David Hattner

Musical Director of the Portland Youth Philharmonic

United States

While I was preparing for a recent performance of Gerald Finzi's Clarinet Concerto, David Shifrin urged me to try the new European Signature. The first one I tried was the best reed I had played in years. I knew immediately that I would not be going back to cane reeds. The day of the performance I had two superb reeds to choose from and the results were very pleasing. Thank you Légère!

Conductor David Hattner delivers “calmly authoritative” (The New York Times) performances that are “brilliant in all departments.” (The Chicago Tribune) Hattner’s high musical intelligence and phenomenal technique uniquely combine with a warm and cooperative disposition, allowing for ease of execution which imbues confidence and expands possibilities. Although he is energetic and animated, inner calm and polish characterize Hattner’s presence on the podium. This clarity creates space for Hattner and his performers to revel in the joy of music-making, leading to concert experiences that are truly magical.

Hattner is the Musical Director of the highly acclaimed Portland Youth Philharmonic (Oregon), the nation’s oldest youth orchestra. The fifth music director in its distinguished 93-year history, he is the first to be born in the United States. Known for his encyclopedic knowledge of American repertoire having directed more than 75 orchestral works by over 45 American composers, Hattner’s programming is relevant, thoughtful, and “especially attractive.” (The Chicago Tribune)

Hattner’s recent seasons included his conducting debuts with the Phoenix Symphony, Olympia Symphony, Baton Rouge Symphony, and Chamber Music Northwest as well as appearances with the Oregon Symphony and the Musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony. Additional guest appearances include the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Interlochen Philharmonic, Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, International Contemporary Ensemble, Eugene Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Sospeso, Kansas City Symphony, Oregon Mozart Players, and Massapequa Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. Known for his superior talent in forming an orchestra in its early days, Hattner often guest conducts at summer festivals.

Hattner excels at mastering repertoire under pressure and has earned a reputation as a reliable and impressive substitute conductor. He is also highly skilled at directing myriad forces, as demonstrated by his flawless performances of Richard Einhorn's Voices of Light performed to silent film with Ensemble Sospeso, Anonymous 4 and the New Amsterdam Singers at New York's Winter Garden. (The recording of this performance remains available in the New Sounds online archive following its radio broadcast on WNYC.) Of the performances, soprano Susan Narucki wrote, “Mr. Hattner synchronized the musical performance with the screening of the film effortlessly and led the musical forces in passionate, vital performances, which were received with enormous enthusiasm by the large audiences. He also possesses a rare quality - the ability to create an atmosphere that enables the performers to do their very best: to take risks and to make music that moves people.” Additional multimedia conducting experience includes leading performances in Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland and Sao Paulo, Brazil of Jason Staczek’s score to Guy Maddin’s silent film Brand Upon the Brain, and four performances of Theresa Koon’s opera Promise.

An accomplished clarinetist having studied with the legendary Robert Marcellus, Hattner regularly performs in live radio broadcasts on All Classical Portland, and has served as principal clarinet with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Cascade Music Festival Orchestra in Bend, New Jersey Opera Theater, and Key West Symphony Orchestra. He has made guest appearances as a clarinetist with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Oregon Symphony Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra. Hattner is an honors graduate of Northwestern University and was a Conducting Fellow at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen for three summers where he honed his craft with David Zinman and Murry Sidlin.