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WKA Student Affairs

Dr Alia Sabur, Chairman

       This new initiative to encourage young students to make proactive progress in their advancement is underway and will hopefully inspire them by the many examples of accomplishments from many areas with an example that cannot be questioned.   New information will be updated on a constant basis, and students are especially encouraged to participate and be a part of this effort to make a mark on the Clarinet world. Feel free to contact Dr Sabur with your ideas and views through her website.

 

 

         Alia Sabur has been setting records and making history starting with reading at 8 months old. Her IQ was determined off the charts. She went from 4th grade to college, earning a B.S. in Applied Mathematics summa cum laude from Stony Brook University at age 14, the youngest female in American history. She then earned an M.S. and Ph.D. (ABD) in Materials Science and Engineering from Drexel University. Alia is the youngest ever to receive fellowships and awards from the Dept of Defense, NASA, GAANN and NSF.

        Also multi-talented, Alia has been performing with orchestras since her solo debut at 11 with the Mozart Concerto where she was billed a music prodigy. She has also performed with musicians as diverse as Lang Lang and Smash Mouth. She enjoys performing as an orchestral member, chamber musician and soloist equally and is venturing into crossover, jazz and fusion. As a Juilliard School student she was mentored by some of the world's greatest musicians and is the winner of several celebrated awards.

       Alia has done groundbreaking work towards developing nanotube-based cellular probes for use in medical research. This will allow the ability to measure the reaction of nano-materials injected into individual cells. She is also interested in a venue to develop non-invasive optical blood glucose meters for people with diabetics. Alia tries to be a role model for young people, especially girls by breaking the stereotype that scientists are nerdy. She is also passionately interested in helping improve the quality of STEM education in this country.

       Alia wanted to help the relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina, so when she learned that Southern University at New Orleans, a historically Black public college, was the only college still operating out of trailers, she accepted a temporary position there as her way of giving back. While continuing her research efforts long distance with Konkuk and SBU, she has been teaching four courses at SUNO and living at the Mount Carmel Motherhouse, also devastated by Katrina. In May Alia will head for South Korea.

       Alia Sabur began her clarinet studies with Ricardo Morales at age ten. She has been performing with orchestras since she was 11 when she made her orchestral debut and was billed a clarinet prodigy performing Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. In a New York Times column about Alia, Mr. Morales recalled preparing her. "It requires a beautiful sound, beautiful phrasing, a solid technical foundation. You must sing through the instrument. She does! It was child's play for her."

       In a front page story in the Philadelphia Inquirer about Alia, Mr. Morales said he wants to be "one of the guardians who help develop her unusual gifts." She is most noted for her beautiful tone and sensitivity. A versatile artist, Alia is at ease as an orchestra member, a chamber artist and soloist. Mostly classical she is now taking advantage of the full range of the clarinet venturing into jazz, cross-over, fusion and popular. She has performed with pianist Lang Lang and rock band Smash Mouth.

 

 

 

 

 

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Revised: December 05, 2008