Yevgeniy Reznik holds a doctorate in clarinet performance from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was recognized with an Outstanding Doctoral Recital. He won the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Young Artist Woodwind Division Competition, State Competition, and Collegiate Competition. He attended as a fellow Norfolk Chamber Music Festival – Yale School of Music, and Y. Mravinsky International Music Festival in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He ranked as top clarinetist and alternate to overall winner in the 2005 MTNA Young Artist Woodwind Division Competition in the state of Michigan. A native of Ukraine, he came to the United States at age 17 to attend Interlochen Arts Academy on a full scholarship.
Personally Speaking...
Lived in: Ukraine, Michigan, Nebraska, Texas, and New York.
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian, English, and a bit of Chinese.
Most inspiring composer: Bach, for the clarity and purity of his music.
Wanted to be a professional musician at age: 11.
Love most about music: It can communicate positive energy to the audience. That’s all that matters, hopefully the audience will leave the theater inspired.
Favorite Shen Yun composition: Divine Compassion, from the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra tour of 2013.
Regular warm-up routine: Long tones and scale—always using my best sound.
Pre-show boost: Clear the mind.
What do you do between shows on two-show days? Meditation. It turns out there are a lot of random and unnecessary thoughts throughout the day that run through my head, and doing meditation helps to clear them out. As a result, I stay focused more easily on the important things, such as performing well the second show of the day.
Most memorable audience reaction: Many different ones, from Quebec, Taiwan, Japan, Waterbury, CT, Long Beach, CA…
During 100+ shows a season, how do you maintain freshness and high standards? Always remember that the audience is new each time. If I start to think about myself, then I might think that I feel tired at times, this and that… but that’s just me thinking about myself, rather then thinking that of how we are doing this for the audience. But when I let go of self and think about other people, I receive the energy I need and stay fresh, which allows me to maintain a high standard.
How do you constantly improve your technical ability? By holding myself to the highest standard at all times and building upon previous days and weeks and months and years of playing.
What has Shen Yun added to your life? Through Shen Yun I was introduced to Falun Dafa and self-cultivation.
Favorite tour country: I don’t really have a favorite, but I did really enjoy Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.