Dr. Melissa Morales
Dr. Melissa Morales is an avid chamber musician and educator originally from the Greater New Orleans area, and doctoral graduate of The University of Maryland. She served as the artist in residence at Collington Continuing Care Retirement Community in Bowie, Maryland from 2018-2019, clarinetist for the Washington D.C chamber music collective Potomac Winds from 2016-2020, and 2nd clarinet with the Apollo Orchestra from 2017-2022. She currently serves as the Director of Clarinet Sales for Schmitt Music in Bloomington, Minnesota and teaches privately in the Twin Cities. She will join the Mankato Symphony for their 2023-2024 season.
Morales has performed with the Baltimore Orchestra, Annapolis Opera, in recitals as part of the Riverdale Chamber Music Society, DC Society of Arts & Letters, National Music Festival-- Resonance Chamber Series, was invited to perform at Forum Cultural Guanajuato in Leon City, Mexico. Additionally she has performed with various ensembles at The Kennedy Center, Strathmore, Meyerhoff, and Symphony Center in Chicago, IL.
Prior to her time in Maryland she spent several years in Chicago, IL where she worked with various organizations including The People's Music School as clarinet and music theory faculty, DePaul University where she served as an adjunct music education professor, and the Chicago Symphonic Winds where she worked as a founder and the Director of Education & Community Outreach. She was a regular member of the Chicago Summer Opera for their 2014-2016 seasons, and performed with the Lake Effect Clarinet Quartet for their 2015 season. In 2014 she was a winner of the Monroe Symphony League’s Marjorie Stricklin Emerging Artist Competition, and was a featured artist in the Trinity Presbyterian Young Artist Performance Series in New Orleans, LA.
She has also served as an assistant editor for the International Clarinet Association’s annual conference ClarinetFest® in 2014 and 2016. Her publications can be found in their quarterly journal, The Clarinet.
Prior to her graduate and professional pursuits in Chicago, IL, Morales worked as a public school teacher in St. Tammany Parish from 2011-2013 while maintaining an active private studio and performing with groups such as the St. Luke's Chamber Orchestra, Five Reeds Trio, and soloing with several local band programs.
Morales is a graduate of The University of Maryland (DMA in clarinet), DePaul University (MM in clarinet), and Louisiana State University (Bachelors in Music Education). Her teachers include Robert DiLutis, Julie DeRoche, Larry Combs, Wagner Campos, Stephen Williamson, and Paul Frechou.
Morales has performed with the Baltimore Orchestra, Annapolis Opera, in recitals as part of the Riverdale Chamber Music Society, DC Society of Arts & Letters, National Music Festival-- Resonance Chamber Series, was invited to perform at Forum Cultural Guanajuato in Leon City, Mexico. Additionally she has performed with various ensembles at The Kennedy Center, Strathmore, Meyerhoff, and Symphony Center in Chicago, IL.
Prior to her time in Maryland she spent several years in Chicago, IL where she worked with various organizations including The People's Music School as clarinet and music theory faculty, DePaul University where she served as an adjunct music education professor, and the Chicago Symphonic Winds where she worked as a founder and the Director of Education & Community Outreach. She was a regular member of the Chicago Summer Opera for their 2014-2016 seasons, and performed with the Lake Effect Clarinet Quartet for their 2015 season. In 2014 she was a winner of the Monroe Symphony League’s Marjorie Stricklin Emerging Artist Competition, and was a featured artist in the Trinity Presbyterian Young Artist Performance Series in New Orleans, LA.
She has also served as an assistant editor for the International Clarinet Association’s annual conference ClarinetFest® in 2014 and 2016. Her publications can be found in their quarterly journal, The Clarinet.
Prior to her graduate and professional pursuits in Chicago, IL, Morales worked as a public school teacher in St. Tammany Parish from 2011-2013 while maintaining an active private studio and performing with groups such as the St. Luke's Chamber Orchestra, Five Reeds Trio, and soloing with several local band programs.
Morales is a graduate of The University of Maryland (DMA in clarinet), DePaul University (MM in clarinet), and Louisiana State University (Bachelors in Music Education). Her teachers include Robert DiLutis, Julie DeRoche, Larry Combs, Wagner Campos, Stephen Williamson, and Paul Frechou.

morales_cv_2022.pdf |