Selena Markson Adler

Selena Markson Adler is a Canadian-born clarinetist, who has been living and working professionally in two of Sweden’s top orchestras since 1994.

Growing up in Toronto, Selena studied with some of Canada’s most inspiring clarinetists, James Campbell and Joaquin Valdepeñas, who was also her mentor during three seasons of Aspen’s Music Festival. Leaving Leaving Canada for the States at 18, Selena pursued post-graduate studies with Richard McDowell at Interlochen Arts Academy, followed by studies with David Shifrin and Charles Neidich at The Juilliard School and finally Frank Cohen at The Cleveland Institute of Music. Upon graduating, Selena got her first principal clarinet position in the Stockholm Philharmonic at age 24. In 1995 she began her tenure as co-principal and Eb clarinet in the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Swedens national orchestra, where she still works today.

In addition to her orchestral playing, Selena has performed extensively with different chamber music groups, collaborating with many fine musicians like Christian Zacharias, Lynn Harrell, Helène Grimaud and Barbara Hannigan.
She has performed as a soloist with the Toronto Symphony and Gothenburg Symphony, playing Krommer, Copland, Mendelssohn and Debussy.

Selena’s almost 30 years with the Gothenburg Symphony have allowed her the privilege of working under many inspiring chief conductors, like Neeme Järvi, Gustavo Dudamel, Kent Nagano and now Sanntu-Matias Rouvali and she has performed extensively on many orchestral recordings with Deutsche Grammofon, Sony and Bis.

When Selena isn’t playing, you’ll find her out in the forest with her two dogs, possibly followed by a cat or two.