Raissa Fahlman is a New York-based clarinetist and saxophonist with an active career spanning classical, chamber, jazz, and commercial performance. She is a versatile and in-demand musician, regularly performing in Broadway pits and on orchestral stages, with chamber ensembles and small jazz groups throughout the city and tri-state area. Fanfare Magazine praised her as ‘the most sensitive of chamber partners’, noting her ‘consummate skill.’ Raissa is a strong advocate for new music, frequently participating in commissions and premiers of contemporary works. Her projects often blend classical and jazz traditions, incorporating elements of electronic, Latin, and commercial music. Raissa’s playing has been described as ‘silken’ by The Washington Post, and she has appeared internationally as a soloist and ensemble member in Canada, Europe, China, and the United States.
Raissa holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University, where she studied with Alan Kay, and received her Master of Music degree from Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague under the tutelage of Pierre Woudenberg. She also completed two long term independent music residencies at the invitation of the Banff Center for Arts and Creativity. Raissa maintains a busy teaching studio alongside her performance career.
A Canadian native, Raissa has been sponsored by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. She has received the Music Individual Project grant on multiple occasions and serves as an expert panelist for the AFA's grant adjudication program. Raissa is proud to be an official Wurlitzer Artist and Key Leaves Artist.