CSU Summer Arts 2016: International Clarinet Association - Clarinetfest 2016
By Michael Hong
On the summer of 2016, I had the opportunity to attend the International Clarinet Association “Clarinetfest” at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. The International Clarinet Association (ICA for short) is an organization that was founded in 1973 whose purpose is for clarinetists to share ideas and information with each other. Every year, they hold a convention which gathers clarinetists from all over the world. These musicians can range from amateur enthusiasts to world-renowned professionals. This week-long convention holds many events throughout each day.
Roughly about six months before attending the convention, three of my CSUF colleagues and I met with several members of the Orange County Clarinet Consort (OCCC) who are professional musicians and educators in the Orange County area. They gave us the opportunity to collaborate and perform with them at the 2016th Clarinetfest. In addition to the allowance of participation with the group, the Cal State Fullerton gave us scholarship money which allowed us to attend the convention and represent not only our school, but to represent students and professionals alike in the Orange County.
During the few months before our departure to Kansas, I rehearsed with my CSUF colleagues and the musicians from OCCC. One of the memorable experience was not just working with the musicians, but to also work with a renowned faculty of ours, Hakan Rosengren. One of the pieces featured him as the soloist and I was stunned to hear his musical ability and technique as a performer. I was extremely proud to have him representing CSUF with us.
In layman’s term, I pretty much “nerded out” during my time at Kansas. Upon arriving at the convention, I was giddy and excited to see receive my name tag and visit the many booths and events that took place. One of first things I did was attend a lecture by Michele Zukovsky, a recently retired clarinetist for the LA Philharmonic. She discussed about Simeon Bellison and shared her memories of her father with the renowned pedagogue. After listening to the lecture, I attended the many booths that was spread out in different rooms throughout the building. I will be honest and say that majority of my time at the convention was spent at these vendors, exhibits, and booths trying out different equipment. Equipment included different clarinets, mouthpieces, barrels, bells, and reeds. There were some interesting designs and each brought a unique color and flavor to my clarinet.
I attended several concerts in each day which were sponsored by different companies. It was interesting to see a concert full of Vandoren artists and a separate concert for D’addario artists. These concerts allowed me to listen and appreciate how each artist create his or her own unique sound and voice through these company products. The highlights of my time at the ICA Clarinetfest were the performances given on the Friday and Saturday evenings. Though there are extremely good performances, the Friday and Saturday performances by far opened my eyes to the limitless potential that one can have through hard work and dedication. These performances by the soloists left me awestruck and amazed by their sheer talent.
During the convention, the OCCC rehearsed few times before our performance. I felt confident that reassured when playing with these other musicians. I admired their professionalism and their level of concentration which is opposite of their normal quirky and fun attitude. It is something I wish to emulate and incorporate into my own life and my pursuit in becoming a musician. Our performance went really well and was extremely well-received. Many of them enjoyed Professor Rosengren’s playing and I think we did a excellent job in representing the CSUF name.
I am truly thankful for the opportunity that Cal State Fullerton gave me and my colleagues to perform at Clarinetfest. It is something that I will never forget. I have never met so many people who aspire and enjoy the clarinet like me. It was a wonderful experience that if given the opportunity again, I would take it in a heartbeat.
