John Bruce Yeh

• Name — John Bruce Yeh • Born — 1957 • Birthplace — Washington DC • Occupation — Clarinetist • Education — Juilliard School • Spouse — Jody Shinbrod Yeh (div.) Teresa Reilly • Children — 3 including Molly Yeh

Yeh was born in Washington DC, although he grew up in Los Angeles, California. Yeh's parents were originally from China. Yeh's father was a scientist and a singer. Yeh's mother was a scientist and a pianist.

Yeh initially studied as a pre-med student at UCLA and also played in local chamber music ensembles and youth symphonies. After two years at UCLA, Yeh transferred to the Juilliard School in New York City from which he graduated in 1980.

In 1977, at age 19, Yeh was hired by Georg Solti as a clarinetist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He started as solo bass clarinetist and two years later was appointed assistant principal and E-flat clarinetist. While in New York Yeh became a founding member of the New York New Music Ensemble and retained an interest in contemporary music throughout his career. In 1979 he founded the chamber ensemble, Chicago Pro Musica and remains its director. The ensemble's first recording, Stravinsky's L'Histoire du soldat, won the 1985 Grammy Award for the Best New Classical Artist. He has also collaborated with composer and electronic musician Howard Sandroff, performing and recording Pierre Boulez's 1985 work for clarinet and electronics, Dialogue de l'ombre double. Yeh cofounded INVENTIONS, a visual-musical quartet.

Yeh's first wife was Jody Shinbrod Yeh, a social worker, who is of Jewish descent; they have two daughters including Molly. Yeh's second wife is Teresa Reilly, a clarinetist, and together they have a daughter. Yeh, his wife Reilly, and his daughter Molly, a percussionist, perform together on the album Synergy released by Naxos Records in the Naxos Wind Band Classics series.