Nathan Rodriquez, clarinet, is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Performance at the University of Michigan, where he studies with Professors Chad Burrow and Daniel Gilbert. He currently plays in the University Philharmonia Orchestra and the Wind Conducting Seminar. Nathan continuously strives to perform pieces by historically underrepresented composers, and has introduced relatively unknown pieces such as David Baker’s Clarinet Sonata and Arturo Marquez’s Zarabandeo to students at U-M. He is embarking on a project to create professional-quality recordings of works by Latin American composers in order to bring more light to the works as well as inspire other clarinetists to learn them. He has had success in making it to the semi-finals for the Pershing’s Own Army Concert Band clarinet audition, the finals for the U.S. Coast Guard Band, and was a semi-finalist for the SMTD Concerto Competition. 

Nathan greatly values music’s ability to educate and engage communities, which led him to serve as a Clarinet Mentor for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Civic Youth Ensemble. At this position, he coaches the clarinetists in all of the classical ensembles, ranging from beginners to advanced high school students, through sitting in on rehearsals and leading sectionals. He also participates in the Senza Program at CYE, in which he is paired with students to provide professional and career mentorship. Nathan also is a one of the two clarinet instructors for the Belleville High School Symphonic Band, in which he teaches lessons to the clarinet section. Education and empowerment through music are pivotal to Nathan’s musical philosophy, so he loves and appreciates the opportunities he has to assist and inspire the upcoming generation of musicians. 

Outside of performing, Nathan also has a great interest in the arts administration, and how organizations and presenters can use the arts to comment on and evoke social change. He is currently an office assistant for the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance Office of Admissions, and a Patron Services Assistant at the University Musical Society. Through both of these roles, he has garnered experience of the ‘behind-the-scenes’ work that goes into an arts organization. This has inspired his thinking on programming, artist relationships, development, and audience engagement. All of these can be directly applied to his performance style, and is leveraged to curate the most creative and noticeable programs. As he completes his master’s degree, Nathan hopes to combine these two interests, performing and administering, to create his own career path that will aid in the evolution of the classical music field.