High Altitude Performance

Have you ever needed to give a performance or audition above 5,000 feet when living at a lower elevation? How do you compensate for this factor to still play your best? And also, what are lessons that we can learn from playing at higher elevations that we can use in more typical concert settings, even if we have no urge to ever perform at high altitudes?

Because of these questions, I launched this project to find out how we can reach our full potential, not just at higher elevations, but in all concert situations. This page will give you the tools and resource that you need *but should not be taken as medical advice.*

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Years of research, not just with high altitude wind-players, but also interviewing athletes, doctors, coaches, and scientists, contributed to this project. For air support, I talked with other people who work a lot with breath like free divers, pulmonologists, runners, mountaineers, climbers, and cyclists. 

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As principal clarinetist of the Central City Opera at over 8,500 feet for 17 years and Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra at over 5,000 feet for 23 years, I spent much of that time commuting back and forth from a much lower elevation at my position at the University of Kansas. Sometimes I would have to ascend as much as 8,000 feet for a performance in a single day. I also performed up above 10,000 feet for mountains weddings in Colorado and my first college teaching job was in Laramie Wyoming at 7,200 feet. Over the years, as I looked into this subject, I realized that there was a dearth of organized information for performers on playing at higher elevations. Because of this, I wrote an article in the Clarinet entitled The High Altitude Clarinetist and started publishing on the subject.

Since I had worked as a mountain guide on Colorado’s 14ers, leading trips up above 14,000 feet, I realized that this crossover of skills could help my musical community get more information on this subject. As a mountaineer, I have summited most of Colorado’s highest peaks and have received Wilderness First Responder training. I also was a high altitude ultramarathoner and triathlete and have researched the connection between musicians and physical conditioning. To further explore implications of playing at higher elevations, I cofounded Summit Musicians with Lauren Jacobson and we have performed on some of the highest summits of North America, including on top of Mt. Bierstadt, Colorado at 14,065 feet. Recently I performed the highest recorded classical music concert in the Rockies on the summit of Mt. Elbert at 14,439 feet.

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It is my hope that these resources can add to the health, conditioning, and productivity of our musical community for years to come.

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