Lara Mitofsky Neuss

Dr. Lara Mitofsky Neuss is an educator, performer, and recording engineer based in the NYC Metropolitan Area. She has been a featured performer and presenter at the International Clarinet Association, Third Practice Electroacoustic Festival, Americans for the Arts, SPLICE Electroacoustic Festival, and Bang on a Can Music Festival. Lara is a clarinetist in The Eastern Wind Symphony, and she frequently performs with orchestras which include Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, Taconic Chamber Orchestra, and Park Ave Symphony Orchestra. As a recording engineer and music technology specialist, Lara has recorded and edited albums and performances by the Kansas City Symphony, United States Air Force Bands, New Jersey and Pennsylvania All-State Festivals, Arkansas Tech Bands, and more. Lara currently is Adjunct Professor of Music Technology at Montclair State University, Stage Manager at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, and she teaches in-person and remotely at her music studio, Cubic Sonata Music Studio.

Lara plays the Royal Global Firebird Soprano and MAX Low C Bass. Her setup includes a Royal barrel and a Vandoren B40 13 mouthpiece. She values the consistent tone and intonation of both instruments across octaves, their resonance and depth, and the freedom to play without feeling limited dynamically. She loves their warm, woody, dark sound, which still has enough brightness to carry through an orchestra. When searching for a new instrument, Lara tried brands with her eyes closed to discover what felt most natural. She immediately connected with the Firebird Soprano and, after trying bass clarinets just for fun, found that she loved the MAX as well. Royal’s reasonable pricing made it possible for her to purchase both. She says the instruments give her the freedom to create the sound she hears in her head, letting her focus fully on musical expression.