Biography

Jack Kartsotis is an Emmy-nominated clarinetist and educator based in Chicago, Illinois. He serves as Principal Clarinet of the Owensboro Symphony in Kentucky, where he performed in the Emmy-nominated Night at the Oscars production broadcast nationally on PBS. A versatile performer, he appears regularly in orchestral, wind band, chamber, and solo settings throughout the Midwest.

​

In Chicago, Jack brings the same commitment to musical excellence to his teaching, maintaining an active private studio and serving as a Clarinet Teaching Artist at The People's Music School, a nonprofit organization providing tuition-free music education to underserved communities. His students have earned recognition in prestigious auditions, including Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, the International Clarinet Association, and the Illinois Music Educators Association, and have been accepted to leading universities such as University of Alabama, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Wesleyan University, and Northern Illinois University. For his work at The People’s Music School, he has received the Excellence in Teaching Artistry Award for two consecutive years.

​

Jack holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas and a Master of Music degree from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. His primary teachers include Howard Klug, Daryl Coad, and Rahni Kennedy.