Carl Topilow is renowned worldwide for his versatility, whether he is holding a conductor's baton or his trademark red clarinet. He is a multi-talented virtuoso who is equally at home in classical and popular music both as conductor and instrumentalist. Carl's pops performances blend the music of Broadway and Hollywood, as well as popular music, light classics and jazz, often finding an occasion to include a number on his array of brightly colored clarinets. His unique approach to pops programming includes extensive audience involvement and true showmanship.
EDUCATION
Carl is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, with a degree in clarinet performance and a masters degree in music education. He has held conducting fellowships with the National Orchestral Association with Leon Barzin and the Aspen Music Festival with under Jorge Mester. Carl began his professional career as Exxon Arts Endowment Conductor of the Denver Symphony Orchestra.
FOUNDER: CLEVELAND POPS ORCHESTRA
Following his longtime dream of conducting his own pops orchestra, Carl founded the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. The orchestra plays its subscription series in Severance Hall and performs in several other locations throughout Ohio. The Cleveland Pops Orchestra's diverse, innovative and electrifying programs have been critically acclaimed. The orchestra has three CDs, Music to Grow On, an exciting collection of music for children and adults of all ages, Live at the Pops, a stirring compilation of music taken from live performances, and a 20th anniversary CD, which includes a selection of live performances taken from concerts over a span from the past decade.
MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR
Firelands Symphony Orchestra
In 2008, Carl was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Firelands Symphony Orchestra, based in Sandusky, OH. During Topilow's tenure with the orchestra, there has been increased community involvement and audience engagement. Featured soloists have included pianists Sergei Babayan, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, and Daniil Trifonov, violinists Danielle Belen, Andres Cardenes, Jaime Laredo, Kurt Nikkanen, cellist Sharon Robinson, guitarist Jason Vieaux, trumpeters Michael Sachs and Alan Siebert, and winners of the Sphinx Competition and Cleveland International Piano Competition.
MUSIC ADVISOR
National Repertory Orchestra
After more than four decades as Music Director and Conductor of the National Repertory Orchestra, a summer music festival based in beautiful Breckenridge, Colorado, Topilow maintains an active role as Music Advisor. Through this festival he has assisted in the training of talented young musicians and conductors for positions in symphonic orchestras in the United States and abroad.
PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTOR POSITIONS
Carl has also served as Principal Pops Conductor for the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra in Ft. Myers, Florida, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and the Mansfield (OH) Symphony Orchestra.
TEACHING
Carl served as Conductor and Director of the Orchestral Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music for 37 years. Graduates of his masters program in orchestral conducting at the Cleveland Institute of Music hold or have held positions with these orchestras and others:
Annapolis Symphony, Arkansas Symphony, Boise Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Orchestra of Limoges (France), Louisville Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfonica de Minas Gerais (Brazil), Ohio Light Opera, Richmond Symphony, US Army Band "Pershing's Own" and University of Iowa.
He was named Faculty Emeritus after his years of service at CIM.
GUEST CONDUCTING
As a guest conductor, Carl has appeared around the world with more than 132 orchestras, in 37 states in the USA, as well as orchestras in Canada, China, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland and Venezuela.
Check out all the places Carl has Guest Conducted via the interactive map below:
CARL’S FAMILY LIFE
Carl’s wife Shirley is President and CEO of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. Their daughter, Emily, is a marketing specialist at Neutron Industries and plays violin in the Heights Chamber Orchestra. Their daughter, Jenny, a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music and Carnegie Mellon University, is a violinist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to his busy conducting schedule, Carl avidly pursues his passion for performing as clarinetist. He often performs with his brother Arthur, a pianist, and the duo can be heard on three CDs: Come in from the Cold, A View from the Top, and Music of America.
Did You Know?
In 2018, Carl orchestrated Bela Kovacs’ Homage to Weber and added an original introduction and original transitions between the variations. The world premiere performance was with the National Repertory Orchestra with Vitor Trindale as clarinet soloist.
As winner of the Baltimore Symphony's Young Conductor's Competition, Carl appeared as guest conductor with the Baltimore Symphony and Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.
Carl is founding conductor of the Cleveland Pops Youth Orchestra and Denver Young Artists Orchestra. Both ensembles continue to thrive and grow each year.
Hobbies and interests include foreign languages, namely, Italian, Spanish, French and German. He has rehearsed orchestras in each language. He enjoys reading, especially historical fiction, travel, golf, and spectator sports. Topilow has completed three marathons, each in less than four hours.