Michael Gruender is a clarinetist and music educator in the Boston area.  As an avid chamber musician, he has performed in Boston, Chicago, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and New York City as well as in his home state of New Jersey.  Mr. Gruender has performed with members of the Northern Lights Music Festival, New York Summer Music Festival and the Fresh Inc. Festival- where he premiered works by Daniel Harrison and Carlos Banderas.  In addition, he served as E-flat Clarinetist for the Wind Symphony of Southern New Jersey in 2015 and 2016.  Currently, Mr. Gruender works as a freelance clarinetist in Boston.

As an educator, Mr. Gruender has taught instrumental and classroom music to over 300 students in five different schools between 2014 and 2016 through Northeastern Music Programs.  He served on faculty for the Rowan University Preparatory School and currently teaches over thirty private clarinet, saxophone, and flute students in Westborough, MA. 

Mr. Gruender holds a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Rowan University as well as a Master of Music in Performance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.  His primary teachers include Barbara Benedett, Dr. Rié Suzuki, and Michael Norsworthy.