joins The Fidelio Trio in their return to Resonus Classics to present this album of recent chamber works by British composer Michael Zev Gordon.

Presenting a varied programme of instrument combinations, the trio and Julian present works stretching back over fifteen years, celebrating Michael’s individual and idiomatic voice along with both the fascinating and wide-ranging influences within his music.

RESONUS CLASSICS (2019)

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Artist Manager

Imogen Morris
im@jamesbrownmanagement.com
+44 (0) 7810 800016

Assistant Artist Manager

Isabella Hopkins
ih@jamesbrownmanagement.com
+44 (0) 1223 641757