A powerfully virtuosic and multifaceted clarinetist, Chris Grymes’ playing is “eloquent. . .animated and free of any interpretive self-indulgence” (The Strad) and “scintillating in its energy and technique” (The Clarinet). Chris is a musician with a stunningly broad portfolio: a tenured professor, a principal orchestral clarinetist, a concerto soloist, a chamber musician, a commissioning collaborative artist, and now the founder of his own indie classical label, Open G Records. At Open G Records (opengrecords.com), Chris oversees and curates a collective of musicians, composers, and recording engineers dedicated to the old-school craft of creating and performing serious classical music. The Open G artist roster produces recordings, live performances, newly-commissioned works, podcast interviews, and essays about music, art, life, and much more. Chris is a presenting partner at National Sawdust, New York City’s newest classical music hall, which allows Chris to curate and produce concerts featuring both established performers and composers as well as emerging artists.

Chris grew up in Virginia Beach, VA, where his first clarinet teacher was F. Edward Knakal. He went on to study with Eli Eban, Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, and Nathan Williams. He now lives in New York City with his wife Rachel and his son Saul. Chris prefers his bourbon single-barrel, his Radiohead loud, and his basketball Hoosier red.