Clarinetist Du Jour

Kristi Younkin was raised in Oak Ridge, TN and is the clarinetist for Secret City Winds, Atomic Duo, the Oak Ridge community band, and has recently performed with Oak Ridge Symphony, Symphony of the Mountains and University of Tennessee Opera orchestra.
Kristi is a retired clarinetist from the US Air Force band’s program. She performed in 7 Air Force bands across the United States, Europe, and Asia from 2000 to 2020. Her highlights include featured soloist for 10 performances across Ohio, performing for President Gerald Ford’s state funeral, President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, General Colin Powell, President Lukashenko of Belarus, President Nasabarjew of Kazakhstan, and many other European heads of state. Overseas, Kristi performed in 14 countries for 1.3 million audience and 156 million media audience strengthening international relations with other nations. Her most memorable performances were with Phyllis Diller, Mnozil Brass, a tour in Siberia Russia with a combined concert of the Ural Military Band under Russian Colonel Kolosov, the Victory Day parade in Minsk Belarus alongside 5000 Belarusian and Russian troops, and the Kazakhstan Exhibition of Weapons System/Equipment parade among bands from India, Tajikistan, Poland, and Germany.
Kristi holds music degrees from the University of Tennessee and The Ohio State University. Her teachers include Martha Domiano, William Scarlett, Gary Sperl, James Pyne, and Diana Haskell.