Dr. Jun Qian, Clarinet Choir Conductor
Dr. Jun Qian is the director of CRESCENDO, an elite clarinet and saxophone academy in Highland Village, Texas, the conductor of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra Clarinet Choir, the principal clarinetist of the Waco Symphony, and a guest principal clarinetist of the Dallas Chamber Symphony. He has enjoyed great success both as an educator and performer.
Dr. Qian made history in 1997 by becoming the first artist to receive prizes in both the International Clarinet Association’s Orchestral Excerpts Competition (first prize) and the Young Artist Solo Competition (third prize) in the same year. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2001, performing Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 1 with the Asian American Elite Orchestra.
At CRESCENDO, he currently trains elite pre-college students and young professionals from around the world through live and online clarinet and saxophone lessons, masterclasses, and coaching sessions. He is also passionate about research and teaching middle school students, particularly those with ADD and ADHD symptoms.
His high school students have earned prestigious accolades, including winning the Minnesota Orchestra’s Concerto Competition and various International Clarinet Association competitions. They have secured first chair positions in the Texas Music Educators Association’s 6A All-State Symphony Orchestra, 6A All-State Philharmonic Orchestra, and 6A Symphonic Band. His students have also been featured soloists on NPR’s “From the Top” radio show and hold principal positions in major 6A high school bands across Lewisville, Plano, Allen, Coppell, and Frisco Independent School Districts.
As a full-time clarinet professor at St. Olaf College and Baylor University for over 13 years, Dr. Qian’s students achieved great success, winning Grand Prizes in the International Clarinet Association Orchestral Excerpts Competitions in both 2015 and 2016. His students have gone on to study at major festivals and top graduate schools across the country. In 2020, he received excellent external peer reviews from International Clarinet Association leaders, further recognizing his outstanding contributions to the field.
