Clarinetist and Teacher William E. Powell Has Passed Away

William E. Powell (1946-2024), received the Artist’s Diploma in Clarinet Performance from the Juilliard School in New York City where he studied with Stanley Drucker, principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. After additional studies in New York with Leon Russianoff, he moved to California to study with the principal clarinetist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Michele Zukovsky, at the California Institute of the Arts where he received the M.F.A. in Performance in 1979. After graduation from CalArts, Mr. Powell served on the faculties of the University of California, San Diego; San Diego State University; California State University, Long Beach; and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas before joining the CalArts faculty in 1985 as Director of the Performance Program.

In 1993, Bill relocated to India on a Senior Research Grant from the Fulbright Commission and went on to present concerts of American music throughout the subcontinent. He premiered more than 200 compositions in major concert venues throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Bill served as Co-Artistic Director for the 2011 ClarinetFest held in Los Angeles and was the vision behind the opening concert featuring South Indian clarinetist A.K.C. Natarajan and North Indian clarinetist Narasimhalu Wadavati, which was the first and only time that clarinetists from these two divergent cultures shared a stage.

Bill will be greatly missed by the thousands of students and clarinetists friends around the world.