Ms. O’Connor is a former member of the United States Coast Guard Band, where she was often a featured soloist, and had the honor of performing at the Inauguration of President Bill Clinton and with eminent soloists including Placido Domingo, Martha Reeves, and Lorrie Morgan. She also previously served as principal clarinet with the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra and Salt Marsh Opera, and was clarinet soloist on the 2004-2005 national tour of Fiddler on the Roof. As a member of the Radiance Woodwind Quintet, Ms. O’Connor has made appearances on the Newburgh Chamber Music Series, Calvary Music Concert Series, and La Grua Concert Series. 

Kelli O’Connor is principal clarinet of the Vermont and Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestras, and co-principal clarinet of the Orchestra of Indian Hill. Her performance of Copland’s Clarinet Concerto in 2012 with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony, one of numerous occasions she was a soloist with orchestra, earned her praise in the New London Day as “the star of the evening … playing with the rich timbre and unhurried phrasing that are her trademarks.” Following a 2000 performance of Weber’s first Clarinet Concerto, The Day described her as “an individualistic player with plenty of head and heart … gorgeous tone and liquid line.” Kelli was featured soloist at the Vermont Symphony Summer Festival Tour in July 2019, where she performed Artie Shaw’s Concerto for Clarinet. In April 2016, Ms. O’Connor performed the West Coast premiere of Oscar Navarro’s II Concerto with the Downey Symphony (CA). Ms. O’Connor also appears frequently as acting principal clarinet of the Boston Philharmonic and New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield Symphony Orchestras. She is a founding member of the Chameleon Arts Ensemble of Boston and Radiance Woodwind Quintet. Kelli has also appeared as a guest artist at the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Festival and at the Hop River Chamber Music series in Andover, CT, and performed the rarely-heard Clarinet Concerto of Charles Stanford at Summer Music at Harkness.

In addition to her performing career, Ms. O’Connor presently serves on the faculties of Central Connecticut State University and Connecticut College and on the faculty roster for the InterHarmony Music Festival in Italy. She was the founding director of the Waterford High School Clarinet Choir, which under her leadership won many distinctions and was featured on numerous occasions as an honor ensemble at the Connecticut All-State Music Educator’s Convention. She is a former faculty member of the University of Rhode Island, Greater Hartford Academy for the Arts and Calvary Music School. Ms. O’Connor has presented masterclasses and recitals at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Lee University, Baldwin-Wallace University, Northeastern University, and Salem State College.

A native of Newburgh, New York, Ms. O’Connor received a Bachelor’s Degree from Baldwin-Wallace College and a Master’s Degree from the New England Conservatory. She was a scholarship recipient and concerto competition winner at both schools. She served as principal clarinet with the prestigious Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra under conductor Jahja Ling, and had the opportunity to work with Leonard Slatkin and Christoph von Dohnanyi. Her principal teachers were Dave Newton, Dr. Alan P. Squire, Tom Martin, and she has taken independent studies with Yehuda Gilad.

Joined: 2002

Jonathan Towne won an ensemble competition in New York City as a member of the Kammer Woodwind Quintet and as a result, performed two recitals in Carnegie Recital Hall. He holds a B.M. from Ithaca College and a M.M. from Indiana University where he was an Associate Instructor of clarinet. He currently performs with the Eastern CT Symphony Orchestra, the CT Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra and other groups in Eastern CT. He is a former Adjunct Professor of Music at the University of Rhode Island, where he taught Clarinet and is retired from the US Coast Guard Band after a 30 year career. With the Coast Guard Band, he marched in 8 Presidential Inaugural Parades, leading the Band in 6 of them as the Drum Major.

Favorite Composer
Mozart

What inspires you to play?
I started the clarinet because my Dad played the clarinet when he was in school.

Hidden Talents:
Avid skier, hiker and cyclist

Favorite Quote:
Never stop learning and keep moving.

Member since 2012.

Andrew Grenci served as bass clarinetist with the U.S. Coast Guard Band for 24 years. Presently, in addition to ECSO, he plays bass clarinet regularly with the New Haven and Waterbury Symphonies. He is also Principal Clarinetist with Orchestra New England, and can be heard playing clarinet and basset horn on their recent Naxos release, “Charles Ives: Complete Sets for Chamber Orchestra.” Other recordings include “Excursions: Music for Bass Clarinet and Piano,” “The Grenci Stole Christmas” which features Cheryl Six on flute and piccolo, and his composition “Concerto in Rock” recorded with the U.S. Coast Guard Band in 2017. Grenci’s arrangements and compositions are published through Andiss Music.

Hidden Talents: Cooking, hiking, traveling with my wife Cheryl Six.

Favorite Motto or Quote: It’s just a cold dark night on the side of Everest. -Bret Logan

Favorite Composer (or Era): In orchestra, the Romantic period, because that’s where many of the great bass clarinet parts are! And any new music. It’s always fun to premiere a piece or discover something outside there standard repertoire.

What/ Who inspired you to take up your instrument: Grenci enjoys the personal connections music can bring. He loves the camaraderie of friends and colleagues working together two create beautiful and meaningful sounds, and connecting with audiences.