Richie Hawley, clarinetist
Richie Hawley was appointed Principal Clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 1994. He began his clarinet studies with Yehuda Gilad at the Colburn School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles at the age of nine. He then went on to graduate from the Curtis Institute of Music. Before his Cincinnati appointment, Mr. Hawley served as Principal Clarinet of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra in South Carolina.

Mr. Hawley has performed chamber music throughout China, Japan and North America and has been a participant in the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont. In 1988, his ensemble Trio con Brio was awarded first prize in the coveted Coleman Chamber Music Competition. Richard is also a frequent performer with the Linton Chamber Music series in Cincinnati.

An active soloist, Mr. Hawley has performed Concertos with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Eastern Music Festival Orchestra and the Santa Barbara Symphony. Mr. Hawley's 2006 solo performances of Bernstein's Prelude, Fugue and Riffs will mark his fourth time as featured soloist on a subscription series with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Among his numerous accolades, Mr. Hawley received the Presidential Scholar in the Arts medal and award from President Ronald Regan in a ceremony at the White House, and he has also been the recipient of the Léni Fé Bland Foundation Grant.

Mr. Hawley is currently the head of the clarinet department at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and is writing a book titled, The Audition Book. He will also be joining the clarinet faculty of the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara for the summer of 2006. Mr. Hawley performs on Buffet "Tosca" Clarinets and Vandoren Mouthpieces and Reeds.

Originally from Los Angeles, Mr. Hawley often visits Southern California to pursue his 2nd career of surfing and surf photography. He has surfed and photographed numerous exotic locations around the world including the California Channel Islands, Maui, the north shore on Oahu, Australia, St. Barts, Bali and the islands of Roti and Do'o off of West Timor. He is currently one of three staff photographers for the island of Namtou in Fiji. Mr. Hawley's surf industry clients include Hot Buttered Surfboards, Cabrinha Kites, "18 people" clothing, Silverfish Eyewear, Soul HB Australia Clothing and Tiki Surf designs. Richie Hawley's photographic work can be seen on his website, www.richiehawley.com.