Artistic director of Chamber Music Northwest will pass baton after 40 years

For nearly four decades, David Shifrin has been practically synonymous with Chamber Music Northwest, the Portland chamber music producer.

As Chamber Music Northwest’s artistic director since 1980, the virtuoso clarinetist, three-time Grammy nominee and Yale University music professor has turned an organization that started as a three-week, 12-concert festival into a nationally respected presenter of more than 100 events a year. Chamber Music Northwest’s numbers under his tenure tell the story: More than 1,300 concerts. More than 800 featured musicians. More than 130 commissions of new works. More than 500,000 audience members (not counting the ones who listen on the radio or online).

But when he reaches his 40th anniversary next year, he’s passing the baton.

Shifrin will step down as artistic director following Chamber Music Northwest’s 2020 Summer Festival, which runs through the end of July. At an event for supporters Tuesday night, he introduced his successors: violinist Soovin Kim and pianist Gloria Chien, who will take over in fall 2020.

Kim and Chien are married and applied together for the artistic director position, said Chamber Music Northwest spokeswoman Amy Mintonye. They were selected from about 60 candidates.

Both are highly accomplished musicians with numerous accolades who have performed internationally and have worked as educators. But Shifrin said what really sealed the deal for him was that both had experience with producing chamber music festivals.

“I couldn’t be happier with the choice,” Shifrin said.