Youth in Focus

By Richard A. Ross

‘Music is my life’

	TRR photo by Richard A. Ross Daniellle Occhipinti of Barryville, NY is a junior at New England Conservatory of Music. (Click for larger image)

BARRYVILLE, NY — It’s a long way from the small town of Barryville to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where Danielle Occhipinti’s life now centers on her study and performance of the clarinet. This coming year, Occhipinti will also play professionally in the Brockton and New Bedford Symphony Orchestras.

Her journey has been one defined by milestone performances in the Area All-State, the All-State Wind Ensemble, in which she performed as principal chair, and in the All-Eastern Symphony Orchestra as first chair, second clarinet. During her senior year, Occhipinti also studied at the Manhattan School of Music, where she played principal chair in the school’s top orchestra. And she played in the New York Youth Symphony, one of the finest youth symphony orchestras in the world.

Playing in the All-Eastern Orchestra, Manhattan School of Music and the New York Youth Symphony signified a rite of passage into the rarified atmosphere of exceptional musicians. Occhipinti is gearing up to play in a major symphony or opera house.

Back in third grade, she prevailed on her mother Dee to let her begin piano lessons. Dee’s response was encouraging: “Anything you set out to do, give it 100 percent.” Her daughter did exactly that. Right through her junior year in high school, Danielle pursued a rigorous study in piano, intending to major in piano in college. Studying first with local teacher Frank Schwartz, she went on to study with former Russian concert pianist Sergei Arzoumanov. She practiced relentlessly until chronic tendonitis prevented her from continuing to do so.

Fortunately, she had also studied clarinet, though not as her principal instrument. In fourth grade at Eldred she had first tried the flute but switched to the clarinet in Barbara Sardone’s music class. Her practice schedule with the clarinet in those days was sporadic.

After attending Eldred through the ninth grade, Occhipinti transferred to Warwick High School for its more expansive academics, music program and track team. In the town of Warwick, she discovered David Dworkin.

“It was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Occhipinti said. “David was my first real teacher in clarinet. He had played with the Metropolitan Opera and had done solo recitals at Carnegie Hall.”

Studies with Dworkin also availed Occhipinti a chance to study with his teacher, renowned clarinetist Ben Armato, who had played for thirty-five years in the Metropolitan Opera. Having the right teacher is everything. Over the next two years, Occhipinti’s skills soared. The two teachers nurtured her tremendous talent. With her intense work ethic, dividends began to pay off.

Denied acceptance into the New York Youth Symphony in her junior year, she persisted and gained entrance in her senior year. She, Dworkin and Armato began to evaluate music schools that she might attend. The list was impressive: New England Conservatory of Music, The Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and last but not least, Manhattan School of Music and Julliard.

New England Conservatory offered a chance to study with a great teacher, Tom Martin, an associate principal in E-flat clarinet with the Boston Symphony. The school also provided a generous scholarship and she loved Boston. It was a perfect fit.

Asked what it would take for a young person to reach this level, Occhipinti replied, “A lot of hard work, dedication and a true love for music. If you’re not totally into it, there’s no way you’ll make it.” Occhipinti practices four to five hours a day.

“I couldn’t fathom not being a musican. Music is my life,” she said.

This week’s youth in focus is a world-class woodwind player in the making.