Youjin JUNG
Clarinettist
Youjin received a grant to buy a clarinet.
What is your artistic background ?
I have started to play music in Seoul, Korea, at the age of 6 with piano and then flute. At the age of 9 I have started to blow in to the clarinet. After 2 years spent in Vancouver, Canada as an elementary school student, playing Golf and Clarinet, I have decided to go back to Seoul to actually major the clarinet. 10 years of studies in High music schools in Seoul, while attending Seoul National University, I came once to Paris for a music competition and I fell in love with the music of one clarinetist Philippe Berrod, interpreting J.Brahms’ Quintet. Two years after, in 2016, I’ve got the chance to enter the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris as his student. 5 years of studies for clarinet, at the very last year I’ve got to discover the Bass clarinet (an octave lower than the clarinet) during the confinement. With the great interest and joy to play this instrument, and a good help from my teacher Alain Billard, I am studying Master’s degree of this marvelous instrument from 2021. At the same time I am occupying the 1st clarinet in Orchestre des Lauréats du CNSMDP with a large repertoires from Classic to Contemporary works.
What is your view on your profession today ?
Music is very much connected to our life, emotions, meeting new people, sharing.. it seems to be important to be connected with each others hearts so that our music transfers in to one’s heart, to give energy, happiness but also sadness and healing.
How do you see yourself in 5 years ? In 10 years ?
I love playing in the orchestra. It would be very overwhelming by the moment I get to be a part of an orchestra, to share musical moments and life together, where ever it would be. I am already excited to imagine that. And during that time, it would be my dream come true to help and share with some other young musicians who could not reach or to fulfill their dreams of learning music or the instrument, and to see their smile !
Interview conducted in 2022
Photography credit : Julie Glassberg