April Johannesen is the 2nd clarinetist with the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra. April received her Masters Degree from the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music in 2001. There she served as assistant conductor to Dr. Paul Shelden for the Brooklyn College Wind Ensemble and as a Director of Chamber Ensembles. Her principal teachers have included Mark Nuccio, Paul Garner, David Weber, Laurie Friedman and Mindy Dragovich. April has been teaching clarinet and piano for over 15 years.
April began studying clarinet at the age of nine. At twelve, she began studying piano with Jim Pecoraro (Sr. and Jr.) and voice with Florence Hardgrove. Soon she took up the saxophone and flute, as well. While in her senior year at Seaford High School, she studied clarinet under Mindy Dragovich. Inspired by Ms. Dragovich, she pursued her music performance degree in clarinet with a full scholarship (with many thanks to the Lion’s Club Outstanding Student Scholarship, the D. Bert Hering Scholarship from the Electrician’s Union, Hofstra University’s Academic Recognition Scholarship and Music Grant) at Hofstra University.
At Hofstra, she studied clarinet under Laurie Friedman and Naomi Drucker. She also studied conducting under Dr. Peter Loel Boonshaft. In her years at Hofstra, April was concertmistress of the Hofstra University Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and Opera Orchestra. She was a Dorothy Hoag Scholar and was inducted into the Pi Kappa Lambda National Honors Society. In 1995, April won the Hofstra University Concerto Competition and in performed Weber’s Concertino for Clarinet with the orchestra in the spring of 1996. In 1995, she won the William Z. Grabel award and in 1996, the Pi Kappa Lambda Certificate of Honor. In 1998, she received her Bachelor of Science, cum laude in Music Performance.
The following fall she was offered a graduate assistantship under Dr. Paul Shelden at the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music. While working on her Master’s Degree (studying clarinet under Laurie Friedman), April was the assistant conductor of the BC Conservatory Wind Ensemble and director of chamber ensembles. She received her Master of Music degree in the spring of 2001.
In the summer of 2000, April attended the Henry Mancini Institute in Los Angeles under a full scholarship from Merle Miller and Peter Mullin. For four weeks, she studied under Don Menza and Vince Trombetta. She was principal clarinetist of the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra.
Ms. Johannesen spent several years in New York city as an active free-lance musician playing with such groups as the School of American Ballet Orchestra, the Greenwich Village Orchestra, the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra, the New York Repertory Orchestra, the Spectrum Symphony Orchestra, the Musica Bella Orchestra of New York, and the Long Island Pops Orchestra. While in New York City, April studied extensively with Mark Nuccio, associate principal and Eb clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic. During this time she also owned and operated The Johannesen Music Studio, a private teaching studio in Long Island employing eight teachers of various instruments teaching over 120 students.
Upon completing her studies at Brooklyn College, April began auditioning for symphony orchestras throughout the United States and Canada. She won the position with the Fort Collins Symphony in October of 2003, two months after she and her new husband, Wil Swindler, left New York City to live in Austin, Texas. Not wishing to move right away, the happy couple remained in Austin until March of 2006. During this time, April commuted from Austin to Fort Collins on a monthly basis for her job with the symphony (her awesome silver Beetle now sports 196,000 miles!) as well as continuing her travels auditioning for other orchestras. During her brief stint in Austin, April maintained a large teaching studio, highly popular masterclass and clinic tour and successful freelance career. She also took the opportunity of living in Texas to study with Paul Garner, Associate Principal and Eb Clarinetist with the Dallas Symphony, and Michael Webster, Professor of Clarinet at the Shepherd School of Music and renowned clarinet soloist. However, the time had come to move on to a new city once again in March of 2006. Wil, April and their beloved kitties, Max and Rosie packed up their U-Haul and headed for the next chapter in their lives in Longmont, Colorado (a much shorter commute to her gig with the Fort Collins Symphony).
In the summer of 2006 however, April was offered a contract for the 2006-2007 season with the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra. On the road again! Also in the summer of 2006, April and Wil began a new company - Single Reed Consultants - an online store based in Longmont, Colorado specializing in the repair, restoration and sales of clarinets, saxophones and accessories.
In 2007, April founded the Auroria Trio - a fabulous new ensemble playing around Colorado and beyond! This is a fresh new group - clarinet, flute and cello - specializing in wedding ceremonies, receptions, parties and special events. Also, April is the new Assistant to the Executive Director of the International Clarinet Association!
Less formally, April’s hobbies include traveling, weightlifting, golfing, gardening, playing with her kitties and studying the Alexander Technique. Prior to meeting her wonderful husband, April enjoyed many solo journeys throughout the US, Canada and Europe. Wil and April travel as often as they can and are looking forward to getting familiar with the Rocky Mountains, a very short drive from their home and a wonderful view from their back windows! While no longer in competition mode, April still enjoys weightlifting – especially now that she and Wil have an impressive (and ever growing) home gym in their 500 square foot garage! After being introduced to golf by her wonderful husband (who recently broke 80!), April began working at a driving range in Austin, Texas where she learned a lot about golf equipment and improved her golf game (she broke 90... but only once so far!).