JORGE MONTILLA

INTERNATIONAL SOLOIST AND PEDAGOGUE

...Montilla's playing, and I am not exaggerating, was the smoothest clarinet I have ever heard. The fisrt minute or so of the third movement of "Aires Tropicales" was a soft sound from Montilla, so delicate it stood against the breath of the audience. The Daily Iowan. February 2022.

...Intonation and tone quality are excellent with special credit to Montilla for his light and technically brilliant E-Flat clarinet playing. Kenneth A. Long. The Clarinet. September 2017.

...Montilla literally wowed the audience with impeccable and refined performances that featured a rare but precious musical taste.
Art-Spettacoli. Monza, Italy. March 2014.

...Torin Bakke's Clarinet Journal. May 2013.
http://10kforclarinet.blogspot.com/2013/05/jorge-montilla.html

…Venezuelan Clarinetist Jorge Montilla shines again with his extraordinary “La Revoltosa”. His sound is beautiful at all times and the performance is both natural and portraits great musical conviction… Montilla’s Eb Clarinet playing is just brilliant. Jorge’s own piece “Registro de Pajarillo" is a jewel. From the first notes one is captivated with the music and Jorge’s both sweet timbre and musical solvency on the Eb. This piece should be mandatory in the repertory for the Eb clarinet. Marco Mazzini. Clariperu, Nov 2011.

…Montilla performs with great enthusiasm and knows how to make the repertoire of his native continent jump off the page with effortless technique, subtle dance accents and tasteful vibrato… Patrick Hanudel, American Record Guide, July/Aug 2010.

...Montilla is a Top-Flight musician – Like Desenne and Dudamel, he is a veteran of “El Sistema”. The music’s many and varied technical demands do not seem to bother him… He plays as if he has this music in his blood… Raymond S. Tuttle, International Record Review, May 2010.

…Mr. Montilla is a splendid, experienced player. He displayed a natural, effortless virtuosity and total command of his instrument’s tonal and expressive resources, communicating strong affinity for the characteristic rhythm, creating atmosphere and mood…
Edith Eisler, New York Concert Review Inc, Summer 2003.

…Montilla’s clarinet caressed the music which unfolded most attractively…
Peter Jacobi, The Herald Times, Bloomington Indiana, October 2003.

…A particular highlight throughout the concert was the Eb playing of Jorge Montilla. His musicianship, tone, and intonation on this notoriously difficult instrument were a wonder to the ear… David Niethamer, Principal Clarinet, Richmond Symphony, Washington DC, April 1999.

… Montilla’s arrangements were crafted with such skill to the Caracas Clarinet Quartet that the music sounded easily idiomatic for these instruments…
Joan Reinthaler, The Washington Post Saturday, April 10, 1999.

…That’s scary Eb playing!... Daniel Granados, The Clarinet, 1993

…Montilla’s arrangements to the Caracas Clarinet Quartet: Perhaps the repertoire of the future… Daniel Granados, The Clarinet, 1993.

…Jorge Montilla with an exciting performance of the Lutoslawsky’s Dance Preludes… Penelope Knuth, The Clarinet, February/March, 1991.

About Jorge

Reviews

Renowned as a clarinetist, educator, and composer, Jorge Montilla Moreno has earned accolades from The American Record Guide, which hails him as a performer capable of infusing native continental repertoire with effortless technique, subtle dance accents, and tasteful vibrato. His notable achievements span performance, education, and creativity.

A distinguished figure in both Latin American music and the Eb clarinet, Montilla Moreno made history as the first Latin American clarinetist to record under the esteemed British label "Clarinetclassics" (0061). A product of Venezuela's esteemed "El Sistema," he is recognized as one of the Venezuelan program's accomplished musicians.

Operating under the nickname "clarinetevzla" on major social media platforms, Jorge is frequently invited to perform live alongside notable partners at colleges, music festivals, and concert series worldwide. His expansive career has seen solo performances, recitals, compositions, and educational roles on stages across the globe.

Initiating his clarinet studies at the age of 10 in Venezuela, Montilla Moreno is dedicated to educating younger generations. He has served as the Chairman of the Clarinet Department at the Conservatory of Music Simón Bolívar and as a clarinet professor at the Latin American Academy of Venezuela. In the United States, he has taught at Arizona State University and Longy School of Music of Bard College.

Montilla pursued his education at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, earning a Master Degree and an Artist Diploma under the guidance of Howard Klug. Noteworthy teachers include Luis Rossi, Eli Eban, James Campbell, Walter Boeykens, Antony Pay, and Ricardo Morales.

A former Principal Clarinet of the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra and the Artistic Director of the Caracas Clarinet Quartet, Montilla Moreno is celebrated for his compositions and arrangements, making him a prominent figure in the world of clarinet ensembles.

Presently, Jorge Montilla serves as an Assistant Professor of Clarinet at the University of Iowa School of Music. He contributes as a columnist for the International Clarinet Association's magazine "The Clarinet" and maintains a bustling international career as a soloist and clinician.

Jorge Montilla proudly represents Rossi Clarinets, D'Addario Reeds, Clarinetclassics, Royal Music Products, Lefreque sound bridges, and BG Ligatures. His compositions and arrangements are published by Woodwindiana Editions and Montilla Brothers Editions, a venture he co-founded with his brother Javier Montilla.

Globally recognized, Jorge Montilla Moreno is represented by QuatreKlammer.