Sophie Fears
Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Sophie Fears is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Clarinet Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music. She is a teaching assistant at Eastman, where she teaches two sections of clarinet class each semester. Sophie’s primary teachers include Michael Wayne, Eli Eban, David Carter, and Larry Guy.
Prior to Eastman, Sophie received a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance and a minor in Chinese Language and Literature at Indiana University in 2022. While at IU, she taught clarinet to middle and high schoolers in areas around Bloomington, IN as part of a program with the IU Classical Connections and Center for Rural Engagement. She has also maintained a clarinet studio in Ann Arbor, MI for the past two summers.
Along with various wind ensemble orchestra, and chamber music concerts during the course of her music education, she has also performed in operas, such as Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S Pinafore, a live professional stage run of Fiddler on the Roof, and IU Live at the Movies production of Jurassic Park.
Besides playing clarinet, Sophie enjoys finding new places to walk and bike, along with an occasional pickleball game.
Fun Fact:
Sophie trained in Wushu Kung Fu for 14 years and received multiple gold medals at the Legends of Kung Fu Championship tournaments.