{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}} {{short description|British clarinettist (born 1989)}} {{Infobox musical artist | image = | caption = | name = Julian Bliss | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1989}} | death_date = | origin = Harpenden, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom | instrument = Clarinet | genre = Classical, Chamber music, Jazz | occupation = Soloist, chamber musician, clarinet designer | years_active = | label = Signum Classics | associated_acts = Julian Bliss Septet | website = {{URL|julianbliss.com}} | image_size = }} '''Julian Bliss''' (born 1989) is a British clarinettist and clarinet designer. He has performed as a soloist, chamber and jazz musician, notably with his teacher Sabine Meyer. He also designed the '''Bliss Clarinet''' for instrument manufacturer Leblanc.
==Education== Bliss started playing clarinet at age 4, when he was given a Lyons C Clarinet, a clarinet designed to let children begin the clarinet four or more years younger than usual. Most students do not play wind instruments until age 11 or 12.<ref name="kessel">{{cite web|url=http://www.sbomagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=Archives&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=CE172BC9C6CB437B823E802AD5AE4B5D|title=Julian Bliss|last=Kessel|first=Rick|date=March 2009|publisher=School Band and Orchestra Magazine|accessdate=15 July 2009}}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
In 1997 Bliss began studying at The Purcell School for Young Musicians. Bliss earned his Postgraduate Artist's Diploma from Indiana University in 2001 at age 12, but he was not awarded his diploma until he graduated from high school.<ref name="indiana">{{cite web|url=http://alumni.indiana.edu/profiles/alumni/jbliss.shtml |title=Julian Bliss |work=Alumni Profiles |publisher=Indiana University |accessdate=15 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615145039/http://alumni.indiana.edu/profiles/alumni/jbliss.shtml |archivedate=15 June 2009 }}</ref> He studied first with David Johnston at Harpenden, Paul Harris, then with Howard Klug at Indiana and with Sabine Meyer in Germany at the Musikhochschule Lübeck.<ref name="img" />
==Music career== Bliss won the 2001 Concerto Soloists Young Artists Competition in Philadelphia.<ref name="indiana" /> In 2002, he performed at Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee (during the Prom at the Palace) by royal invitation.<ref name="indiana" /> He also performed at the Queen's 80th birthday.<ref name="about">{{cite web|url=http://www.julianbliss.com/about.html|title=About Julian|year=2009|accessdate=15 July 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515194819/http://www.julianbliss.com/about.html|archivedate=15 May 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
He has appeared as a soloist with many orchestras, including the London Philharmonic, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, Northern Chamber Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, Malaysian Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic, Sao Paulo Symphony, Auckland Philharmonia and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.<ref name="img">{{cite web|url=http://www.imgartists.com/?page=artist&id=305&c=2|title=Julian Bliss: Full Biography|date=19 November 2008|publisher=IMG Artists|accessdate=15 July 2009|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207072624/https://imgartists.com/?page=artist&id=305&c=2|url-status=dead}}</ref> He has performed at Lincoln Center in New York City, the Louvre in Paris, Wigmore Hall in London and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
Bliss also has a career as a chamber musician. He has collaborated with many of the world's top classical artists, including Joshua Bell, Carducci Quartet, James Baillieu, Julien Quentin, Kathryn Stott, Stephen Kovacevich, Elena Bashkirova, Julian Rachlin, Steven Isserlis and Hélène Grimaud.<ref name="img" /> In 2022, composer John Mackey wrote his Clarinet Concerto "Divine Mischief" for Bliss, and was given its world premiere by Bliss and the Dallas Winds October 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=DIVINE MISCHIEF |url=https://dallaswinds.org/october-2022/|date=October 2022|website=Dallas Winds |access-date=2022-12-24}}</ref>
He was the subject of a three-part made-for-television documentary entitled "Gifted".<ref name="img" /> He also appeared on the ''Today'' program in the United States and on NHK in Japan.<ref name="emi">{{cite web|url=http://www.emiclassics.fr/artistbiography.php?aid=111|title=Julian Bliss|publisher=EMI|accessdate=15 July 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081114022410/http://www.emiclassics.fr/artistbiography.php?aid=111|archive-date=14 November 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Leblanc Bliss== In collaboration with Leblanc, Bliss developed the Leblanc Bliss clarinet.<ref name="new">{{cite web|url=http://www.julianbliss.com/news.html|title=What's New?|date=18 February 2009|accessdate=15 July 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527085619/http://www.julianbliss.com/news.html|archivedate=27 May 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Says Bliss of the line: "I know I can pick up any Bliss clarinet and be able to perform at the level to which I am accustomed."<ref name="new" /> He characterises the clarinet's design as "wicked".<ref name="instruments">{{cite web|url=http://www.julianbliss.com/instruments.html|title=Instruments|accessdate=15 July 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529225057/http://www.julianbliss.com/instruments.html|archivedate=29 May 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
The design deviates from standard synthetic clarinets in that it does not use acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), but instead uses a custom composite that produces 20% more amplitude.<ref name="instruments" /> The barrel and bell are narrower (and thus lighter) than standard clarinets, and the keys are plated in black nickel to differentiate the clarinet's appearance from those with traditional silver-coloured keys.<ref name="instruments" /> The bore has several tapers and is manufactured to tolerances of hundreds of thousandths of an inch.<ref name="kessel" /> The right hand trill keys are above the gravity line to reduce the risk of water in the tone holes.<ref name="kessel" />
Julian works in the Conn-Selmer marketing team in an expanded partnership position that now includes the role of Clarinet Market Developer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.conn-selmer.com/en-us/about/news/conn-selmer-expands-partnership-julian-bliss|title=Conn-Selmer Expands Partnership with Julian Bliss|website=Conn-Selmer, Inc|language=en|access-date=2019-06-10}}</ref>
==Julian Bliss Septet== In 2010, Julian formed a group to perform the music of Benny Goodman – the Julian Bliss Septet. The group released their first album – A Tribute to Benny Goodman – in 2012.<ref name="signum">{{cite web|url= http://www.signumrecords.com/catalogue/julian-bliss/a-tribute-to-benny-goodman/sigcd288.html|title=A Tribute to Benny Goodman|publisher=Signum Records|accessdate=27 August 2015}}</ref> They have performed several times at the Wigmore Hall<ref name="wigmore">{{cite web|url=http://www.timeout.com/london/opera-classical-music/wigmore-lates-36-julian-bliss-septet|title=Julian Bliss|last=Lates|first= Wigmore|work=Time Out|accessdate=27 August 2015}}</ref> and sold-out Ronnie Scott's,<ref name="ronnies">{{cite web|url=http://ronniescotts.co.uk/performances/view/888-sunday-jazz-lunch-julian-bliss-and-the-king-of-swing|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628050335/http://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/performances/view/888-sunday-jazz-lunch-julian-bliss-and-the-king-of-swing|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 June 2012|title=Julian Bliss|last=Scotts|first=Ronnie|publisher=Ronnie Scott's|accessdate=27 August 2015}}</ref> Jazz at Lincoln Center, Bermuda Jazz Festival and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.julianbliss.com/septet|title=Julian Bliss Septet {{!}} Julian Bliss {{!}} Clarinet|website=JulianBliss.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-19}}</ref> The Septet includes Julian Bliss (clarinet), Martin Shaw (trumpet), Lewis Wright (vibraphone), Neal Thornton (piano), Colin Oxley (guitar), Tim Thornton (bass), and Ed Richardson (kit).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.julianbliss.com/septet|title=Julian Bliss Septet {{!}} Julian Bliss {{!}} Clarinet|website=JulianBliss.com|language=en|access-date=2019-06-10}}</ref>
==Discography== *2002: ''Prom at the Palace'', with various artists, EMI Classics *2003: ''Music for Clarinet and Piano'', with Julien Quentin, EMI Classics *2007: ''Krommer Concerto for two clarinets, Spohr Clarinet Concerto No. 4'', with Sabine Meyer (Clarinet) and Kenneth Sillito and Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, EMI Classics *2009: ''Best Encores 100'', with various artists, EMI Classics *2011: ''Psycho'', with Tippett Quartet, Signum Classics *2011: ''The Ancient Question'', with Hila Plitmann, Signum Classics *2013: ''A Tribute to Benny Goodman'', Julian Bliss Septet, Signum Classics *2014: ''Julian Bliss and Bradley Moore'', with Bradley Moore, Signum Classics *2014: ''Mozart and Nielsen Clarinet Concertos'', with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Signum Classics *2015: ''The Shepherd on the Rock,'' with Ailish Tynan and Christopher Glynn, Signum Classics *2016: ''David Bruce: Gumboots'', with Carducci Quartet, Signum Classics *2016: ''Steve Reich: New York Counterpoint'', Signum Classics *2018: ''Schubert: Swansong'', with Christopher Glynn, Sir John Tomlinson, Sophie Bevan, Alec Frank-Gemmill, Signum Classics *2018: ''Mozart & Weber: Clarinet Quintets'', with Carducci Quartet, Signum Classics *2019: ''In The Middle of Things'', with Fidelio Trio, Resonus Classics
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.julianbliss.com/ Julian Bliss Website] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090528090908/http://www.leblancclarinets.com/bliss/ Leblanc Bliss]
{{clarinet}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bliss, Julian}} Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:English classical clarinetists Category:English jazz clarinetists Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Category:Child classical musicians Category:21st-century British clarinetists Category:People from Harpenden Category:Musicians from Hertfordshire