By: Joanne Winograd

John Moses took over the position of principal clarinet with the New York Pops after the orchestras very first season. Over the years he has wowed audiences with his talent and reveled in the excitement of working with such a musically diverse orchestra. A grateful and humble musician, John acknowledges that his life could have gone in a very different direction: “I’ve been very, very lucky in this business, and luck plays a big part in an artists’ career."

As a youngster growing up in Detroit, Michigan, John proved to be a natural at the clarinet, and at age 10, he considered himself to be “the greatest clarinet player in the world.” A summer spent at the famous Interlochen Music Camp, at age 13, was his first of many musical eye-openers. John heard the other campers and realized how much he had to learn.

His father knew Herbert Couf, who at the time was the principal clarinetist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Although Couf did not teach beginners, he agreed to take on John as his student, and treated him as a college student. He was John’s first mentor and as John puts it, “He made me into a clarinet player.”

He began college at the University of Michigan in pre-med. While studying there, John joined the Michigan marching band, and discovered “how great the music-making was there.” He decided to go to music school. His parents, less than thrilled, said “If you make it into Juilliard or The Manhattan School of Music, then you can become a musician.” He was accepted into both schools, and after studying with Joe Allard at Juilliard, John became a professional clarinetist.

With a Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, and a Doctoral Degree from Juilliard, John then began teaching at the school for two years. After leaving Juilliard, he toured with Luciano Berio’s Contemporary Music Ensemble throughout Europe. Upon his return, he joined the St. Louis Symphony, followed by a season with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. He enjoyed his musical experiences, but missed the variety and excitement he had found in New York. “New York City was a place where I could play all the different types of music that I wanted to play.”

John moved back to New York City, expecting to support himself as a teacher, but was lucky and talented enough to obtain positions with the New Jersey Symphony and then the New York City Opera. Then Broadway called, and he found himself performing at a new Leonard Bernstein show called, “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.” His love for Broadway continues, and he has opened 26 new shows during his career, including the current Broadway hit, “Wicked.”

John recalls fondly the early days of The New York Pops: “It worked well because we were all young musicians who adapted to each other in the orchestra. We learned and absorbed the styles that Skitch taught and became the type of musicians that he needed. Skitch developed this style for his New York audiences and thus he brought all of his vast cultural background to create the most sophisticated musical group in the world.”

John’s memories of Skitch abound. Not just the founder and the conductor, Skitch was a “teacher, director, helper, friend, musical mentor.” Skitch remembered details about each player in the orchestra, and sent teddy bears when John’s children were born. “He made you feel like you were important and special. Once when I was ill, Skitch sent a note to me saying, “You must feel better soon, we’re holding your chair for you.”

John has played in countless orchestras and toured all over the world, but nothing has compared to his experience with The New York Pops. “Most people don’t know that we are looking at the music for the first time at 2:00PM on the day of the performance. That makes it different from any other group. You have your moments of sheer panic, and also moments of great exhilaration. It’s that rush you get from those great moments, you don’t get anywhere else.”

In addition to The New York Pops, John currently plays principal clarinet with the American Composer’s Orchestra, the Westchester Philharmonic, and The Little Orchestra Society. Over the years he has recorded over 150 movie soundtracks, and hundreds of commercials and jingles.

It is no surprise that John’s family is full of musical talent. While his oldest daughter Leah, a marketing director, and wife Lori, a hair stylist, claim not to be musically inclined, he describes them as “fabulously and incredibly talented.” His daughter Rachel, sings opera, studies classical piano, and has been inspired by a summer at FIT to become an illustrator. His youngest, David, wants to be a fashion designer.

While luck may have played a significant role in John’s success, he says that it has also taken extreme dedication and perseverance. His advice to younger musicians is: “Stick with it, and you will succeed. Never give up.”