Fourth year clarinettist Qiran Chen won the 2015 China International Clarinet Competition in September.
Held in Chongqing as part of the International Clarinet Festival, the Senior Category was open to musicians aged 18 – 30 and the prize was a recital at Chongqing Normal University Concert Hall.
Qiran said: ‘Before I went to the Festival I didn’t have any expectations – I just wanted to gain more experience and enjoy the music.
‘I took part in some masterclasses with Nicolas Baldeyrou and Matthias Muelle, and also performed a small recital before winning the competition and playing to a large crowd on a big stage.
‘The most important thing for me throughout was the learning experience and the valuable feedback I received about my playing. Winning is not everything but the effort to win is. That’s what I learnt from this competition.’
