Professional Classical Players Who Improvise
This list is incomplete and is only intended as a springboard for your own research. These are artists who are primarily classical musicians (or who teach primarily classical musicians) and are generally not “crossover” artists. The artists are listed in alphabetical order. Please send corrections or additions to Dr. Baird.
WOODWINDS
flute
- Robert Dick, based in New York City
- Paul Horn, based in the American Southwest and British Columbia. See also his nice 8’ intro to improv video and his 1976 recording with the percussion ensemble NEXUS (all the tracks are improvised)
- Jane Rigler, based in Colorado Springs
clarinet
- Lars Greve, based in Denmark. See also his improvised double clarinet video.
- Kathryn Ladano, based in Waterloo, Ontario.
- Richard Stoltzman, see especially his collaboration with the percussion ensemble NEXUS.
oboe
- Kyle Bruckman, based in San Francisco, California.
- Joseph Celli See also wikipedia page.
- Brenda Schuman-Post, based in San Francisco, California.
saxophone
- Tom Hall, based in the Northeast.
- Paul Winter
- John Zorn, based in New York City, many recordings widely available on youtube
bassoon
- Paul Hanson. See also his youtube channel.
- Nadina Mackie Jackson, based in Montreal, Canada.
BRASS
trumpet
- Ed Sarath, University of Michigan.
- Patrick Whitehead, based in Washington, D. C.
- Jeff Agrell, University of Iowa.
- Lydia Lowery Busler, based in Montpelier, Vermont.
- Dan Grabois, University of Wisconsin–Madison.
- Pamela Marshall, based in Lexington, Massachusetts. See her article “Free Improvisation and the Horn”.
- Dan Spencer, based in Memphis, Tennessee (his dissertation is titled, A Creative And Aural Method To Teach Improvisation As A Supplement To Horn Pedagogy For Applied Lesson Instructors)
- Arkady Shilkloper, based in Berlin, Germany, recordings widely available on youtube (HIGHLY recommended)
trombone
- Jen Baker, based in New York City.
- Monique Buzzarté, based in New York City.
- Abbie Conant, based in Germany. See also The Reveille Trio, an improvising group with trombonists Julie Josephson, and Sarah Kline
- George Lewis, based in New York City. Improvising with erhu performer Yi Yi Wang.
- Harold McKinney, Appalachian State University (retired).
- Tom Plsek, Berklee College of Music.
tuba
- Lars Andreas Haug, Norway
- Oren Marshall, London
STRINGS
violin
- Christopher Brooks, based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
- Dixon’s Violin, based in Detroit, MI. See also his ted talk in Detroit, MI.
- Rupert Guenther, based in Australia.
- Hilary Hahn. See also her 2012 CD called Silfra.
- Julie Lyonn Liebermann
- Stephen Nachmanovitch, based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Here’s also a great intro to improv video (5:27).
- Vicki Richards
- LaDonna Smith
viola
- Tanya Kalmanovitch, based in New York City.
cello
- Maya Beiser (primarily a composer/looping artist).
- Stephan Braun, based in Germany.
- David Darling, based in Goshen, Connecticut.
- Eric Edberg, based in Greencastle, Indiana. He also has a terrific blog.
- Eugene Friesen. See also his one-minute improv tip.
- Zoe Keating, based in Northern California (primarily a composer/looping artist).
- Gil Selinger
- Sara Smolen, based in Ithaca, New York.
- Matt Turner. See also him improvising for orchestra students at Libertyville HS.
- New Directions Cello Festival
double bass
piano
- Jane Buttars, based in Princeton, NJ.
- Karst De Jong (see album Improdisiac).
- David Dolan, based in England.
- Michael Harrison (structured improvisation).
- Izumi Kimura, based in Ireland.
- Robert Levin
- Gabriela Montero, based in Massachusetts. See also her personal website.
- Noam Sivan, based in New York City.
harp
- Deborah Henson-Conant
- Zeena Parkins: Phantom Orchard and Phantom Orchard in the studio
PERCUSSION
- NEXUS percussion ensemble. See member William Cahn’s book called Creative Music Making (page 107 lists recordings of improvisations performed by the ensemble)
- Carolyn Koebel, based in Kalamazoo, MI.
VOICE
- Thomas Buckner, based in New York City.
- Bobby McFerrin
- Silvia Nakkach, based in San Francisco.
- Rhiannon
ENSEMBLES
string quartets
- the Noise, based in Australia.
- Semiosis Quartet, based in Boston.
- Dither Guitar Quartet, based in New York City.
mixed ensembles (student and professional)
- Creative Ability Development
- DC Improvisers Collective, based in Washington, D. C.
- Ensemble Nu:n, based in Germany. Listen to their album “Salutare: Improvisation on Liturgical music of the Middle Ages”
- Ethos Collective, based in Vancouver, Canada.
- FreeK: Univ. of KY Free Improvisation ensemble
- Gravitas Quartet
- Improv. Collective at SUNY – Fredonia (in New York)
- Murmuration, based in Philadelphia.
- Once Now Ensemble, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- Daniel Roca, with the Instituto de Educacion Musical (IEM). See also his resumé.
- Rova Sax Quartet, based in San Francisco.
- Toronto Improvisers Orchestra
historical improvisation ensembles (mostly active in late 1950s through the 1960s; some youtube videos available)
- Lucas Foss’s Improvisation Chamber Ensemble, Univ. of California
- ONCE Group, based in Ann Arbor.
- Scratch Orchestra, based in England (1969-74)
- Sonic Arts Union
venues
- Make it Up Club (Melbourne, Australia).
- Array Space (Toronto, Canada)
conducted improvisation
- Conduction: The Fluxcrew 1 • The Fluxcrew 2
- Soundpainting
silent film accompanists
- Neil Brand
- British Silent Cinema Festival
- Pordenone Silent Film Festival (Italy)
- San Francisco Silent Film Festival
community/music therapy ensembles
improvisation with computers or electronics
- Karlheinz Essl and Jack Hauser, based in Germany.
- Musica Elettronica Viva, based in Italy.
- Dafna Naphtali, based in New York City.
- Jane Rigler (flute) and Jeff Kaiser (trumpet)