Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Korean clarinetist Chae picked as Geneva Competition jury
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Clarinetist and Korea National University of Arts (K-ARTS) professor Chae Jae-il was picked to be on the jury for the Geneva Clarinet Competition 2018, which will be held from Nov. 3 to 14 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Also known as Jerry Chae, the 40-year-old musician became the first Korean to judge the Geneva International Music Competition.
Founded in 1939 by composer Henri Gagnebin of the Geneva Conservatory, the Geneva International Music Competition alternates between eight main disciplines ― piano, flute, oboe, clarinet, cello, viola, string quartet, voice and percussion ― and awards a composition prize every two years.
This year, piano and clarinet competitions are going to be held.
Along with Chae, Vincent Alberola of Spain, Lorenzo Coppola of Italy, Romain Guyot of France, Kari Kriikku of Finland and Richard Stoltzman of the United States are on the list of juries led by jury president Sharon Kam of Israel.
Chae is the only Korean winner of the Geneva Clarinet Competition, receiving a special prize in 2007.
Other Korean winners of the prestigious international music competition includes cellist Chung Myung-wha in 1971, composer Cho Kwang-ho in 2013, pianist Mun Ji-yeong in 2014 and composer Choi Jae-hyuck in 2017.
Chae earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Juilliard School, studying under Ricardo Morales. He served as the principal clarinetist of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and taught at Yeungnam University before joining K-ARTS.
Chae was selected as a jury member of the Jacques Lancelot International Clarinet Competition in Yokosuka, Japan, in 2014, becoming the first Korean to judge at an international clarinet competition and taking the level of Korean wind music to another level.
As a Buffet Crampon clarinet artist and Vandoren Reed artist, Chae has performed at a variety of music events such as the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont, the Seoul Spring Festival and the Great Mountains Music Festival in PyeongChang. He also is a member of the Kumho Chamber Music Society in Korea.