Bio
Excerpt from Fantasiestücke, Rasch und mit Feuer, Robert Schumann
Christine MacDonnell: Clarinet and woodwind specialist, holds a Master of Music degree in clarinet performance from The Juilliard School. Her performances in New York have graced venues such as Radio City Music Hall for the Christmas Spectacular, Paper Mill Playhouse, Albany Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Northeast Philharmonic Orchestra, and others. Nationally, she has performed at the Walnut Theatre and The Philly Pops in Philadelphia, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and Atlanta’s Fox Theatre.
Christine’s international engagements include serving as principal clarinet in the Orquestra Sinfonica Brasileira in Brazil and the Nova Philharmonia Portuguesa in Portugal. She was also a featured woodwind artist in the VI and XI Festival International de Sopros in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Notably, she has served two US Presidents in the “President’s Own” Marine Band.
As a multi-woodwind specialist, Christine has toured nationally with productions such as Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Falsettos. In Broadway productions, she has performed in pit orchestras for shows including Suffs, New York, New York, Aladdin, Moulin Rouge, and Phantom of the Opera. Alongside her Broadway and touring commitments, she is a sought-after freelance musician in NYC, collaborating with numerous chamber ensembles and accompanying esteemed artists such as Bernadette Peters, Florence Henderson, Aretha Franklin, and Frank Sinatra, Jr.
Currently, Christine serves as a woodwind instructor at the United Nations International School and conducts master classes at various universities within the United States and Taiwan. She frequently performs new compositions at Clarinetfests in the US and abroad, most recently in Dublin, Ireland.
Her two classical CDs, “Enchanted Saint Saens” and “Clarinet Rhapsody,” have been praised as “beautifully played and well-deserved of their titles.” Additionally, “Chris’ Journey, A Whimsical Collage of Music,” is a unique piece specifically composed for her, showcasing her virtuosity across 11 woodwind instruments. All three recordings are available online at Amazon.com.
During the pandemic, Christine took the opportunity to further her music by utilizing YouTube, where she masterfully created, arranged, and produced music videos (viewable @winds4you on YouTube). Through live streams, she continues to connect with music lovers worldwide.
Christine is also recognized as a Yamaha Performing Artist, Nymph Artist, and a D’Addario Performing Artist.
