Biography
Stefanie Harger Gardner (clarinet) is an acclaimed clarinetist, educator, and advocate for new music and inclusivity in the arts. She serves as Music Program Director at Glendale Community College, where she leads Team Lo-Blow, the world’s largest active low clarinet choir. Formerly on the clarinet faculty at Northern Arizona University, Gardner has built an international reputation as a performer, leader, and champion of contemporary music.
Recognized among “100 Famous Female Clarinetists Throughout History,” Gardner maintains a vibrant performance career with Arizona Opera, The Phoenix Symphony, AZ MusicFest, the internationally celebrated Paradise Winds, and the award-winning Égide Duo, whose mission is to commission and perform works that inspire social change. Her cross-genre collaborations include performances with Jason Alexander, Pitbull, Ceelo, Danny Elfman, Tony Orlando, Reba McEntire, Michael Bolton, David and Katherine McPhee Foster, Jordin Sparks, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Hanson, and The Who. Her chamber recordings on the Soundset label are available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube, and she has commissioned or premiered more than 100 new works for clarinet and bass clarinet.
Gardner has performed at major international conferences including the International Clarinet Association, International Double Reed Society, North American Saxophone Alliance, International Tuba and Euphonium Conference, National Flute Association, and the International Viola Society. Recent engagements include performances at the Calefax Reed Quintet Festival in the Netherlands, Clarinets on Stage in Ghent, Belgium, the European Clarinet Congress in Salerno, Italy, with additional guest artist residencies across the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Italy, Austria, and Mexico. During the summers, she serves on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory Bass Clarinet Intensive, the Musician Enrichment Foundation, and the Henri Selmer Paris Academy.
A visionary leader in the clarinet community, Gardner founded the ICA Low Clarinet Festival and the ICA New Music Weekend during her tenure as Chair of the International Clarinet Association New Music Committee. She most recently chaired the ICA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access Committee, furthering her dedication to creating a clarinet community that celebrates diversity and fosters belonging (see clarEquality.com).
An accomplished researcher and pedagogue, Gardner earned first prize in the ICA Research Competition for her groundbreaking study, An Investigation of Finger Motion and Hand Posture during Clarinet Performance, conducted in collaboration with the Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing at Arizona State University using CyberGloves® technology.
Her recent honors include recognition as a 2025 GRAMMY Music Educator Quarterfinalist, inclusion among Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals, and receiving Arizona State University’s Outstanding Contributions in Private Teaching award. She also serves as a reviewer for W.W. Norton music theory and aural skills textbooks.
Gardner holds Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Clarinet Performance from Arizona State University, where she studied with Robert Spring. She is a Henri Selmer Paris/Conn-Selmer Performing Artist, a Silverstein Pro Team Artist, and a Gleichweit Performing Artist.
SPECIALTIES:
Bass clarinet
Basset horn
B-flat clarinet
E-flat clarinet
Extended techniques
Slap tongue
Circular breathing
Double-tonguing
Multiphonics
Hand posture
Injury prevention
Reed quintet
Contemporary music
LANGUAGES:
English
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