About Betsy Thorpe

Elizabeth “Betsy” Thorpe, woodwind specialist and performer, received a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Music degree in Music Performance, focusing on the clarinet from the University of Lowell.

Ms. Thorpe has performed in Europe on two separate occasions with the American Chamber Winds and the University of New Hampshire Jazz Band. She has been 1st clarinetist with the New England Wind Symphony for the past 28 years and performed at First Night in Boston with the clarinet quartet 4 of 1, in which she was a co-founder. She also co-founded the saxophone quartet A Gathering of Friends. She has been a freelance performer in many venues including theater productions as a woodwind doubler, orchestras, wind symphonies and small ensembles. Her teachers include David Martins, David Seiler, John Fullum of the Buffalo Philharmonic, and Craig Nordstrom of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

She has performed in clarinet master classes with Tom Martin of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and world renowned clarinetist, David Shifrin. She has also studied jazz with Shannon Leclaire of The Berklee College of Music.

Ms. Thorpe has been teaching private instrumental music lessons for over 30 years, and built successful instrumental music programs in the public school systems of New Hampshire.