YaoGuang Zhai
by Jacob Jahiel
YaoGuang Zhai
PRINCIPAL CLARINET MEYERS SPONSORSHIP
Between his job as principal clarinetist at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra , an associate professorship at Boston Conservatory at Berklee , and — most time intensive of them all — raising two sons , YaoGuang Zhai is a busy man .
YaoGuang ’ s sons are five and , as of the day of his interview , two . “ Having two boys , I just have full energy in my house — lots of running around . They spend their last energy and all of a sudden fall asleep . It ’ s like the charging of a battery for ten hours , then they are fully recharged ! That ’ s basically my life .”
And , like the rest of the BSO ’ s musicians , YaoGuang never stops practicing . A big believer in technical fundamentals , he wakes up early each morning to practice long tones and slow scales : “ Then I feel ready .”
YaoGuang frequently travels to Boston to teach his nine students at Boston Conservatory at Berklee , where he has taught since 2019 . “ It ’ s really rewarding for me ,” he reports . Recently , one of his students just won an audition with the Wuxi Symphony , one of China ’ s best orchestras , competing against about 200 other musicians .
Not surprisingly , his teaching philosophy aligns with his own attitude as a musician . “ I believe everything has to start from fundamentals ,” he says . “ Especially what we do on stage , every second , every minute is precious , especially with 2,000 people watching you . Before the concert , if you want to practice , it ’ s too late !”
In January , YaoGuang looks forward to performing Mozart ’ s Clarinet Concerto as soloist with the BSO , “ one of the most beloved concertos in the clarinet world .” Grinning , he continues , “ it ’ s one of my dreams to perform it with the Baltimore Symphony , my home orchestra , and my wonderful colleagues . What else can you ask for ?”
MITRO HOOD
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