New York Times
“…with great virtuosity and power, Miclen is a force to be reckoned with.”
Acclaimed as “a musician of daring virtuosity with gripping access noble elegance” (Die Welt), Miclen LaiPang has earned global recognition as a soloist, chamber musician, and concertmaster. Winner of multiple awards and prizes, Miclen has performed in over 60 countries and has recorded CD’s on Sony RCA Red Seal, Naxos and more. He has had the privilege to work with international artists such as Ivry Gitlis, Janos Starker, Irvine Arditti, and Peter Serkin.
His primary mentors have included Ruggiero Ricci, Boris Kuschnir, Aaron Rosand, Ida Bieler, Charles Castleman, and Alice Schoenfeld.
He is the founder and artistic director of the Miesbach Kammermusikfestival in Germany and serves as Co-Artistic Director of the Festival of International Artists at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge. Additionally, he is Co-Artistic Director of Zadig & Friends and M Sphere, a Paris-based chamber music collective. As an educator, he teaches at the Castleman Quartet Program, the International Chamber Music Academy of Southern Germany in Ochsenhausen, and the Talent Summer Music Courses in Brescia, Italy.
Currently, Miclen resides in Paris where he keeps a busy schedule as guest concertmaster, teaching, chamber music projects, and solo performances throughout Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa.
He is the violinist of the internationally acclaimed Trio Zadig.
Miclen performs on the c.1707 ‘Charles Castleman, ex-Marquis de Champeaux’ Antonio Stradivari on generous loan from the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and the ‘ex-Ysaÿe’ Dominique Peccatte.
Read his entire biography here.
“An American wartime Violin Concerto, composed by the most lyrical of wartime composers, Barber’s work poses special challenges to any performer: balancing the nostalgic, romantic element, with a searing and burning emotional content, over two movements as elegiac as the third is maniacal. Miclen’s solution was the violin itself: every section focussed on the vocal qualities of the instrument, from the simple opening song in G Major to the deeply moving second movement. Miclen truly exploited the “crying” register” of the D String, and instinctively makes the vibrato tighter in that register, to give the notes an intensely human quality. When the slow movement builds to that enormous eruption, the effect was emotionally spot-on and you could feel the goosebumps as the orchestra responded in kind. He also brought something new to the “scotch-snap” material that the violin plays only once, right at the end of the first movement: there was a playfulness, a naughty glint in the eye, and a kick in the step, that I had never heard before and suspect I shall from now on always miss, when hearing others.
The frenetic last movement saw the violinist articulate with refinement throughout, never pushing to brashness or scratching – a real risk in this technical steeplechase of a work. Balance was, by all accounts, never an issue through-out the performance. Easy virtuosity and deeply felt musicianship was felt again in the encore, a version of Danny Boy that will forever be remembered by anyone who heard it. The perfect encore to an astonishingly moving Barber.”
“a musician of daring virtuosity with gripping access and noble elegance”
“Playing a second violin tuned a tone higher (per Mahler’s instructions), concertmaster Miclen LaiPang assayed Mahler’s cross between a country dance and macabre totentanz (dance of death) in the second movement with vigor. ”
“Miclen LaiPang walks Kreutzer’s perilous high-wire act with aplomb.”
“Sleeper captured the sardonic elements of the scherzo with the faux elegance of Miclen LaiPang’s violin solo having just the right sarcastic tone.”
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“Miclen LaiPang captured the hearts of the audience. The breakneck Solo Sonata No. 1 by Eugène Ysaÿe was presented by Miclen with a big chordal sound, squeaky clean double stops down to the greatest decimals, and with a touching cantabile.
In a duo with the pianist James Maddox, he electrified the audience with the breathtaking final movement of Saint-Saëns’ Violin Sonata op.75. Stormy applause and bravos, which swelled considerably after the encore “Hora staccato” by Grigoras Dinicu.”
“The speed with which he was able to integrate, in just two days of rehearsals, in an ensemble with which he had collaborated only once last year, reports a very great artist.”
“Miclen LaiPang on the 1st violin represented (pars pro toto) and embodied the intoxicating power and joy of the KUG orchestra.”
