Montréal-based clarinetist Raphael Balk Zimmerman is known for his thoughtful and flexible playing and well-rounded musicianship. He is a sought-after player for his interpretive creativity and down-to-earth approach.

Raphael is an avid orchestral and chamber musician: he has performed with the McGill Opera Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, Axiom Ensemble, National Orchestra Institute Philharmonic, Domaine Forget Academy Chamber Orchestra, and Interlochen World Youth Orchestra, and a wide variety of chamber ensembles at Schulich, Juilliard, and MSM, as well as at Face the Music and the Third Street Music Settlement. He recently participated in Nathalie Joachim’s dramatic chamber project Ki moun ou ye? He is interested in projects that explore new or marginalized perspectives, build welcoming attitudes, and actively pursue educational outreach.

The child of non-musicians, Raphael started playing both clarinet and cello at age nine. He attended Juilliard pre-college in clarinet for four years before enrolling in the Juilliard undergraduate program. His primary teachers include Larry Guy, Alan Kay, Anthony McGill, and Todd Cope. As a high school student, he spent summers at Interlochen Summer festival and Kinhaven Music School, where he worked with Anton Rist, Yao Zhai, and Dave Sapadin. Raphael also studied cello with David Geber for three years at Manhattan School of Music pre-college prior to committing to a career in clarinet. Raphael holds degrees from The Schulich School of Music at McGill University and The Juilliard School.