Biography
A native to Tampa Bay, Tony Negron has enjoyed a richly varied career as a professional clarinetist, chamber musician, concerto soloist, and as an educator. He graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor’s in Music Education and from Duquesne University with a Masters in Clarinet Performance, where he studied with Ron Samuels of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
As a performer, Tony serves as principal clarinet with the Florida Wind Band and second clarinet with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra & Florida Philharmonic Orchestra (previously the Punta Gorda Symphony). He has performed with The Florida Orchestra, Orlando Philharmonic, Sarasota Orchestra, and Disney Candlelight Orchestra. Tony has won several competitions, including first place in the Robert Shankovich Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition with Scott McAllister's Black Dog. He has been a featured soloist with Alia Musica Pittsburgh, both the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra & Wind Ensemble, the Florida Wind Band, served as a resident artist with the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, and has been a featured artist on Pittsburgh’s Classical Music Radio Station WQED 89.3. Tony has also performed alongside notable musical acts including Celtic Thunder, the Italian pop opera trio Il Volo, Il Divo, and with Sarah Brightman during her Hymn World Tour.
Outside of his performance duties, Tony is highly sought after for lessons, masterclasses, lectures, and presentations. Tony teaches clarinet at Hillsborough Community College and has served as Clarinet Professor on the woodwind faculty at the 2018, 2019, & 2024 Clazz International Music Festival held in Arcidosso, Italy. He has presented at the Florida Music Educator's National Conference, at the University of South Florida, and has presented masterclasses throughout the Tampa Bay area, including his lecture series titled The Mosaic Musician. He maintains a strong and active private studio, teaching between 40-50 students weekly. Tony was named the 2017 Rising Star in Music Education from the Hillsborough County Elementary Music Educators Council and was selected as the director for Hillsborough County Public School's Honors Handbell Choir during the 2018 Fine Arts Festival.
In 2019, Tony was awarded a Professional Development Artist Grant from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County for the purchase of a Buffet 1193 Bass Clarinet. In 2022, Tony was awarded a Professional Development Artist Grant from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County for the purchase of a Di Zhao 700 Series Professional Flute .
Tony performs exclusively on Buffet Prestige R-13 clarinets and Vandoren mouthpieces and reeds.