Alexander W. Ravitz is a clarinetist and bass clarinetist based out of Denton, TX. He is currently Principal Clarinetist with the Venice Symphony (Venice, FL). As an active freelance musician, Alexander has performed with ensembles including The Naples Philharmonic, Opera Tampa, The Orlando Philharmonic, The Florida Orchestra, Sarasota Opera and St. Pete Opera. Alexander is also an avid improviser, working with groups such as The Jamison Williams Trio, The Sean Hamilton Collective, Thomas Milovac's Unit Colossus, and CRUX in performances and cd recordings of fully improvised music.
Alexander is currently studying at the University of North Texas in pursuit of a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Clarinet Performance. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Clarinet Performance from the University of Louisville, a Master of Music degree in Clarinet Performance and Instrumental Conducting from the University of South Florida. Alexander taught a private studio of collegiate, high school, and middle school students from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties in Florida. Alexander’s students are regularly accepted to All-state and All-county bands, as well as being accepted to prestigious music schools across the country.
As a soloist, Alexander has been a guest recitalist at festivals in Tampa and Jacksonville, FL as well as Louisville, KY. As a contemporary collaborator, he has worked on many projects with Visual Artists, and Dancer companies including Rouge Dance and COBY Dance. As an advocate for new music, Alexander regularly appears in performances ranging from solo clarinet and chamber recitals performing in new-music concerts featuring the music of composers such as Vera Ivanova, Tyler Kline, James Ogburn, David Liptak, Wendy Wan-ki Lee, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, and Joseph Halmann. Alexander’s most recent commissioning project, Live Oak by Tyler Kline (currently in the process of being recorded) was a consortium he led of over 50 clarinetists and supporters of new music.
Alexander’s primary teachers have been Phillip O Paglialonga, Calvin Falwell, Dallas Tidwell, and Scott Ellington.