Today we’d like to introduce you to Antoine T. Clark.
Hi Antoine, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed with your story and how you got to where you are today.
I fell in love with music at a very young age. My father owned a red 1964 Ford Galaxie with an 8-track player when I was a kid. On trips through our rural community in Virginia, he played his favorite gospel, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll music, which I would sing from memory. As a music director of church choirs and gospel groups, my father instilled in me a love of music. Because of my deep love for music, I decided to pursue music as a career.
After graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor’s in Music Education, I obtained a Master’s in Clarinet Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, a Doctorate in Musical Arts and a Master’s in Orchestral Conducting from The Ohio State University.
After completing my D.M.A. in 2009, I became an Assistant Professor of Music at Wayne State College in Nebraska. I loved the people but found isolation from a major artistic center difficult, so I moved back to Columbus, OH. Fortunately, while in Nebraska, I restarted the college’s orchestra program, which had been dormant for many years. That experience made me realize how much I truly loved conducting.
After moving back to Columbus, OH, I pursued professional orchestral conducting and founded the McConnell Arts Center Chamber Orchestra in 2013, now the Worthington Chamber Orchestra. In 2014, I pursued a Master’s in Orchestral Conducting at The Ohio State University.
In 2018, I was provided a life-changing opportunity to be a fellow in the Chicago Sinfonietta’s Project Inclusion Conducting Freeman Fellowship program. This fellowship has helped many conductors from diverse backgrounds enter the professional orchestral conducting field. In 2020, the Chicago Sinfonietta and Music Director Mei-Ann Chen appointed me Assistant Conductor. I learned so much in the fellowship program and from my first appointment as an assistant conductor.
After finishing my one-year tenure with the Chicago Sinfonietta, I won my first professional post as assistant conductor of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra in Wheeling, West Virginia. Since 2021, I have had the pleasure of conducting orchestras around the U.S. These include Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Richmond Symphony (VA), Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, Vermont Symphony, Tacoma Symphony, Spartanburg Philharmonic, Elgin Symphony, and the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Looking back on my progress over the last ten years, my career has had ups and downs. The conducting field is quite competitive, and it is tough to make the cut of 100-200 applicants applying for one position. After receiving training, many orchestral conductors have not had the opportunity to be selected as a candidate for any conducting positions. Fortunately, I have had national auditions for assistant conductor and music director, but these jobs are tough to win.
Like anything, conducting is about working hard and picking yourself up when you fall short of a goal. It took several tries to win my first professional conducting job. I felt it was all too difficult each time I fell short, but I never gave up because I love my profession.
Fortunately, in a field dominated by white males, I have received tremendous support from mentors and orchestras over the last ten years. This support has allowed me to step onto podiums across the nation. In no way do I believe that it is easy for people from underrepresented backgrounds and women to obtain positions as orchestra conductors. Bias, racism, and the financial costs of training to be a conductor have shattered the dreams of many talented and worthy individuals. Although there has been some progress in inclusion, much more work has to be done!
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I thrive in creating inventive performances linked to storytelling and am a passionate advocate of arts education. Last year, I served as Cincinnati Symphony’s 2022 MAC Music Innovator. The residency, which highlights leading African American classical musicians who embody artistry, innovation, and commitment to education and community engagement, allowed me to lead chamber music and orchestral performances in schools and throughout the Cincinnati community.
I enjoy creating bold programs that often include innovative collaborations with artists from various disciplines. Next season, I will commission works from three composers and collaborate with three fiber artists in a season program called Woven Stories. This program will highlight our shared humanity and the stories of my community in Worthington, Ohio.
What are your plans for the future?
As I continue to grow as a conductor, I hope to lead great orchestras at home and abroad. I enjoy working in different communities and I look forward to future opportunities to share my love of music and community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.antoinetclark.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antoinetclarkconductor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antoinetclarkconductor
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoine-t-clark-92b46010/
Image Credits
Jennifer Zmuda
