Clarinet Coach
Lauren Washburn is a clarinetist with over two decades of classical and contemporary performance experience currently freelancing and teaching in the South Florida area, where she is also studying with Jon Manasse at the Lynn Conservatory of Music for her performance certificate. Originally hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, Ms. Washburn’s career combines her pursuit of musical excellence with a strong background in administration, including over 8 years of experience working for organizations such as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and UCSF Medical School. She is a graduate of the master’s program for clarinet performance at the University of North Texas (UNT) College of Music, where she studied with Phillip Paglialonga and Gregory Raden. She received her bachelor’s degree in music from the University of California, Berkeley.
Ms. Washburn was most recently engaged to perform for the South Florida Symphony and the Greater Miami Youth Symphony. She is a former member of Toccare Winds, the North Texas Wind Symphony, the Four Corners Clarinet Quartet, and the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra (UCBSO). She, along with the Four Corners Quartet, was the winner of the 2022 George Papich Chamber Music Competition at UNT. Previously, she was a featured soloist during the 2019 Fundación Princesa de Asturias Summer Music Courses in Oviedo, Spain, and a winner of the 2017 UC Berkeley Concerto Competition. Her tenure as the former principal clarinetist of the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra included two separate tours of Spain and Central Europe, during which she and the orchestra performed in concert halls including the Musikverein, Smetana Hall, the Slovak Radio Symphony Hall, and Vigadó Concert Hall.
Ms. Washburn’s educational scope spans a wide range of beginning through advanced clarinet methodology. Her work has covered all grades from 5-12 for school bands in both Florida and Texas. In Florida she is currently serving as clarinet consultant for North Broward Preparatory School and the Palm Beach County School District, and in Texas she was engaged by the Krum Independent School District at both the middle and high school levels.
Ms. Washburn’s former teachers during her time in California include Steve Sánchez, Jerome Simas, and Bill Kalinkos.