Profile

Clarinetist Stanislav Golovin

by Mike Telin

From Tashkent, Uzbekistan to Interlochen Michigan, to Cleveland, Ohio and now back to Interlochen; the career of young clarinetist Stanislav Golovin has come full circle following his recent appointment as Instructor of Clarinet at the renowned Interlochen Arts Academy.

Tashkent, Uzbekistan - Interlochen Michigan: It was ten years ago in 2002 that Stanislav Golovin first came to the United States after being awarded a full scholarship to attend Interlochen’s Summer Camp. Although he had studied English for some time, he says that he still needed about three weeks before he felt comfortable speaking the language with his fellow students. But language aside, there were still plenty of life adjustments that needed to be made. “There were quite a few cultural differences; I’m not going to lie,” he says chuckling. “It was a different mentality; I was living in a cabin with ten other students, most of whom were from the United States. So right away I was out in a situation where I had to really adapt myself to new surroundings and a new environment. It was a little challenging at times but I got used to it, and I made many great friends who I am still in touch with.”

Following the summer camp, Golovin received a full scholarship to attend Interlochen’s famed Arts Academy where he was a student of Nathan Williams. “He has been a very important figure in my life since I came to the United States. If he had not accepted me into his clarinet studio at the Academy, I would not have come to study here, in America. He has always been very inspirational and supportive since I met him ten years ago,” Golovin says.

Interlochen Michigan - Cleveland, Ohio: In 2005 Golovin made his move to Cleveland to continue his studies with Franklin Cohen at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he completed his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees. Soon after his arrival in Cleveland Golovin quickly found himself teaching at The Cleveland School of the Arts, which he says was a great experience. Last year Golovin continued his trajectory toward a career as a teacher when he became Cohen’s first-ever teaching assistant, which he says was a totally different experience from the one he had at The School of the Arts. “This was a great opportunity for me because I could work with undergraduate students. Frank is a wonderful artist, everybody knows that, but he has a lot of great ideas to offer to his students. His ideas gave me a very big perspective of how I should be approaching very gifted young students. He also gave me some very good advice that definitely helped me during the Interlochen interview: giving a master class and teaching a private lesson. His advice gave me a great perspective on how things work in the world of teaching.”

Another important connection Golovin made while in Cleveland was meeting Cleveland Orchestra principal trombonist Massimo LaRosa who he says is like an older brother. “I’m very happy and fortunate to have met this wonderful musician and human being.” The two first met in the dressing room at Severance Hall when Golovin was playing as a substitute with The Cleveland Orchestra. “He is from Italy and I from Uzbekistan, so we were both from different countries. We started talking and discovered that we had some mutual friends, and we became friends right away. The following summer I was playing with the orchestra again, and pretty much every week we would drive to Blossom together and he was giving me some life lessons, and encouraged me about music. He’s a great guy and a wonderful trombone player.”

Cleveland, Ohio – Interlochen, Michigan: “I’m very honored and grateful for this opportunity,” Golovin says of his new job. “I’m also very excited to be going back to Interlochen as a faculty member. It’s great to be able to begin my professional career at the place I spent three summers and two school years.”

In addition to teaching twelve to fourteen clarinet students each week, he will most likely be coaching chamber music ensembles as well as playing on faculty recitals. But what approach will Golovin take when it comes to the teaching of talented high school students? “I think both technical and musical aspects of clarinet playing is what I will be focusing on with my students. At fourteen to eighteen years old it’s important to establish a great foundation: a clear understanding of solid rhythm, to develop a variety of articulations, and knowing the background of the music you are working on. After the foundation is established we can work more on musicality, phrasing, and all the things that are essential to become a fine clarinet player.”

Golovin looks at teaching as a way to learn about oneself, and looks forward to continuing to develop his own skills as a musician. “I will still be developing myself as a musician, artist and clarinet player. I believe by helping younger students you are, in a lot of ways, helping yourself in developing into a complete artist. That is very important, especially at a place like Interlochen where the level is so high and everybody loves music; it’s very motivating.”

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Published on ClevelandClassical.com July 18, 2012

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