Joaquin Valdepenas

**Joaquin Valdepeñas** is a clarinetist from the United States and Canada. He is a three-time Grammy Award nominee and two-time Juno Award winner, recognised for his role as the principal clarinetist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

## Early life and education

Valdepeñas was born in Torreón, Mexico, and lived there until he was eight years old. He then spent four years in Tijuana. At the age of twelve, Valdepeñas moved to Anaheim, California with his mother.

Valdepeñas started playing the clarinet in seventh grade at Fremont Junior High School. He originally wanted to play the trumpet, but there were no trumpets available, so he chose the clarinet instead. He continued to play the clarinet while attending Anaheim High School. Although he did not have his own clarinet and borrowed one from the school, he demonstrated talent and progressed in his school's band each year.

After graduating from high school in 1973, Valdepeñas took private clarinet lessons for a short time. He then enrolled at California State University, Fullerton, where he studied clarinet in the music program. During this time, he met Kalman Bloch, who encouraged him to apply to the music program at Yale University. Valdepeñas graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 1978 with a Bachelor of Music Performance. He later earned a Master's Degree from Yale University, where he studied with Keith Wilson and took conducting lessons with Otto-Werner Mueller. He also served as the assistant conductor of the Yale Contemporary Ensemble.

Valdepeñas spent three years studying clarinet and conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and School. During this time, he worked with clarinetist Richard Waller and conductor Murry Sidlin.

## Music career

Valdepeñas has had a long career in music. He has been the Principal Clarinet of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for 41 years and is a Co-Artistic Director and Founder of the Amici Chamber Ensemble for 32 years. He also teaches at the Aspen Music Festival and School, The Glenn Gould School at The Royal Conservatory of Music, and the University of Toronto Faculty of Music.

In his second year at Yale, Valdepeñas auditioned for a position with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In 1980, he was selected as the principal clarinetist for the orchestra, a role he held until his retirement in 2022.

In addition to his role with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Valdepeñas was the woodwind coach for the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra from 1986 to 1988. He is a faculty member and resident conductor at the School in Toronto and has been part of the artist faculty at the Aspen Music Festival and School since 1984. Throughout his career, Valdepeñas has performed with various notable artists and has collaborated with string quartets from around the world. He has also played with other orchestras, including the Buffalo Philharmonic and the BBC Welsh Symphony, both as a soloist and in ensemble settings. Valdepeñas has made many recordings, including the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the English Chamber Orchestra and works with the ARC Ensemble and Amici Chamber Ensemble.

## Awards and recognition

Valdepeñas has received two Juno Awards and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards.

In 2019, he was recognised for his musical career at the Vision & Visionaries awards held by California State University, Fullerton.

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Joaquin Valdepenas
- **birth date**: 1955, January 19
- **birth place**: Torreón, Mexico
- **nationality**: American-Canadian
- **occupation**: Clarinetist
- **website**: https://www.joaquinvaldepenas.com/index.html