Bio

Corey Mackey enjoys a dynamic and multifaceted career as a clarinetist, educator, soloist, and chamber musician. He is Associate Professor of Clarinet at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, where he leads an active studio of undergraduate and graduate clarinetists and works closely with students preparing for careers as performers and educators.

An in-demand performer, Mackey maintains a vibrant national presence and has appeared with leading ensembles including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Opera, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Iowa, Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and Flagstaff Symphony. He has also recorded with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and performed internationally throughout Europe and China. From 2009–2020 he served as Principal Clarinet of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, where he was featured as concerto soloist in works by Mozart and Copland.

A passionate advocate for new music, Mackey has commissioned and premiered dozens of works for clarinet by leading composers including Paul Schoenfeld, Joel Love, Brian Raphael Nabors, Carter Pann, Libby Larsen, Adam Gorb, Jim Stephenson, Theresa Martin, Chia-Yu Hsu, William Neil, and Nathan Daughtrey. His commitment to contemporary repertoire has led to performances and premieres at major conferences and festivals including ClarinetFest, The Midwest Clinic, and the European Clarinet Association Congress.

Mackey is also active in chamber music collaborations and recording projects centered on newly commissioned works. He can be heard on the album Escape, featuring original works for clarinet and percussion, released on the Mark Custom label. A new album of works for two clarinets and piano will be released later this year.

In addition to performing, Mackey is a frequent guest artist, clinician, and masterclass presenter at universities, festivals, and conferences throughout the United States and abroad. His pedagogical writing has appeared in The Clarinet, the journal of the International Clarinet Association.

Mackey holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati College–Conservatory of Music, the University of Minnesota, and Northern Arizona University, where he studied with Burt Hara, Richie Hawley, Jonathan Gunn, Jeremy Reynolds, and Michael Sullivan.

He is a proud Buffet Crampon Performing Artist and Vandoren Artist.