Chun-Yen LAI Julien

(Taiwan)

Julien Chun-Yen LAI plays a Vandoren Black Diamond BD4 mouthpiece with Vandoren V•12 #3.5 reeds and the Vandoren OPTIMUM ligature.

Taiwanese Clarinetist Julien Chun-Yen LAI(1994), won the first prize and the prize audience of the 5th Jacques Lancelot International Clarinet Competition. He made his debut in the final round as a soloist with the National Opera Orchestra of Haute Rouen-Normandie under the baton of Jean-François Verdier. Moreover, He was also the other first prize winner of the competitions below : 1st Mozart International clarinet competition in Beijing when was just 17, Buffet Crampon clarinet competition in Taiwan. He also often played as a guest clarinetist with Nicolas Baldeyrou at the Orchestra Philharmonic of Radio France under the baton of Mikko Franck. 

Julien Lai is a passionate chamber musician, working with leading international artists, among them French clarinetist Nicolas Baldeyrou, Romain Guyot, the Horn solist Radovan Vlatković, the string quartet of the CMS of Lincoln Center, the composer Brett Dean. He also performs frequently with the orchestra as an  international solist : Chamber orchestra of Hannover, Orchestra Opera of Rouen Normandie, Orchestre of Caen, Orchestra of CNSM de Lyon. And also the important orchestras in Taiwan : the Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan Wind Symphony Orchestra, International NNKIEH Wind Orchestra. He also gave a lot of master classes, on-lined lessons in Taiwan and China. 

He graduated from the National Conservatory Superior of Music in Lyon (CNSM de Lyon), where he got his master degree there with distinguished professors Nicolas Baldeyrou, Robert Bianciotto, Franck Amet. Before he was admitted to CNSM de Lyon, he also studied with the great clarinetist Florent Héau at CRR de Rueil-Malmaison.  After France he went to study in Switzerland at the Haute École de Musique de Genève with Romain Guyot in 2018. 

Julien Chun-Yen LAI is now the associate principal clarinet of the Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Jun Märkl. And he is also the clarinet professor in the National Taiwan Normal University.