Dr. John Cipolla is Assistant Professor of Music (clarinet and saxophone) at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. His education includes: UNC Greensboro (DMA, clarinet performance), Rutgers (MM, clarinet performance), Eastman School of Music (BM, saxophone performance), and Juilliard School of Music (scholarship saxophone student of Joe Allard, 1980).
John has been recognized as the 2007 Kentucky Music Educators "College/University Teacher of the Year," and the 2003/2004 Third District Kentucky Music Educators "College/University Teacher of the Year." He was awarded a 2005 Western Kentucky University Junior Faculty Scholarship and First Prize at the 2003 International Clarinet Association Research Presentation competition. He has performed at the Texas Tech University Clarinet Symposium (2005), The University of Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium (2004), The International Clarinet Association (2003, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998), Tennessee Music Educators Conference, Kentucky Music Educators Conference (2003), The College Music Society Southeast Chapter (2002) and the New York State Music Educators Association (1999) and at many high schools and colleges throughout the United States. He performs on Selmer Recital clarinets, Gonzalez reeds and a Selmer Reference 54 Alto saxophone.
He has performed with The Bowling Green/Western Symphony Orchestra, Bowling Green Chamber Orchestra, The Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, Mozart on Fifth (a chamber woodwind trio), St. Luke’s String Quartet, Muir String Quartet, St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Greensboro Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, New York City Opera, Meredith Monk Ensemble, Steve Reich Ensemble, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis, Liberace, Liza Minelli, Tony Bennett, and Mario Bauza’s Latin Jazz Ensemble. John was a member of the New York City Broadway Show Cats Orchestra from 1992 to 2000 and has been a member of the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra in New York City since 1985. His publications/recordings are on Sony, ECM New Series Records, G. Schirmer, Music Minus One, C.F. Peters Editions, and numerous journals.
His latest CD, Misbehavin’ has received praise from the critics.
• C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz "Some recordings simply have nothing wrong with them. This is one."
• Bruce VonStiers, BVS Reviews, "It is a great album with twelve classic jazz tunes."
• Dee Dee McNeil, Cadence Magazine, "John Cipolla and Doc Livingston are masters at what they do…they fill up the open space with groove, swing, and expressive melodies."