NewMusic

Paul R. Demers, Clarinet

Paul R. Demers was appointed bass clarinet of The Philadelphia Orchestra by Christoph Eschenbach in March 2006. Before his appointment, Mr. Demers performed as bass clarinetist with major orchestras, including the National Symphony and the Baltimore Symphony, among others. He was also a regular substitute bass clarinetist with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and has performed with the Orchestra on several international tours. Mr. Demers can be heard on the Orchestra’s most recent recordings and can be seen in Music from the Inside Out playing solo bass clarinet in Tan Dun’s On Taoism.

In 1997 Mr. Demers won a position with “The President’s Own” Marine Band in Washington, D.C. During his four-year tenure with the Marine Band, he performed as a member of the clarinet section, and as a soloist, chamber musician, and E-flat clarinetist.

As a chamber musician, he has performed at the Saratoga Chamber Music Festival and is a member of Network for New Music in Philadelphia.

Born in Westbrook, Maine, Mr. Demers started playing clarinet at age 10 and began private lessons at age 14. He continued his studies with Larry Combs and John Bruce Yeh at DePaul University in Chicago, where he earned a Bachelor of Music, a Master of Music, and a Performance Certificate.

When not playing in the Orchestra, Mr. Demers enjoys photography, cooking, and spending time with his wife, Lourdes; daughter, Emily; son, Aaron; and two border terriers.