Albany Records: West Meets East

Go Back >

A third recording from clarinetist Jun Qian, who blends Western and Chinese cultures through music.

The title of this recording explains what it is: West Meets East—clarinet music by Western composers influenced by Chinese culture. Clarinetist Jun Qian, himself Chinese-American, has long been fascinated with cross-culturalinfluences, as this CD of world premiere recordings so aptly demonstrates. He established the East Meets West Project in 2010 to commission and record new compositions for clarinet that are inspired by Asian cultures and that combine Chinese musical elements with Western art music. This is Qian's third recording for Albany Records, the first two concentrating on Chinese composers influenced by Western culture. A member of the faculty at Baylor University, Jun Qian enjoys an international career as a soloist, recitalist and educator. He studied at Baylor University and the Eastman School of Music.

Justin Merritt, composer
Monkey King for B-flat Clarinet & Fixed Media
Jun Qian, clarinet

Matthias Müeller, composer
Arabesque for Solo Clarinet
Jun Qian, clarinet

Patrick Lenz, composer
Funk Shui for Clarinet & Bass Clarinet
Jun Qian, clarinet; Ben Quarles, bass clarinet

Edward J.F. Taylor, composer
Azure Dragon of the East for B-flat Clarinet & Percussion
Jun Qian, clarinet; Todd Meehan, percussion

Paul Sánchez, composer
Free Translations of Li-Ch'ing-Chao: Three Musical Settings for Clarinet, Soprano & Piano
Jun Qian, clarinet; Paul Sánchez, piano; Kayleen Sánchez, soprano

Jun Qian & Jian Bing Hu, composer
New York Improvisatory Dialogue II for Clarinet & Sheng
Jun Qian, clarinet; Jian Bing Hu, sheng

Scott Steele, composer
Su Counterpoint for Clarinet, Percussion & Zheng
Jun Qian, clarinet; Scott Steele, percussion; Jing Zhou, guzheng

Review:

"…The concert is well done, propelled by strong performances and a program with something for everyone. The music ranges from the rhythmically invigorating Funk Shui to the bizarre yet catchy Monkey King and from the abstract and ethereal Azure Dragon of the East to the beautiful and affecting Free Translations. Qian leads with a clear and responsive tone, a wide dynamic range, solid technique, and good expressive instincts…His colleagues are skilled as well, from the pure and simple voice of Kayleen Sanchez to the intensity of Meehan, Steele, Zhou, and Hu.…" (American Record Guide)

A third recording from clarinetist Jun Qian, who blends Western and Chinese cultures through music.

Contents:

Review: