Aspiring Hungarian clarinetist Noémi Sallai has been selected as the sole clarinet fellow in Carnegie Hall's prestigious music program, Ensemble Connect for the 2018-2020 season. A devoted chamber musician, Ms. Sallai has spent her summers at the Crescendo Summer Institute in Hungary, the Sarasota Music Festival in Florida and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, where she collaborated with such renowed artists as Charles Neidich, Frank Morelli and Peter Frankl. As a passionate interpreter of solo repertoire written for the clarinet, Ms. Sallai premiered works for her instrument in the United States through The Juilliard School's Focus! Festival and has received first prize at several national and international clarinet competitions. As the winner of the 2018 PRISMA Concerto Competition in Canada, Ms. Sallai had the opportunity to play in the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, in Russia. She was featured as soloist at the Charlotte White's Salon de Virtuosi concert series and received first prize at the 2018 International Internet Music Competition. An enthusiast of orchestral music, she went on tour with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, conductred by Iván Fischer, to Edinburgh, Budapest and New York participating in their production of Mozart's Don Giovanni.
Ms. Sallai appeared as a clarinetist in such renowned groups as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Binghamton Symphony Orchestra, The Princeton Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony in C, the Juilliard Symphony Orchestra, the New Juilliard Ensemble and the Axiom contemprorary music ensemble. Playing all positions in the Bard Conservatory Orchestra, she took part in three major orchestra tours to China, to several cities in Europe and to Cuba. In 2014, being the winner of the Concerto Competition, Ms. Sallai was featured as a soloist and performed Carl Nielsen`s Clarinet Concerto with the Bard Conservatory Orchestra. In 2013 she performed as principal clarinet player Shostakovich`s 10th Symphony with the Bard Conservatory Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall. Ms. Sallai also participated in the Zoltán Kodály World Orchestra conducted by the renowned Hungarian pianist and conductor Tamás Vásáry.
Born and raised in Hungary, Ms. Sallai began her musical studies at the age of eight and started to play the clarinet at the age of eleven. She is not only a determined clarinet player but also a lover of other art forms such as drawing and painting. Besides playing classical music, Ms. Sallai also enjoys performing klezmer and folk-style pieces.
Ms. Sallai holds a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School of Music, where she was a recepeint of the Irene Diamond and R. & H. Gold Woodwind Award. She completed her Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts degrees at Bard College, receiving the László Z. Bitó Scholarship. Her principal teachers include Jon Manasse, David Krakauer, Anthony McGill and Laura Flax.
Competition Awards:
2019 - Golden Medal with High Distinction - 4th Manhattan International Music Competition, New York, NY
2017 - First Prize - Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy (PRISMA), Concerto Competition, Powell River, Canada
2017 - First Prize - International Internet Music Competition (IMKA), Sarajevo, Bosnia-Hercegovina
2014 -First Prize - Bard College Concerto Competition, New York
2010 -First Prize - VIII. International Clarinet Competition, Carlino, Italy
2010 -First Prize - János Richter National Clarinet Competition, Győr,
Hungary
2009 - Golden Award - "Svirel" International Music Competition, Stanjel, Slovenia
2007 - Second Prize - János Richter National Clarinet Competition, Győr, Hungary
