Clarinetist Lisa Perry joined the faculty at East Tennessee State University in the fall of 2018 and is currently serving as Assistant Professor of Clarinet in the Department of Music. Dr. Perry has appeared with the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, the North Carolina Master Chorale, the Symphony of the Mountains, the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra, and has recorded for Minnesota Public Radio (MPR). As a member of the International Clarinet Association, Dr. Perry has written for The Clarinet Journal and performed at the 2012 ClarinetFest in Lincoln, Nebraska, the 2019 ClarinetFest in Knoxville, TN, the 2021 Virtual ClarinetFest, and the 2022 ClarinetFest in Reno, Nevada. As an advocate for new music Dr. Perry is actively engaged in the commissioning and performance of new works for the clarinet, most recently commissioning Smokey Mountain Lullaby (2022) for clarinet ensemble by Roger Zare - a project made possible by a Research Development Grant through East Tennessee State University. Additionally, Dr. Perry commissioned Bunun Fantasy for clarinet and electronics by composer Roger Zare that was premiered in December of 2016. Dr. Perry is a founding member of the Nexus Duo, a clarinet/saxophone duo with Dr. Brian Rodesch (East Tennessee State University). The ensemble has presented at regional and national meetings of the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA), the American Single Reed Summit (ASRS), and the Music by Women Festival. Dedicated to expanding the repertoire for clarinet and saxophone duo, the ensemble has commissioned works from composers: Katherine Bergman, Peter Gustav Weston II, Sam Krahn, and Neal Endicott.
As an educator, Dr. Perry has assisted at the Interlochen Center for Arts Clarinet Academy and has been on faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp (MI), the Minnesota Clarinet Academy (MN), the International Music Camp in North Dakota/Canada, and the International Clarinet Workshop in Mizra, Israel. Dr. Perry has given masterclasses across the nation including Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University, The University of North Carolina - Greensboro, The University of North Carolina Carolina -Charlotte, Illinois State University, University of Delaware, Kansas State University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and Florida State University. Prior to serving on faculty at East Tennessee State University, Dr. Perry served as Adjunct Instructor of Clarinet at Bemidji State University (MN).
Dr. Perry earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts in clarinet performance at the University of Minnesota where she was a teaching assistant and Berneking Fellowship Recipient. She received her Master of Music degree in clarinet performance at Florida State University where she served as a graduate teaching assistant to Dr. Frank Kowalsky and Dr. Deborah Bish. Lisa also holds a Bachelor of Music degree in clarinet performance from East Carolina University. Her teachers include Janice Lipson, Michael Cyzewski, Anne Dervin, Christopher Grymes, Frank Kowalsky, and Alexander Fiterstein.