Recognized for his "enviable control of the clarinet" (The Boston Musical Intelligencer), John Diodati joined the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra as principal clarinetist in the spring of 2021. He has also performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, and San Antonio Symphony. In 2017, John was invited to be a New York Philharmonic Global Academy Fellow and performed music by Richard Strauss with the Philharmonic. Additionally, he served as guest principal clarinetist with Houston Grand Opera for 2019 performances of Puccini's La Bohème.
A 2012-2013 Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, John was the recipient of the 2013 Gino B. Cioffi Memorial Prize for Outstanding Woodwind Performance. At Tanglewood, he worked with many of the world's leading conductors, including Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Stéphane Denève, Christoph von Dohnányi, Charles Dutoit, Fabio Luisi, Ludovic Morlot, Andris Nelsons, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Michael Tilson Thomas. John has also participated in the Music Academy of the West, where he performed chamber music with members of the Chicago and San Francisco Symphonies during the 2014 season, and the 2021-2022 Aspen Music Festival.
Born in Boston, John started clarinet at age seven and was a member of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. Other early training included summers at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. John earned a bachelor's and master's degree from New England Conservatory (NEC) and pursued further study at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University; he was a student of Thomas Martin at NEC and Richie Hawley at Rice University. While at NEC, John frequently appeared as a recitalist in Jordan Hall, most notably as a member of the NEC Contemporary Ensemble. Under the direction of renowned composer and educator, John Heiss, projects with the Contemporary Ensemble involved close collaborations with 20th century luminaries such as Gunther Schuller and John Harbison.
"Diodati demonstrated an enviable control of the clarinet across all registers and dynamic ranges..."
- The Boston Musical Intelligencer
"The long-held note on the solo clarinet (John Diodati) that led into the quiet, major-key ending of the first movement was hauntingly beautiful."
- The Boston Musical Intelligencer