Diego Vásquez

Diego Vásquez is an Assistant Professor of Music Performance at Ithaca College's School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. A native of Washington DC, he is an interdisciplinary musician whose work bridges clarinet performance, dance, and electronic music. His professional activities include serving as Principal Clarinet of the Berkshire Opera Festival and Norwalk Symphony, with regular performances across New England regional orchestras.

Vásquez's research and artistic interests center on clarinet performance, chamber music, contemporary classical music, and interdisciplinary arts. His work explores the integration of traditional clarinet techniques with electronic elements, as demonstrated in his debut EP "DR DIEGO" (2022), which fuses deep house, disco, chiptunes, and baroque organ music. His scholarly work includes a Doctoral dissertation examining "The Clarinet Writing in Wagner's Parsifal as Synthesis of the Wagner/Nietzsche Relationship" from The Hartt School.

His recent artistic output shows a strong focus on Stockhausen's works, with notable performances including UVERSA at Kiev's Zelyonka Space Up (2019), KLANG in Montreal (2019), and serving as dancer/mime soloist in INORI at the Lucerne Festival and Berlin Philharmonie (2017-2018). His creative approach emphasizes "a deep connection with the body" across all musical endeavors.

• Connecticut Artist Fellow (2020)

Vásquez maintains active performance relationships with prominent musicians including Matthias Pintscher, Alan Gilbert, and Anne-Sophie Mutter. He previously worked as Communications Manager for Real Art Ways in Connecticut and curated concert series at Hartford's West End Farmers' Market, demonstrating his commitment to community engagement alongside his academic work.

His artistic trajectory reveals a consistent exploration of boundary-pushing performance practices that integrate traditional classical training with contemporary electronic elements and physical movement, establishing him as a distinctive voice in contemporary music performance.