Looking back, it’s funny how the same place can mean something completely different at different stages of life.
I first learned about the International Clarinet Association through copies of The Clarinet that the late Peter Goldberg donated to my university library. Around that time, I discovered ClarinetFest® 2005 in Japan through the ICA website. Since it was the first ClarinetFest® in Asia and so close to Thailand, for a moment it felt like maybe I could go. Even then, it was still far beyond what I could afford.
Back then, I thought ClarinetFest® was a place where only well-known clarinetists were invited to perform. Honestly, I just wanted to attend one someday.
My first ClarinetFest® was Madrid in 2015 with the MSU Clarinet Choir. Dublin came a few years later, when my own performance proposal was accepted and I started getting to know many of the people I was happy to see again this year in Incheon.
This year, I came back to ClarinetFest® as a performer, presenter, and adjudicator for the ICA Junior Young Artist Competition. Looking back, that was certainly not a role I ever imagined having when I first learned about ClarinetFest®.
What made this year the most special, though, wasn’t any of those roles. For the first time, I got to share the entire week with my wife, Namtan. Catching up with old friends, meeting new ones, and simply experiencing the festival together is what I’ll remember most.
Congratulations to Wonkak Kim, the artistic leadership team, and the ICA for another wonderful ClarinetFest®. A special thank you to Cecilia Kang for thinking of me and inviting me to contribute in several ways this year. And thank you, Jessica Harrie, for everything you have done for our community.
Every time I’ve come back to ClarinetFest®, it has marked a different chapter of my life. I’m grateful for the people I’ve met along the way, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next chapter brings.