Clarinet
A native of Los Angeles, Charles Sonoda began his clarinet studies at the age of ten. He earned his Bachelor of Music at DePaul University and his Master of Music at Northwestern University, where he performed as co-principal clarinetist of the university’s orchestra on their inaugural international tour to Asia in 2018. In October of 2018, Charles joined the clarinet section of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” Concert Band. He has also performed with the National Repertory Orchestra, Quartz Mountain Music Festival Orchestra, and Chicago Symphonic Winds. Charles is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, and his primary teachers include Stephen Williamson, Steve Cohen, Julie DeRoche, and Deborah Chodacki.
As an educator, Charles strives to provide his students with the necessary tools to feel comfortable and fluent on the instrument, allowing for the student to spend more time exploring the musical and vocal aspects of playing. He aims to help each student achieve their own personal musical goals by instilling in them a love for the instrument and willingness to expand one’s comfort zone. His past students have ranged in age from 8 to 70, and he takes great pride in their successes, which include winning spots in prominent youth orchestras, attending summer music camps, and playing first chair in local community bands.
Charles is also a passionate learner of Chinese and has completed additional studies in language and literature at Shanghai’s Fudan University and the Beijing Language and Culture University. He has been awarded prizes at Chinese speech competitions at Purdue University, the University of Notre Dame, and the Beijing Language and Culture University. During his time spent abroad in China, Charles was also fortunate to study with clarinetists He Yi of China Conservatory and Rende Zheng, former principal clarinetist of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.