Researching Tony Clements

Clements grew up in Brooklyn and Lindenhurst, New York state, and began playing the tuba at age seven. He was taught by Julius Rubin and Bill Barber, before moving to California aged fourteen. He attended college at California State University, Northridge, where he played tuba, bass trombone, euphonium and bass trumpet. There, he studied with Tommy Johnson and Roger Bobo before receiving symphony training with Mehli Mehta in the American Youth Symphony and Myung-Whun Chung in the Young Musicians' Foundation Debut Orchestra.

After joining the San Jose Symphony in 1981, he was the Principal Tubist for 21 seasons, during which he premiered a number of pieces for tuba and euphonium, as well as playing at music festivals and touring Japan with the California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo Wind Ensemble as guest soloist. He has also played with the San Francisco Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Sacramento Symphony, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra and San Francisco Opera Orchestra.

Clements is the conductor of Ohlone College's Wind Orchestra. In 2006, he was named Director of Bands at California State University, East Bay. Currently, he conducts the Ohlone Wind Orchestra, the Mission Peak Brass Band, the Ohlone Community Band and the 12-year-old Ohlone Tuba Ensemble. He is also Instructor of Tuba, Euphonium, and Brass Ensemble at Stanford University.

He is the New York Creative Director for Harmony Japan, Ltd, and the Assistant Producer of "Disney on Classic," an annual series of symphony concert tours throughout Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. His theatrical work includes Bill Austin in "Mamma Mia!" on Broadway, Floyd in "Floyd Collins" at the Skylight Opera Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and guest vocalist with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. He has toured the United States and Canada in "Mamma Mia," and has toured Japan with "Disney on Classic."