Lei Fan

Fan Lei, one of the most distinguished clarinetists and educators in the music world today, is a professor at the Central Conservatory of Music, China’s first doctoral advisor in clarinet, President of the China Clarinet Research Association, guest professor at Oberlin Conservatory and Yale University, former tenured professor at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, USA, and clarinet artistic advisor at the Morningside Music Bridge in Canada. He has also served as a guest professor at eight prestigious Chinese institutions, including Xi’an Conservatory of Music, Shenyang Conservatory of Music, and the Yehudi Menuhin School in Qingdao.

He has served as jury chairman for the 19th Saverio Mercadante International Clarinet Competition and the 2nd and 3rd Buffet Cup (China) Youth Clarinet Competitions, and as a judge for the Markneukirchen International Music Competition in Germany, the Belgium International Clarinet Competition, the China Golden Bell Award for Music, and the Beijing International Youth Clarinet Competition. Fan Lei founded the Central Conservatory of Music Chamber Music Festival, the International Wind and Percussion Music Festival, the International Mozart Clarinet Competition, the Qingdao Clarinet Masterclass and Festival, and the Xi’an Clarinet and Saxophone Festival. He has been invited to conduct individual masterclasses at renowned institutions such as the Curtis Institute of Music, Juilliard School, Yale University, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Bologna Conservatory. He has appeared on recordings and programs such as Qingdao Cable’s Heartstrings, CCTV Music Channel’s People, and CCTV Music Channel’s Music Open Class. He also oversaw the translation of the three-volume Clarinet Performance Tutorial by German clarinet professor Reiner Wehle, published by the People’s Music Publishing House.

Fan Lei won first prize at the China National Selection Competition and represented China at the Toulon International Clarinet Competition in France, where he received an honorary award (first prize went to Paul Meyer). He secured second place in the finals of the New York Young Performers Competition. He has received the Outstanding Advisor Award from the Central Conservatory of Music’s Best of the Best (BOB) Innovation Talent Program three times, the Ministry of Education’s Overseas Distinguished Teacher Award from 2010 to 2015, and the Central Conservatory of Music’s highest honor, the Golden Badge Award, consecutively in 2018 and 2019.