Michael Kirby

Michael was born in Hereford (UK) in 1965 and at an early age he became a member and soloist of the famed Gloucester Cathedral Choir from 1974 until 1977 where he also started his Clarinet studies. The year that he left the Cathedral Choir he became a student of the Chetham´s School of Music under the tutelage of Mr. Graham Turner, Principal Bass Clarinet of the Hallé Orchestra (Manchester UK). After the two years that he spent at Chetham´s School, Michael received his Clarinet tuition from Mr. Jack Brymer O.B.E. and Mr. Gordon Lewin. In 1982 Michael was accepted as a student of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London UK) and continued his studies with Mr. Jack Brymer O.B.E. and obtained his AGSM qualification. Whilst he was studying in London, Michael was the Principal Clarinet of the Ernest Reed Symphony Orchestra, a member of the European Community Youth Orchestra and also won various competitions including the Bromsgrove Young Musician´s Platform (UK). He was also one of the finalists of the Shell/LSO Scholarship competition in 1986. Since 1986, Michael is the Principal Clarinet of the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra (TSO), Canary Islands, Spain, and is also Professor of Clarinet in the Conservatorio Superior de Música of Tenerife. During his time in Tenerife, he has been active as an invited soloist with the TSO giving performances of the Mozart, Nielsen, Copland, Françaix and Finzi Clarinet Concertos. He has also performed in many Chamber Music concerts in Spain, Argentina and the UK. Michael has also organized many cultural events including 7 masterclasses with Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Bella Davidovich, Trevor Wye, Clifford Benson, Henri Bok, Thomas Friedli and the Allegri String Quartet with whom he performed the Mozart and Brahms Clarinet Quintets. During the first 3 years Michael was the Co-Founder and Manager of the Tenerife Film Orchestra – the resident orchestra at that time of the Tenerife Film Music Festival (Fimucité). As from December 2011, Michael is the Principal Clarinet of the Macau Orchestra, China, and a regular collaborator with the Moon Chun Memorial College at the Macau University where he was very honoured to be awarded the Oxbridge Full Blues by Professor Kit Thompson.