Patricia Shands

Patricia Shands is a Professor of Clarinet and Program Director of Chamber Music at the Conservatory of Music, University of the Pacific. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from Rice University, a Master of Music from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Music from the Peabody Conservatory of Music. Her career spans performances across the U.S., Europe, and South America, with notable engagements including the Charles Eliot Norton Lectures at Harvard University (1994) and collaborations with ensembles like the Block Ensemble and Pacific Arts Woodwind Quintet.

Dr. Shands has been recognized for her pedagogical excellence, receiving the Eberhardt Teacher/Scholar Award (2009) and Hoefer Prize (2013). She has performed at festivals such as the Spoleto Festival (Italy), Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, and Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival, with recordings on labels like Naxos and Centaur. Her work emphasizes contemporary music, chamber collaborations, and clarinet pedagogy.