A clarinetist with the Rogue Valley Symphony, he has studies to complete in Texas but he has roots, and roses, in Oregon
By Jim Flint
When Jerry Su and his wife aren’t chasing each other around their apartment with Nerf guns, you might find him tending his house plants and, in season, spending time in the garden.
At other times, he chases his musical dreams and cultivates his career as a professional clarinetist.
Born in Hunan province, China, he came to the Rogue Valley with his parents when he was in elementary school. After university studies in Indiana and Colorado, and pursuing his career playing with several orchestras, he returned to Southern Oregon in 2022 to audition for the second E-flat clarinet position with the Rogue Valley Symphony — and got the job.
Su, 27, is working on his dissertation for a doctorate in musical arts from the University of North Texas in Denton, near Dallas. He expects to complete his studies in May or June.
He’s happy to revisit the Rogue Valley.
“My mom lives in the area, so I thought it would be a nice opportunity to spend more time with her,” he said. “And I like the climate of Oregon a lot more than Texas. It’s hot there and people don’t drive very well.”
He said he found himself missing Oregon a lot while living in Texas for the past few years.
He missed the rain
“The seasons are just so lovely here,” he said. “I missed the droning rain the most,” he added.
While pursuing his doctorate, he has been working as a teaching assistant for a film music class at the university and teaches clarinet for a few schools within the Dallas Independent School District.
“I also do some freelance writing in Mandarin Chinese under a different name, and do some freelance translating,” Su said.
Why the clarinet? He received his first one as a gift when he was 8.
It took him a few years to appreciate the instrument, thinking it sounded too placid at first.
In middle school, he came across an album by Martin Frost, the famed Swedish virtuoso.
“I didn’t know the clarinet could be played like that,” he said. “It was mind-blowing.”
Su joined the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon in the seventh grade. Because of that experience, he knew he wanted to be an orchestral musician.
A turning point
“I started to really love the sound and feeling of the clarinet in high school” at South Medford, he said. “I learned how much is possible on the instrument. So many styles, tone colors and nuances. Just the clarinet’s ability to decrescendo into nothing is something that cannot be effortlessly emulated by other instruments.”
Along the way he won the district solo and ensemble competition and placed first in the Oregon State Activities Association Solo Music Competition.
Neither of his parents was a musician, but they supported him in his musical pursuits, providing “taxi service” to countless rehearsals, events and classes. “And finding teachers for me when I was young,” Su said.
He counts several teachers and mentors as important to his development as a clarinetist. One of them, Lori Calhoun, was a big inspiration during his years with the YSSO. She is a past principal clarinetist for the Rogue Valley Symphony, performed on woodwinds four seasons for Oregon Shakespeare Festival productions, and played in other area theater company orchestras.
She set him up for college
“We worked a lot on musicality, articulations and intonation,” he said. “This set me up well for college. I really couldn’t have done it without her.”
Calhoun also set him up for his first pit orchestra experience when he subbed for her in a Camelot Theatre production of “The Producers.”
Su earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University, Bloomington, and a Master of Music degree from Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
He says he will continue to refine his orchestral and playing skills, and explore other non-musical interests.
“My aspirations are simple,” he said. “I just want to garden and chill out. I have a soft spot for roses, evening primroses and various monsteras.”
He likes to play games of all kinds. Besides Nerf forays with his wife, he enjoys Pokemon, switch games and other older games.
On the musical front, he hopes someday to be able to play for a ballet or opera orchestra.
“I’m game for all opportunities!” he said.
Meanwhile he’s enjoying his gig with the Rogue Valley Symphony and savoring the simple pleasures of coming home.
Freelance writer Jim Flint’s “Curtain Call” column about people in the performing arts appears on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. Email him at jimflint.ashland@yahoo.com.
