Jason Alder
“Having tried many ligatures before, I admit to being skeptical about the benefits of the Silverstein. But while trying them on clarinet and bass clarinet, I and others listening to me immediately heard the effect and how it opened up the sound! But what really amazed me was when I got home and tried it on the Eb clarinet- suddenly a whole new frequency range appeared! The Silverstein ligature brought out lower frequencies in the instrument that totally transformed the sound and added much-needed depth. I’ve also been very happy with the way it’s opened up the sound of my saxophone and helped make my articulation even clearer.” – Jason Alder
Dr Jason Alder is a low clarinet specialist, saxophonist, and researcher. He is well-established as an improviser and performer of contemporary music, working with composers to develop and premiere new pieces. He is the clarinetist of the Paradox Orchestra and has been a member of Shadanga Duo, the Four New Brothers Bass Clarinet Quartet, Payazen! Klezmer Band, and JORO Afrobeat. He is often found performing, lecturing, or on panel discussion at festivals around the world, including the International ClarinetFests, European Clarinet Festivals, Istanbul Woodwind Festival, American Single Reed Summit, Netherlands Gaudeamus New Music Festival, Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, Havana Festival of Contemporary Music, NottNoise New Music Marathon, Leeds International Festival of Artistic Innovation, and European Platform for Artistic Research in Music. A music educator for over 20 years, he teaches private lessons to students of all ages and abilities and has given masterclasses at universities and music colleges in the UK and US. As an authority in new music and contemporary playing techniques, he is sought after by other professionals wanting to learn these specialist skills.
As a recording artist, he has released a solo album “Milieu Interieur” with works for clarinet, bass clarinet, and contrabass clarinet written by collaborative composer Thanos Chrysakis. Other recent album releases include “Inward Traces Outward Edges”, “Music for Bass Clarinets”, “Contradictions: Duets for Contrabass and Contra-alto Clarinets”, “Music for Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinets, and Electronics”, “Music for Violas, Bass Clarinets & Flutes”, and “Music for Trumpets, Bass Clarinets & Saxophones” and he appears on numerous other albums as a session musician. His contrabass clarinet playing is particularly sought after by soundtrack composers, and he can be heard on films and TV shows from Paramount, BBC, ITV, RTL+, and Apple TV+ and the Boom Sound Library.
Jason studied at Michigan State University (US- BMus Clarinet Performance), Conservatorium van Amsterdam (NL- BMus Bass Clarinet Performance), Artez Conservatorium (NL- MMus Jazz & Pop in creative Improvisation), and completed his PhD at the Royal Northern College of Music (UK) with his thesis “Compendium of Sonic Possibilities of the Contrabass Clarinet: A Study of Cross-Compatibility and Composer Collaboration”. His research interests include practice-based research and collaboration, improvisation, technology, analysis, and history. He regularly writes for The Clarinet and Clarinet and Saxophone magazines, and is the author of the widely-used quarter-tone and altissimo fingering charts for soprano, bass, and contrabass clarinets.
Jason is on the International Clarinet Association New Music Committee, Low Clarinet Festival Artistic Committee, and was Co-Artistic Director for ClarinetFest 2024 in Dublin.
Photo by: Lucie Bigo / Henri SELMER Paris
