Dr. Kristen Denny-Chambers, (b. 1978) clarinetist, teacher, and composer, has performed as a freelance, chamber, and orchestral clarinetist in several venues including the Ameropa Chamber Music Festival in Prague, the Fort Smith Symphony, Wyoming Symphony, Longmont Symphony, Colorado Light Opera, and the Tulsa Symphony.
Having no formal compositional training, Kristen wrote a clarinet exercise book called Prep Steps Before You Kroepsch in 2016 with the goal of bridging the gap between high school and college-level clarinet methods. A few years later, Kristen wrote Finger Fitness Études Book 1 which incorporates finger technique drills into 38 tuneful and light-hearted études with 10 additional études for low C clarinets. Composed in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the book showcases a new compositional voice that was simply waiting for the right moment for inspiration.
Released in September of 2021, Finger Fitness Études Book 2 picks up where book 1 left off with 40 new études (plus 18 for low C) featuring larger intervals, more challenging rhythms, and elevated musical expectations. Released just a month later in September of 2021, Finger Fitness Foundations is a precursor to Finger Fitness Études Book 1. It contains mostly half-page études based on the “68 Exercises in Mechanism” from the Celebrated Method for the Clarinet by H. Klosé – perfect for those just getting started with finger fundamentals. Finger Fitness Études Book 3 was released in 2023 and pushes the range and difficulty level up to be on par with All-State level audition materials. Book 3 includes 45 new études (plus 24 for low C). There are more books to come. Stick around!
Kristen has also been having fun writing solo and ensemble pieces for the clarinet. First prize winner in the post-collegiate composition category of the 2021 Clareidoscope festival and competition, Cortejo de Aves is scored for solo clarinet with the flexibility to be performed using any clarinet in the clarinet family. Kristen’s newest duet, To the Other Side, scored for Bb clarinet and bass clarinet, was awarded third prize in the first-ever ICA Low Clarinet Fest Composition Competition and will be premiered at the January 2023 event by the amazing Égide Duo comprised of Stefanie and Joshua Gardner. This duet will be released in the Clarinet Playground store in January of 2023. Premiering at the ICA Clarinetfest in Dublin (2024), Kristen wrote a piece that was a commission and consortium through the ICA and ICA Enthusiasts Committee. “Friendship” is a three-movement solo clarinet piece (any clarinet) that features an Irish inspiration. It will release to the public in January of 2025. Kristen is on a roll and has started her own clarinet venture called Clarinet Playground where “Everyone’s Invited!” Expect to see many more books along with more solo and ensemble pieces as Clarinet Playground continues to grow.
Following a long, five-year break from social media, Kristen returned with the purpose of connecting with others musically. After having kids and multiple dental surgeries, she needed to get back into shape so she dove into some performance groups. Kristen noticed a need for another group so she started an Étude of the Week Facebook group for clarinet enthusiasts to journey through études together and, much to her surprise, the community has become a significant part of her daily life with new friendships and connections budding daily. Kristen has also started a Facebook group for Clarinet Playground that has become a wonderfully supportive group and allows members to post and cheer each other on as they play through Clarinet Playground materials. Branching out further from her comfort zone, Kristen joined Instagram and has learned to create videos and other content related to Étude of the Week and Clarinet Playground as well as clarinet coaching materials.
While Kristen especially enjoys helping young students develop into polished musicians, she welcomes students of all ages and abilities. Students of Dr. Denny-Chambers have attended music camps such as Interlochen Arts Academy and Rocky Ridge, placed in prestigious solo competitions, attended arts-focused high schools, gained college scholarships to study music, and have held positions in youth orchestras and honor bands in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Colorado. Early on, Kristen gained valuable teaching experience as a band director with one of the top school districts in Arkansas (Alma) and was on staff as the woodwinds instructor at Conifer High School and Summit Middle School while living in Colorado.
Dr. Denny-Chambers’ passion for chamber music lead her to form a group that performed Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time in 2007, and the group was awarded the Denis Koromzay Chamber Music Award for their successful performances in the Boulder community. As a novice composer, Fool’s Dance, premiered by the Tulsa Clarinet Quartet at the OU Clarinet Symposium in 2004, was her first composition to be premiered at a large venue. Other honors Kristen has received include the winner of the University of Tulsa concerto competition and the Best Should Teach Award from the University of Colorado.
Kristen is now teaching full-time in her home studio, writing and experimenting with music as much as possible, leading and participating in several online clarinet communities, performing with local and virtual groups, taking care of her two small children, and brainstorming for her next book project.
Dr. Denny-Chambers holds degrees from the University of Tulsa, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the University of Colorado-Boulder.
