Brian Walsh is a musician who is interested in sound and communication, regardless of genre. He specializes in performance on the clarinet and bass clarinet. He seeks to redefine the role of these instruments in contemporary classical music, jazz, and world music.
Described as “spectacular” by the Los Angeles Times, Mr. Walsh frequently performs with such diverse groups as Wild up Modern Music Collective, gnarwhallaby, Brightwork New Music, and the Josh Nelson Discoveries Project. He also leads Walsh Set Trio, a jazz ensemble focusing on the performance of his own compositions. Performances have taken Walsh to Japan, Canada, Italy, England, the
Netherlands, Iceland, and all over the United States.
As a member of the contemporary music ensemble gnarwhallaby, Mr. Walsh gave the premier of Nicholas Deyoe’s Lullaby 4 at Carnegie Hall. Their Carnegie Hall performance was described as “startlingly versatile” by the New York Times. Mr.Walsh has also performed as a guest artist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella new music series at Walt Disney Concert Hall. He has also
collaborated with Monday Evening Concerts, Hear Now Festival, Partch Ensemble, The Industry and Jacaranda.
Walsh has premiered pieces by Luigi Nono, Anne LeBaron, Girard Grisey, James Newton, Andrew Nathaniel McIntosh, Tom Johnson and many others. Past collaborators have included Wayne Shorter, Peter Maxwell Davies, Meredith Monk, Vinny Golia, Gavin Bryars, Bobby Bradford, Bright Eyes, San Fermin, James Newton, and Muhal Richard Abrams.