Silvio Guitian joined the Met Opera Orchestra in 2024 as Principal Clarinet. He previously held the position of Associate Principal and Eb clarinet with the Kansas City Symphony since 2019. He has also performed with the San Diego Symphony. Guitian has enjoyed opportunities to play chamber music as part of the Met Chamber Ensemble at Carnegie Hall and in Kansas City’s “Happy Hour” chamber series. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Guitian attended Rice University, studying clarinet with Richie Hawley. He received his bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory as a student of Richard Hawkins. Guitian has participated in the Pacific Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, and Aspen Music Festival and was principal clarinetist of the 2018 New York String Orchestra Seminar. He also went on tours with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas and the National Youth Orchestra. Guitian was a winner of the Oberlin Concerto competition and has been featured on NPR’s “From the Top.” Guitian enjoys teaching clarinet, and he has worked closely with the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestras and the Asociación Nacional de Conciertos in Panama City. When not performing, he enjoys cooking, solving logic puzzles, and playing disc golf and pickleball.
