Sarasota native Stacey McColley returned to Southwest Florida in 1983 after receiving her MA in Clarinet Performance from the University of California. A member of the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra since 1990, Stacey fills our Clarinet 3/Utility position, which means she must be ready to play four different clarinets.
The Bb and A are the standard clarinets, and the bass and Eb are considered “auxiliary” instruments, used to create unique sound colors. Bass clarinet has a deep, sonorous sound and Eb a more strident sound.
Her fondest SWFLSO memories always include playing with “the entire, fabulous clarinet section. My clarinet colleagues are wonderful musicians and friends!”
Stacey is a Buffet-Crampon Performing Artist, a very high honor, and also sponsored by Vandoren. So her clarinets, all Buffet-Crampton, are made from African Blackwood with silver keys.
Stacey has been busy during quarantine honing her video recording skills and teaching virtually as a professor at four colleges, always trying to do the best for her students.
“When you are an artist you always have to keep learning!”
Her 100- year-old home also keeps her busy with upkeep, as does her love of reading, swimming, photography and travel. Her annual summer chamber festival in Italy was unfortunately curtailed. But in the past, her clarinets have taken her to Spain, San Francisco, and Carnegie Hall, as well as closer to home, performing regularly in Tampa and Punta Gorda.
Music seems to be positively contagious in Stacey’s family, with a composer husband, a trombonist son, a harpist son, and two soprano daughters-in-law, as well as “a very rambunctious” granddaughter. Which instrument do you think she will one day choose to share with her lucky community? We are grateful to include Stacey in ours!
Below, from her home, Stacey shares “Smile”, the haunting and beautifully appropriate 1936 tune by Charlie Chaplin. Of course, during our upcoming Season 59 1/2, you’ll get to enjoy Stacey live in all her marvelous glory.
