Carrie RavenStem: Clarinetist, Educator, and Advocate for New Music Carrie RavenStem is a distinguished clarinetist and educator based in the Louisville/Southern Indiana area. As both a freelance musician and teacher, she has performed with renowned orchestras and ensembles, including the Kentucky Opera, Louisville Ballet, NouLou Chamber Players, Sacred Winds, Louisville Chamber Winds, Louisville Orchestra, Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, Classical Symphony Orchestra, and Keep Louisville Symphonic. Her passion lies in championing living composers and fostering the appreciation of contemporary music
Performer and Promoter of Living Compositional Voices Carrie is the co-founder and clarinetist of A/Tonal, a contemporary music ensemble dedicated to bridging the gap between traditional and modern compositions. Through innovative programming, A/Tonal explores the connections between classical masterworks and contemporary compositions. The ensemble has been featured on WUOL’s The Unheard series, highlighting female composers, and recorded an arrangement of NPR’s Morning Edition theme. A/Tonal’s debut EP, Starting Point, was released in 2017 at their Kentucky Center debut. The group has collaborated with the Longleash trio at The Loretto Project and served as artists-in-residence at the University of Louisville’s School of Music (2018-19), commissioning six new works by student composers. They have been frequent guests of Surface Noise Records, Kentucky Performing Arts Center, St.Francis in the Fields, and Indiana University Southeast.
Co-Founder of La HERmandad Carrie co-founded the clarinet duo La HERmandad with Adria Sutherland in 2020, focusing on commissioning and performing new works by underrepresented voices. The ensemble made an international debut in 2021 at the ICA Clareidoscope virtual conference. A world premiere of The Mountain by Jenni Brandon took place at ICA ClarinetFest in Lake Tahoe (2022), followed by the debut of re:CONNECT by Erich Stem at ICA’s 50th Anniversary ClarinetFest (2023). Performances at the Music by Women Festival (2024) have also been part of the ensemble’s journey, with a return scheduled in 2025 to present Five Cats for Two Clarinets by Fran Griffin.
Solo Performances and Commissioning Projects Carrie’s first ICA ClarinetFest performance was in Knoxville (2018) with Perceptions of Strife, a solo piece written for her by Peter Felice. She has performed at international festivals such as WoodwindFest 2020, sponsored by Silverstein Works. Her latest commissioning projects include works by Margaret Brouwer (Sonata for Clarinet and Piano), Paul Schoenfeld (Eretz Hefetz), and a new clarinet/bass clarinet with electronics piece by Phong Tran.
Educator and Clinician A sought-after educator, Carrie maintains an active teaching studio in Louisville and works with local schools to mentor young clarinetists. She has been a clinician at the University of Evansville’s Clarinet Day, faculty member for the University of Louisville’s Wind Band Institute, and guest artist at Navarro College, University of Tennessee Martin, and various institutions. Her masterclasses and lectures focus on the evolving role of musicians and private teachers in today’s musical landscape.
Recordings and Collaborations Carrie can be heard on multiple recordings, including A/Tonal* Starting Point*, Where June Meets July (The Idyll Opus by Adjy), Sky Unconscious with Drift City, and an upcoming album by Andrew Montana. She is also the clarinet soloist on a short documentary by Clovehitch Productions. of metal.
Endorsements Carrie is a Backun Performing Artist, playing on Backun MoBa clarinets, and a Silverstein Works Inspiring Educator, using Hexa Gen 5 ligatures. She performs exclusively on Légère European Cut clarinet reeds.
Beyond Music Carrie shares her creative life with her husband, composer Erich Stem, their four children, and three cats. When not performing or teaching, she enjoys crocheting, building Lego sets, and perfecting her guacamole and omelet recipes.