Brian Gnojek
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Dr. Brian Gnojek (he/him/his), the lecturer of clarinet at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is also a freelance clarinetist, teacher, and instrument repair technician in Madison, Wisconsin. Brian has performed as a substitute musician with the Chicago, Houston, Fort Worth, Kansas City, New World, and San Antonio Symphony orchestras. From 2010-2012, he held a position as a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Dr. Gnojek has also performed as a solo and chamber artist in the Austin, Kansas City, Chicago, and New York City areas, including recitals at ClarinetFest, the University of Kansas and Wright State University. During his studies in the Manhattan School of Music’s orchestral performance program, Brian performed under world-famous conductors and at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, and the Kennedy Center.
Throughout Brian’s career, he has been interested in the many genres of music the clarinet can play. He received a doctoral minor in jazz studies, dug deeply into klezmer music in preparation for a performance of The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, has performed traditional and contemporary classical music, including music involving extended techniques, and his dissertation sought to determine if the clarinet can approach the “hard rock” genre in some way.
Brian is passionate about musical outreach, within his own communities and internationally. He has volunteered in the Philippines and southern India as a volunteer with Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP). Brian was also a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago’s MusiCorps woodwind quintet, which performed interactive concerts in schools and public venues throughout Chicago.
Dr. Gnojek earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts at UW-Madison. Prior to that, he earned a Professional Studies Certificate in Orchestral Performance at the Manhattan School of Music, a Bachelor of Music degree in clarinet performance from Florida State University, and a Master of Music degree from the University of Minnesota.