Scandinavian Wood II: Danish Clarinet Music
Same artist
Da Vinci Classics
Cao Yinzi, Chen Hu Jie, Liu Zhangjuan
Physical Release: 13 November 2026
Digital Release: 27 November 2026
Soon on Exit Music
Coming soon · Available on the physical release date
Chen Hu Jie, Clarinet
A distinguished Chinese clarinettist, conductor and composer. Chen Hu Jie holds the title of Artistic Director for the Soundshadow Ensemble. He serves as the Principal Clarinet for the Yichang Gorges Symphony Orchestra and is a noteworthy clarinettist with the Yichang Free Jazz Big Band.
In his capacity as a clarinettist, Chen Hu Jie has spearheaded notable clarinet concert projects such as "Loop Line" and "Time Shuttle" since 2018. His international concert repertoire spans an impressive array of countries and regions, including China, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Japan, Romania, Spain, the US, and etc. He has graced stages such as Musikhuset Aarhus in Denmark, BOZAR recital hall in Belgium, Mustpeade Maja / Tallinna Filharmoonia in Estonia, Kolarac concert hall in Serbia, among others. In 2019, his ventures as a chamber musician and orchestral clarinettist culminated in the creation of the Soundshadow Ensemble, of which he is a founder and the Artistic Director. Under his guidance, the ensemble unveiled their inaugural CD album 'Sound & Shadow' with Da Vinci Publishing in 2023. In the same year, his personal CD album ‘Scandinavian Wood’ was released with Da Vinci Publishing. His talents were recognised early when he was appointed as the Guest Principal Clarinet for the Yichang Gorges Symphony Orchestra at the age of 19, he then transitioned to the permanent Principle Clarinet in the orchestra. In 2022, he joined the Yichang Free Jazz Big Band. Emblematic of the new wave of musicians, Chen Hu Jie is actively involved in pioneering music projects and has collaborated closely with composers, including Assistant Professor Jasmine Moni Guo from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Transitioning to his role as a composer, Chen Hu Jie's works have been showcased in China, Europe, and the US. A standout piece, 'Gorges-Ode, CV.13', premiered on China Sina's official livestream in 2020 and was subsequently broadcast on Yichang City TV.
Since 2024, he has been teaching in the Music Department of East China University of Technology.
Chen Hu Jie's musical prowess has earned him numerous accolades. Notably, he clinched the 1st prize at the 5th China National Music Competition of Woodwind and Brass in the clarinet section and was bestowed the prestigious "Small GoldBell" Special Honour Music Prize in China, 2016. He also secured the top position at the 31st Concorso Internazionale per Giovani Musicisti "Città di Barletta" in Italy, 2021.
Born in Yichang, China, in 1999, Chen Hu Jie embarked on his musical journey at the age of 6 and began his clarinet tutelage at 9 under Sun Shan, the Principal Clarinet of the Yichang Gorges Symphony Orchestra. At 15, he relocated to Beijing, receiving instruction from the esteemed Yu Bo, former Principal Clarinet of the Military Band of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and later from Professor Yuan Yuan at the Central Conservatory Of Music. With a penchant for the Nordic clarinet academic style, Chen Hu Jie pursued advanced training under Swedish clarinettist Emil Jonason and Principal Clarinetist of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra Christoffer Sundqvist, during his undergraduate years in the US. Having completed his Bachelor's Degree in Clarinet Performance from the Arizona State University School of Music, he transitioned to Europe for master degree studies at The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus (Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium) in Denmark, under the aegis of renowned Danish clarinettist Mathias Kjøller, Principal Clarinet of Aarhus Symphony Orchestra. His conducting education was mentored by notable Danish conductor Søren Kinch Hansen and chief conductor of Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Latvian conductor Andris Poga. Additionally, he refined his chamber music skills with luminaries such as Bue Skov Thomassen, Lena Kildahl Larsen, Frederik Munk Larsen, and Martin Qvist Hansen, among others.
He also participated in master classes or lessons with: Charles Neidich, Håkan Rosengren, Julian Bliss, Ricardo Morales, Radovan Cavallin, and others.
Robert Schumann: (b Zwickau, Saxony, 8 June 1810; d Endenich, nr Bonn, 29 July 1856). German composer and music critic. While best remembered for his piano music and songs, and some of his symphonic and chamber works, Schumann made significant contributions to all the musical genres of his day and cultivated a number of new ones as well. His dual interest in music and literature led him to develop a historically informed music criticism and a compositional style deeply indebted to literary models. A leading exponent of musical Romanticism, he had a powerful impact on succeeding generations of European composers.
When conjuring the most celebrated repertoire for the classical clarinet, Robert Schumann (1810–1856) stands as an utterly indispensable figure in the instrument’s history. The year 1849 marked a remarkably fertile period for Schumann, during which he composed a series of works pairing a single solo instrument with the piano. Among these, Fantasiestücke, Op. 73, was originally conceived for the clarinet and piano, remaining to this day one of his most beloved and frequently performed masterpieces. Drei Romanzen, Op. 94, is widely known in three standard instrumentations: oboe, violin, and clarinet.…
When conjuring the most celebrated repertoire for the classical clarinet, Robert Schumann (1810–1856) stands as an utterly indispensable figure in the instrument’s history. The year 1849 marked a remarkably fertile period for Schumann, during which he composed a series of works pairing a single solo instrument with the piano. Among these, Fantasiestücke, Op. 73, was originally conceived for the clarinet and piano, remaining to this day one of his most beloved and frequently performed masterpieces.
Drei Romanzen, Op. 94, is widely known in three standard instrumentations: oboe, violin, and clarinet. Although the clarinet version did not flow directly from Schumann’s own pen but was instead championed by his publisher, N. Simrock, it has nonetheless secured a cherished place in the modern repertoire.
In addition to these canonical works, I have adapted two of my personal favourites by Schumann for this album: Adagio und Allegro, Op. 70 — originally written for French horn or cello and piano — and Fünf Stücke im Volkston, Op. 102, initially for cello and piano. While few clarinetists have historically recorded these particular arrangements, my interpretations remain fiercely loyal to Schumann’s original compositional logic, preserving the authentic registers and octaves wherever possible. The result is a rendering that feels entirely fresh, yet remains profoundly rooted in the composer’s primal vision.
Completing this collection is Märchenerzählungen, Op. 132, Schumann’s sole trio composed for clarinet, viola, and piano. Though a staple of the concert hall, this trio has, until now, very rare been recorded and compiled alongside Op. 70, 73, 94, and 102 within a single, dedicated Schumann clarinet album.
Throughout the recording process, I found myself deeply contemplating how to articulate and narrate my own understanding of these works. To me, these pieces transcend mere romantic love stories; they are a profound journey, a mirror held up to life itself—capturing love, poetry, romance, and misery, alongside the starkly contrasting emotions born of human experience.
In an era defined by breathless haste, society has largely abandoned its faith in romance, pursuing efficiency above all else. Yet, I remain steadfast in my romantic philosophy: “A life lived without romance is a life devoid of meaning.”
Chen Hu Jie
Available from 13 November 2026.
