Sergeant First Class Kristen Mather de Andrade is principal clarinet of the West Point Band and clarinetist with Quintette 7. She frequently performs with the West Point Band and other bands as a soloist. In 2010, she recorded a CD of the music of Raymond Scott with Quintette 7. Sgt. 1st Class Mather de Andrade frequently tours with chamber ensembles from the West Point Band and as a soloist to perform and give master classes in colleges across the country. After forming a partnership between the West Point Band and the El Sistema-inspired Harmony Program in New York City, Sgt. 1st Class Mather de Andrade returned to studying and was recently granted a master’s degree from Columbia University’s graduate school of education, Teachers College.
In 2005, Sgt. 1st Class Mather de Andrade earned a Bachelor of Music in clarinet performance from The Dana School of Music, where she studied with Robert Fitzer. In 2006, she attended DePaul University in Chicago and studied with Chicago Symphony Orchestra principal clarinet Larry Combs. As a student, she was selected to perform in master classes by many musicians, including Grammy award-winning clarinetist Richard Stoltzman and Cleveland Orchestra clarinetists Daniel Gilbert and Daniel McKelway.
Sgt. 1st Class Mather de Andrade has a varied musical background. Prior to obtaining her position in the West Point Band, she performed with the American Wind Symphony Orchestra (with which she was soloist), the Ohio Light Opera Orchestra, renowned jazz quintet The Dave Holland Quintet, singer Maureen McGovern, and theater star Tommy Tune, among others. An advocate for new music and the music and culture of Brazil, she has worked with the New York City-based composer collective Vox Novus to collect a new repertoire of music inspired by Brazilian themes.
