Bio — Amitai Vardi

Clarinetist Amitai Vardi, an avid soloist, orchestral, and chamber musician, was appointed Professor of Clarinet at Kent State University in 2012. Vardi made his solo debut at the age of sixteen with the Madison Symphony Orchestra as a first place winner of the Steenbock Young Artist Competition. He has since won several concerto competitions, including the Round Top International Festival Competition, The Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition, and the Agnes Fowler Competition. In addition, Vardi has been a featured soloist with the Blue Water Chamber Orchestra, Trinity Cathedral Chamber Orchestra, Spoleto Symphony Orchestra, the Erie philharmonic, the Lake Placid Sinfonietta, and performed the North American premiere of Srul Glick's concerto, The Klezmer's Wedding, with members of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

As an orchestral player, Vardi served as principal clarinetist of Red {an orchestra}, Opera Cleveland and Lyric Opera Cleveland. He currently holds positions with The Erie Philharmonic, Blue Water Chamber Orchestra, and the Lake Placid Sinfonietta. Vardi has performed with many orchestras, including the Israel Chamber Orchestra, the American Ballet Theatre, the Joffrey Ballet, the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, and most notably The Cleveland Orchestra with which he has performed well over 150 concerts including many tours to New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Miami. During the 2014-2015 season, Vardi appeared as guest bass clarinetist with The Cleveland Orchestra for most of the season.

His enthusiasm for chamber music has led to performances across the United States, South America, Europe, and Israel. He is featured on several chamber music CDs, including a 2017 recording with his father, cellist Uri Vardi on the Delos Label. In addition, he is a member of the Black Squirrel Winds, Kent State University’s faculty woodwind quintet.

Vardi began his studies at the age of ten with Eva Wasserman Margolis in Israel, and later studied with James Smith, and Linda Bartley in Madison, Wisconsin. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University where he studied with Eli Eban, his Master of Music degree at The Cleveland Institute of Music as a student of Franklin Cohen, and later pursued his post-graduate studies with Yehuda Gilad in Los Angeles. He has taught at the University of Akron, and in addition to his current position at Kent State University he teaches at the Cleveland Institute of Music Preparatory Department. Since completing his studies, Vardi has taught master classes all over the United States, South America, Europe, and Israel. During the summers, Vardi has been on the faculty at the Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan, the Kent Blossom Music Festival in Ohio, and the Round Top Festival in Texas.