Anthony McGill

Clarinetist Anthony McGill, Principal Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, is one of classical music’s most celebrated performers and advocates. In 2024, he was named Musical America’s Instrumentalist of the Year, and in 2020, he was a recipient of the Avery Fisher Prize. A frequent soloist with top orchestras, McGill has performed with the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, and Detroit Symphonies. As a chamber musician, he collaborates with renowned quartets including the Brentano, Pacifica, and Takács Quartets, as well as with artists such as Mitsuko Uchida, Lang Lang, and Midori. His recordings include American Stories and Mozart & Brahms Clarinet Quintets with the Pacifica Quartet and Winged Creatures with his brother Demarre McGill. 

An advocate for equity in classical music, McGill founded the #TakeTwoKnees movement, and he collaborates with the Equal Justice Initiative. A graduate of the Curtis Institute, McGill currently directs Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program and teaches at Curtis. He is a board member for Cedille Records and the Harmony Program and an advisor to the InterSchool Orchestras of New York and the Time In Children's Arts Initiative. McGill is a Backun Artist, and he plays exclusively on Backun Clarinets.