Katherine Serbinowski

I am a versatile clarinetist trained in classical, contemporary, jazz, and rock music on the piano, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, Bb clarinet, A clarinet, and Eb clarinet. I use proceeds from my music career to raise awareness in issues of animal abuse in the United States and beyond, as well as fund the rescues of dogs in need. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, I was trained in a variety of unique musical styles and had lots of extraordinary performance opportunities at a young age due to Cleveland's very active music scene. I have had the pleasure of performing with a number of musical icons in my career that shaped me into the musician I am today. From playing with Styx for an ice show of Olympic skaters to soloing with Graham Nash from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, my musical upbringing was far from traditional.

In 2015, I played for the internationally televised Alternative Press Music Awards, where I played with bands such as Weezer, Black Veil Brides, All Time Low, and Panic! At the Disco, even receiving praise from lead singer Brendan Urie himself after playing principal clarinet on his performance of "Bohemian Rhapsody." Other bands and musicians I played with at the APMAs include Papa Roach, PVRIS, Taking Back Sunday and Set it Off. 
I was previously the bass clarinetist for the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, playing alongside the Cleveland Orchestra. I also played principal clarinet for the Akron Youth Philharmonic and the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony. But the musical experience that impacted me the most was playing principal clarinet for the Contemporary Youth Orchestra, where I recorded the audio for a new video game, "Endless Rush," and for an immersive novel, Sunborn Rising. With CYO I also premiered a work by Michael Daugherty, played shows of horror film and video game soundtracks, performed live on Fox News, and played with the Cleveland Pops.
I was a member of a marching band for 4 years, where I was a featured soloist and performed live at Ohio Stadium and Lucas Oil Stadium. I have also performed as a soloist classically and was chosen to perform for one of my graduations for a crowd of over 3,000 people. In my solo and ensemble competitions, which I now frequently coach students for, I earned the highest possible rating six years in a row. 

I received my undergraduate degree from the esteemed University of North Carolina at Greensboro's College of Visual and Performing Arts, where I consistently ranked among the top few students in a studio of approximately fifty other clarinetists ranging from the undergraduate to doctoral degree levels. My teachers there were Dr. Anthony Taylor, Dr. Andy Hudson, and Dr. Mark Cramer, each of whom had unique playing styles that enforced my versatility and virtuosity as a performer. After graduating, I received a full scholarship to attend Southern Illinois University for my master's degree and had the great fortune to study with Dr. Eric Mandat, world-famous clarinetist and composer.  

Outside of my career as a clarinetist, I am an author working on a series of fantasy novels for adults and young adults. Just as with my music career, the proceeds of my writing career will be used to help animals in need. I have one dog of my own and foster sick and injured animals whenever possible. To combine my love for music and animals, I founded and organized an organization called B.A.R.K. - Bringing the Arts to Rescued K-9s. This volunteer organization brought musicians into animal shelters to provide music therapy for dogs and cats traumatized by their pasts and stressed from kennel life, and also provided performers for fundraising events benefiting shelters. My goal in life is to one day open my own animal rescue facility funded by my creative endeavors.

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