Jacob Freiman is a clarinetist and pedagogue currently based in New York. A California Bay Area native, he grew up hearing the sounds of klezmer from his father’s clarinet echoing throughout his home, and began studying with him at age 7. Jacob feels fortunate to have studied with many clarinet mentors who each left indelible marks on his musical and personal identity. He is dedicated to passing forward the generosity and wisdom of his teachers, making music education accessible to all, and pushing future generations of clarinetists beyond all current limitations.

Jacob strives to create a world where everyone has the opportunity to dive into the art that transformed his life. He regularly volunteers at public schools, engaging with students who otherwise would not receive instrument-specific education. In addition to teaching privately for a decade and coaching a variety of youth orchestras, Jacob works for the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s El Sistema Program, YOLA, as a substitute teaching artist. In 2023, he joined Interlochen Public Radio as a “Sound Garden” Artist in Residence, bringing interactive chamber music performances to unexpected places like stone mills, beaches and ice cream shops throughout Northern Michigan. As a UCLA Gluck Chamber Music Fellow, he presented free educational outreach concerts throughout Los Angeles. 

Jacob is a chamber music specialist praised for his flexible and humorous aesthetic. He was a founding member of the Zephyrus Trio (flute, oboe, and clarinet) pioneering new repertoire for this instrumentation and winning the 2021 Beverly Hills National Auditions and competing as semifinalists in the 2020 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Deeply invested in studying and refining the rehearsal process, Jacob furthered his exploration of professional chamber music practices at the 2025 Hidden Valley Festival of the Winds and 2024 Madeline Island Chamber Music Seminars. A versatile performer, he also served as the inaugural principal clarinetist of the California Young Artists Symphony and has performed with a variety of regional orchestras throughout California. 

Jacob currently studies at the Juilliard School as a C.V. Starr Doctoral Fellow. He is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music (P.S.) and UCLA (M.M., B.M.), where he also earned a Bachelor’s in Psychology (B.A.). His primary teachers include Alan R. Kay, Boris Allakhverdyan, Josh Ranz, and Steven Barta. When he is not busy practicing and making reeds, Jacob can be found in the kitchen perfecting his focaccia recipe.