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SF State music majors, invited to play by their professors, hit the stage last Friday, Sept. 20 for critique from Yale professor and clarinetist David Shifrin for the May T. Morrison Chamber Music Center’s Master Class with the Alexander String Quartet.

“I definitely think the master classes motivate us to definitely strive for more ‘cause it’s more than just our normal teachers who hear us every day,” said Ashley Ertz, emphasis in oboe performance, “Now it’s new people who we don’t know and we have to impress them all on our own without personalities or anything.”

Shifrin joined the master class after being invited by Sandy Wilson, lecturer at SF State and cellist for the Alexander String Quartet and Richard Festinger, composer and professor at SF State. The master classes are free to the public and act as a resource for the entire community.

“Occasionally we’ll also invite ensembles to come and visit us from the school of the arts and sometimes from San Francisco Conservatory. We will have students who will also come over from the Crowden School and other distinguished programs,” said Wilson. “David Shifrin is an absolutely iconic clarinetist. He’s one of the finest in the world today and we’re very honored to have him here as a guest artist playing.”

Shifrin will be performing with the Alexander String Quartet on Sunday, Sept. 29 opening the 56th Morrison Chamber Music Center’s Artist Series. The concert will take place in McKenna Theatre in the Creative Arts Building at SF State and is free to the public.

“In a way it gives the University more credibility as a music school. It’s fantastic because the higher the caliber the guest artist the higher the caliber of concerts every music student gets to observe,” said Lucas Bailey, music major with an emphasis in clarinet performance. “Having a person like David Shifrin here, it’s a very good reminder why we’re all here, why most of us are here and that’s to perform music professionally.”