JuLIEN (CHUN-Y’EN) Lai

Taiwan, China

Principal clarinetist

Chinese Taiwan Philharmonic

clarinet teacher

Chinese National Taiwan Normal University

Clarinet Teacher

National Tsing Hua(Chinese Taipei) University

The first Chinese clarinetist to consecutively win top prizes at both the French Jacques Lancelot International Clarinet Competition and the Belgian Ghent International Clarinet Competition. Also awarded first prize at the Beijing International Mozart Clarinet Competition and two-time champion of the Taiwan Buffet Clarinet Competition.

In recent years, he has frequently performed as a soloist with professional orchestras in Belgium, Germany, France, and across China, playing clarinet concertos. He has also been invited as a guest clarinetist with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the National Opera of Lyon Orchestra, the Lyon Chamber Orchestra, and the TC Chamber Orchestra. His collaborations include performances with the French Vandoren Clarinet Quartet, the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society (New York), the Czech Zemlinsky String Quartet, the Infinite String Quartet, the Eslite Chamber Music Festival, and multiple chamber music concerts hosted by the Taiwan Philharmonic.

Currently serving as the principal clarinetist of the Taiwan Philharmonic and teaching at the music departments of National Taiwan Normal University and National Tsing Hua University, he is regularly invited to serve as a judge for competitions, as well as a presenter for masterclasses and lectures. He is an international endorsing artist for French Vandoren Paris and Buffet Crampon. In 2024, he founded the “Taiwan International Clarinet Festival” and the “International Study Tour Program,” dedicated to creating more performance opportunities for students in Taiwan.