China

Chinese clarinetist Junnan Sun is the co-principal clarinetist of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. He moved to South Africa in 2003 and obtained, in 2011, his Bachelor in Music at the University of Pretoria under the tutelage of Lizet Smith. He continued his studies at the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London where he studied with Michael Collins, Richard Hosford and Janet Hilton, obtaining a Masters of Performance (specialising in Orchestral Studies) with distinction. Junnan still receives coaching and guidance from the renowned South African clarinetist Robert Pickup. His studies in the UK were made possible by the Sir Wilkins-Mackerras Scholarship from the RCM, and the P.J. Lemmer UNISA Overseas Music Scholarship.

Junnan has been the recipient of numerous awards: first prize in the Clarinet Category at the Stockholm International Music Competition; Outstanding Young Professional Award, from the Government of Jiangsu Province, China; RCM Clarinet Prize which recognizes the top clarinetist of the RCM; RCM Savage Club Prize for the Best Performance of a Concerto; Over-all winner of the RCM Concerto Competition; and the RCM Rising Star award. Junnan was also named the over-all winner of five South African music competitions, namely the ATKV National Classical Music Competition, the UNISA Overseas Music Scholarship Competition, the Phillip Moore Music Competition, the UNISA South African Music Scholarship Competition, and the Lubner Solo Music Competition.

As an orchestral musician he has worked with foremost conductors such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Roger Norrington, Wolfram Christ and Daniel Raiskin, amongst others. Most recently, Junnan was invited by Justus Frantz to tour China and Germany with The World Peace Philharmonic Orchestra as their principal clarinetist. He has performed in concert venues around the world such as the Berlin Konzerthaus, Lübeck Music and Congress Hall, Hannover Kuppelsaal, Wuppertal Historische Stadthalle in Germany; the Shanghai Symphony Hall, the Jiangsu Grand Theatre in China; the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Festival Hall, Cadogen Hall, the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, and St. Paul’s Cathedral in England; the Cape Town City Hall, the Baxter Hall, the Endler Hall, the Durban City Hall, the Linder Auditorium and the UNISA Enoch Santonga, Miriam Makeba and ZK Matthew Hall in South Africa.

He is also passionate about passing on his knowledge to younger generations of musicians. He is a music educator, and some of his students have gone on to win auditions at prestigious music conservatories such as the Shanghai Conservatory and the Nanjing Conservatory in China. He regularly gives masterclasses across Southern Africa and China, and he is on the woodwind faculties of the South African National Youth Orchestra, The Harare Chamber Music Festival in Zimbabwe and the Xiquitsi International Music Festival in Maputo, Mozambique and the Qvadrivium Clarinet Academy in Shanghai.

Junnan regularly performs solo and chamber music recitals around Southern Africa in prestigious concert series and festivals including the Cape Town Concert Series, the Durban Friends of Music Concert Series, The UNISA Concert Series, among many others.

Junnan Sun is a Gonzalez Reeds, BG France and Yamaha Artist, he performs exclusively on BG ligatures and Yamaha SE Artist Model clarinets.