Keith Lipson | Clarinet Teacher

Keith Lipson is a clarinet performingartist, educator, conductor, translator of classical literature, and a Daoistand Buddhist scholar. He is currently pricinpal clarinet of the BeijingSymphony Orchestra, guest professor at the Central Conservatory of Music, andconductor of the Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra. At the age of 16, Keith one1st prize in the International Clarinet Association Solo Competition (YouthDivision). In the same year, Keith became one of the youngest clarinetist toever be accepted into the world-renowned Curtis Institute of Music inPhiladelphia. While at Curtis Keith worked closely with many musicians of thePhiladelphia Orchestra and was principal clarinet of the Curtis orchestra for 2years. He was previously principal clarinet with the Verbier Festival Orchestrain Switzerland and the Orchestra of the State of Mexico, and has performed asguest principal of the KBS orchestra, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. He hasappeared in the chamber music series at Barge Music in New York with members ofYo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. As a devotee of new music, he is a member of theInternational Contemporary Music Ensemble in New York, and has performed withthem at the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center with guest artist Peter Serkin.Keith is a co-founder of the Beijing New Music Ensemble whose debut album wasrecorded on the Naxos label featuring the works of Zhou Long and Chen Yi. Keithhas also been active as a translator. He translated the lyrics into Chinese of"Going Home", a song featured on Ma Yo-yo's Silk Road Ensemble album"Sing me Home". The album went on to win a Grammy award. He has alsotranslated many Buddhists and Daoist texts into English including the"Platform Sutra", "Dao De Jing" and the "HeartSutra". In addition to regularly performing solo, chamber and orchestralmusic on three continents, Keith is also a devoted teacher whose students havebeen accepted at prestigious music schools and conservatories, including 3students accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School ofMusic, the Colburn School of Music, the Cleveland Institute of Muisc, theOberlin School of Music, Hamburg Hochschule for Music and the Interlochen ArtsAcademy. Keith is probably the only foreign musician in Chinese history who hasever performed at a state banquet for foreign dignitaries. At the request ofthe Chinese State Department he was invited to perform for Chinese and worldleaders.