The Sidney Forrest Clarinet Virtual Competition Judges
​2021

James Gholson, DMA, is retired Professor of Clarinet at the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music. Since the mid-70s, he was a principal clarinetist with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and announced his retirement after the 2011-12 season. He holds an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from The Catholic University. His major teachers include Elsa Verdehr, Keith Stein, Sidney Forrest, and Anthony Gigliotti. As a member of the United States Navy Band, Washington, D.C., he appeared frequently as soloist. Dr. Gholson performs regularly as clarinetist with the Eroica Ensemble and is clarinetist emeritus of the Memphis Woodwind Quintet. Jim is the author of The "Seasoned Clarinetist," "MemNoire," "TIGHT," "Reading Rampage," "FEETS," "Demon in the Milky Way" and the UNITUS (http://www.unitus.org) website. Affectionately called "Dr. G.," James is the 2007 winner of the FLAME award given by the University of Memphis and is a board member with the Eroica Ensemble and Concerts International.

Alexander Bedenko is a multi-award winning clarinetist who has performed with major orchestras, ensembles, and festivals in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Born in the Ukraine into a family of musicians, he studied with Sidney Forrest at Interlochen and graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Donald Montanaro. His numerous first prizes include: Moscow International Young Artist’s Competition, the Interlochen Center for the Arts Concerto Competition, and Grand-Prix and Laureate at the International Selmer Clarinet Competition in Kiev. Among his many scholarships, he was awarded the named scholarship of the President of Ukraine. Mr. Bedenko has performed at top recital halls in the United States and Europe, was broadcast on European television, and broadcast on radio in the United States. He has performed as principal clarinetist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on a European tour, as guest principal clarinetist with the London Symphony Orchestra, and also performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra (London) and the Cleveland Orchestra. He recorded the music of J.S. Bach with Richard Stoltzman for the RCA/BMG Japan label. Mr. Bedenko is a Selmer Paris artist and a D’Addario woodwinds artist. We gratefully thank him for assisting with our preliminary round competition in 2020.

​Claire Eichhorn is the clarinetist and a founder, along with Ricardo Cyncynates and Anna Balakerskaia, of the Ensemble da Camera of Washington.  She was born in Stuttgart, Germany to a family of musicians, being immersed with great chamber music her whole life. Claire has made chamber music and teaching the center of her professional life.  Over the years, she has performed at the Library of Congress, National Gallery of Art,  Corcoran Gallery, French and German Embassies, The Highlands Chamber Music Festival in Highlands, N.C. to name just a few.  She has been a  frequent guest artist at the annual Brahms Festival at Florida Atlantic University and among the artists with whom she has collaborated are the Shanghai String Quartet, the Sistrum New Music Ensemble, cellist Tsuyoshi Tsusumi, pianist Judith Burganger, and the Stratford Chamber Players. Claire played with the National Symphony Orchestra, Kennedy Center Orchestra, Baltimore Opera, Virginia Chamber Orchestra, Washington Concert Opera, National Gallery Orchestra and for ten years was a member of the Washington Chamber Symphony.  Ms Eichhorn recorded for the Vernissage Records Label. She is a sought after teacher and on the faculty of the Levine School of Music.  Wanting to create a program that offered gifted high school students a summer opportunity that immersed them in high level teaching, workshops and playing opportunities, she conceived and developed the Clarinet Workshop.  She spearheaded the development of  the clarinet curriculum for the Levine School of Music. Claire was instrumental in developing the Chamber Ensemble Program at the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras. Now in its 9th year, the program is highly successful and continues to receive support from the National Endowment for the Arts.  Ms. Eichhorn is a graduate of the University of Michigan having also attended Indiana University.   Among her teachers were Alfred Zetzer, Fred Ormand, Sidney Forrest and Bernard Portnoy. She also worked with Menachem Pressler for Chamber Music.  In 1983 she was the recipient of the Alfonso D’Emilia Award given by the School of Music at Indiana University.
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