My Second Year in Europe in 25 Photos

My oh my, how the time does fly! It’s hard to believe that I’ve been in Paris for two years already! I’m so lucky to call Paris my adopted home, and I’d like to share some of my favorite photo memories of last year in Paris and beyond.

Action shot during my performance of the Mozart Quintet, K. 581. This was taken at the pre-overture of La Seine Musicale.

Visiting the René Magritte exhibition at the Pompidou Centre. Magritte is my absolute favorite artist, and I spent the better part of a day exploring the museum and exhibition.

Performing the Tomasi Clarinet Concerto at the Fondation des Etats-Unis. I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to perform the milestone works of the French repertoire.

Post-Tomasi Concerto celebratory dessert with my dear friend Caleb Hsu at the local brasserie, ChinChin.

With Karl Leister at his house in Berlin, where I spent an intensive few days studying Brahms and Weber. During breaks, he shared some of his favorite foods and drinks with me, including Mövenpick ice cream and sauerkraut juice (separately, of course). I’m currently studying the effects of sauerkraut juice on musical expression in Brahms…

I spent a month touring with an orchestra in Germany, where I made some incredible new friends. This is us drinking Bayreuth beer in Lübeck after having some of the best Thai food of my entire life.

Posing in front of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, home of the famous annual Wagner festival, where I got to sit in the same chair that Wagner himself once conducted from.

Enjoying canelés in front of the Miroir d’eau in Bordeaux with my friend Caleb (most of our time together involved eating French sweets).

Enjoying profiteroles at Mollard with a table full of Italian clarinetists (and trying not to stare at the award-winning Italian actors at the next table over).

Enjoying a day trip to the Provins Christmas market, where I befriended the neighbourhood cats.

Playing with Mimi, the resident cat of Parc Montsouris.

Candid shot showing my happiness at warm baguette traditions (a specific type of baguette) straight from the oven and my inability to make it home before uncouthly eating said baguette en route.

Braving the torrential downpour in Strasbourg to sight-see during an orchestra tour. I used my cardigan as a cape to cover my clarinet to protect it from the rain.

With Armando Ghidoni after my recital “Ghidoni and Friends”, where I performed the world premiere of his Alegre Marie for clarinet and piano.

With Armando Ghidoni and my thesis: “Les compositions de clarinette d’Armando Ghidoni: styles, caractéristiques et analyses musicales”

Thanksgiving 2016: visiting Iceland’s Seljalandsfoss waterfall en route to Vík, the southernmost settlement in Iceland

Reynisfjara black sand beach basalt columns. It was so windy here that I fell over three times.

Enjoying some stroopwafel at the Albert Cuyp Market in Amsterdam.

The sunset over the Baltic Sea on my cruise from Sweden to Latvia.

Sibelius selfie at the Sibelius monument in Helsinki.

Hiking to the summit of Mt. Vesuvius, which is still an active volcano.

The ancient city of Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius in the background. I’ll never forget how eerily quiet it was, and I didn’t see a single person during the majority of my time here.