Cecilia Kang

Clarinetist Cecilia Kang bridges performance, pedagogy, scholarship, and advocacy through a distinctive artistic vision and a deep dedication to community engagement. Praised for her “ethereal colors” and “effortless” playing (The Clarinet Journal), she performs, presents masterclasses, and lectures internationally. A champion of both standard and contemporary repertoire, with a special affinity for cross-cultural influences, she has commissioned more than a dozen new works for the clarinet. Her latest album, THE HAN (한/恨) AND HEUNG (흥/興) ODYSSEY: Global Sounds of Resilience & Joy (Albany Records), features premieres of several commissioned works and has been broadcast worldwide.

Dr. Kang is a laureate of numerous awards, including honors from the Canadian Music Competition, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Competition, the International Clarinet Association Research Competition, New Music USA, the Louisiana Board of Regents, and the Canada Council for the Arts. Recognized for innovative pedagogy, she has presented over 100 masterclasses worldwide at institutions including the Milan Conservatory, the Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków, the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, Yonsei University in South Korea, the Eastman School of Music, Yale University, and the University of Toronto. She also appears regularly at major conferences, including the Midwest Clinic, the Texas Music Educators Association Conference, and ClarinetFest.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Kang founded the Silver Linings Initiative, hosting 25 virtual panels connecting clarinetists, educators, and arts leaders worldwide. She also curated the Han and Heung Festival at Louisiana State University, a musical symposium exploring the Korean and African American diasporas.

Cecilia Kang is Associate Professor of Clarinet at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She holds degrees from the University of Michigan (DMA), the University of Southern California (MM), and the University of Toronto (BM). She also serves on the faculty of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival and the Buffet Crampon Summer Clarinet Academy. She is a Vandoren and Buffet Crampon Performing Artist and Clinician. https://kangcecilia.com