Biography
Darryl Harper performs with virtuosity on clarinet while composing and teaching, moving fluidly between jazz and classical idioms. As a professor at Amherst, he frequently explores the socio-political intersections of race, culture, and economics through his music. Harper directs the Onus trio, featuring bassist Matthew Parrish and drummer Harry "Butch" Reed, as documented on releases including Recurring Dream and Triphony. He merged chamber jazz with spoken word on 2009's Stories in Real Time and demonstrated refined classical arranging skills once more on 2022's Chamber Made.
Philadelphia native Harper began clarinet studies at age six and encountered jazz during adolescence. He was already performing professionally before completing high school, appearing locally alongside Eddie Green, Bootsie Barnes, and Tyrone Brown. Harper earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Amherst College in 1990, followed by a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Studies from the New England Conservatory. During his academic years he established the Onus trio with Matthew Parrish and Harry "Butch" Reed, issuing exploratory recordings such as Recurring Dream, The Onus, and Triphony. Additional collaborations have included work with Roscoe Mitchell, Dave Holland, and Dee Dee Bridgewater, along with membership in Regina Carter's ensemble and Jason Moran's Harlem Hellfighters. Harper has also taught at Virginia Commonwealth University and within Amherst's Department of Music.
Stories in Real Time appeared in 2009, highlighting Harper's four-clarinet ensemble plus rhythm section alongside spoken word contributions from Marianne Solivan. That year he completed an artist residency lasting several weeks at Edenfred in Madison, Wisconsin, where he launched the Into Something duo alongside pianist Kevin Harris. Harper later united the duo with his Onus trio for 2013's The Edenfred Files. Matthew Parrish and Harry "Butch" Reed participated as well on The Need's Got to Be So Deep, which placed Harper in multiple ensemble configurations. Chamber Made arrived in 2022 as a classically oriented project containing the "Suite for Clarinet and String Quartet" and the three-part "Spatial Decor" suite.
Philadelphia native Harper began clarinet studies at age six and encountered jazz during adolescence. He was already performing professionally before completing high school, appearing locally alongside Eddie Green, Bootsie Barnes, and Tyrone Brown. Harper earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Amherst College in 1990, followed by a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Studies from the New England Conservatory. During his academic years he established the Onus trio with Matthew Parrish and Harry "Butch" Reed, issuing exploratory recordings such as Recurring Dream, The Onus, and Triphony. Additional collaborations have included work with Roscoe Mitchell, Dave Holland, and Dee Dee Bridgewater, along with membership in Regina Carter's ensemble and Jason Moran's Harlem Hellfighters. Harper has also taught at Virginia Commonwealth University and within Amherst's Department of Music.
Stories in Real Time appeared in 2009, highlighting Harper's four-clarinet ensemble plus rhythm section alongside spoken word contributions from Marianne Solivan. That year he completed an artist residency lasting several weeks at Edenfred in Madison, Wisconsin, where he launched the Into Something duo alongside pianist Kevin Harris. Harper later united the duo with his Onus trio for 2013's The Edenfred Files. Matthew Parrish and Harry "Butch" Reed participated as well on The Need's Got to Be So Deep, which placed Harper in multiple ensemble configurations. Chamber Made arrived in 2022 as a classically oriented project containing the "Suite for Clarinet and String Quartet" and the three-part "Spatial Decor" suite.
Albums
