Charles Messersmith
Charles Messersmith began playing the clarinet at the age of 8. He grew up in a musical family and he was also blessed with supportive parents and inspirational teachers.
Mr. Messersmith has been the principal clarinetist of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra since 2005. He also holds positions at Charleston Southern University, and The College of Charleston.
He attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and received a Bachelor of Music degree in 1991. He then went on to receive his Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 1994. After graduation, he became the principal clarinet of the Augusta symphony and performed there for four years. In 1998 he was appointed by national auditions to the Second Clarinet position with the Charleston Symphony, and in 2005 to the Principal Clarinet position.
He has been featured as soloist with various orchestras on concerts performing the Weber clarinet concerto, the Mozart clarinet concerto, and Rossini’s Theme and Variations as well as countless chamber music performances around the country. He has performed in orchestra halls around the country from San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall, to The Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
Along with regular performances with the CSO, he performs in Charleston with local and international chamber musicians, for Piccolo Spoleto programs in the spring, and in Virginia at the Wintergreen Music Festival in the summer.
In his free time he and his eight-year-old son Andrew drive his wife Susan crazy by talking about cars and food.