BIOGRAPHY

Jack Kartsotis is a versatile clarinetist and educator based in Chicago, Illinois. With a wide-ranging performance background that spans orchestras, wind ensembles, chamber music, and solo appearances, Jack has built a multifaceted career as both a skilled performer and dedicated teacher. As a freelance musician, he has performed across the U.S. in pops concerts, new music premiers, and recording projects. As a teacher, his students have excelled in prestigious national auditions, including the Blue Lake Fine Arts Academy, ICA (International Clarinet Association), ILMEA (Illinois Music Educator Association), and more.

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Jack currently holds the position of Principal Clarinet with the Owensboro Symphony in Kentucky, where he performed in the Emmy-nominated “Night at the Oscars” production, broadcast nationally on PBS. In Chicago, Jack maintains a private studio of clarinet students, while also serving as a Program Coordinator and Clarinet Teaching Artist at The People’s Music School, a non-profit that provides tuition-free music education in underserved communities. For his work there, Jack received the “Excellence in Teaching Artistry” award, and his students consistently earn top honors in the program.

 

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