Linnea Nereim

Bass Clarinet
The Cleveland Orchestra

Linnea Nereim has been bass clarinetist of The Cleveland Orchestra since 1985. She previously was a studio artist and freelancer with the Milwaukee Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Grant Park Orchestra. At the University of Chicago, Ms. Nereim was solo clarinetist and bass clarinetist with the Contemporary Chamber Players. A native of Chicago, she received a bachelor of music degree in education from Northwestern University, where she studied with Larry Combs, Russ Dagon, Robert Marcellus, and Jerome Stowell. She was a member of the Colorado Philharmonic (now the National Repertory Orchestra) and the Florida Symphony. Ms. Nereim participated in live radio broadcasts of the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts in Chicago and broadcasts from the Library of Congress. She appeared as soloist at the International Alban Berg Society conference in Chicago in 1985. Ms. Nereim is a faculty member at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her teaching experience also includes masterclasses in Japan and the United States. Ms. Nereim’s catalogue of commercial recordings with The Cleveland Orchestra – exclusively on Selmer bass clarinets – comprises performances under Christoph von Dohnányi, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Pierre Boulez, Oliver Knussen, and Riccardo Chailly. Her clarinet tone provided the original character for the popular video game Ms. Pacman, which is still heard worldwide.