The Cupertino Courier
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Young musicians embarking on Eastern European tour
By Dominique Fong
Performing in some of the most prestigious concert halls in Europe is a dream come true for 15-year-old Hannah Lee.
Since she first picked up the violin seven years ago, her passion for it has intensified, leading her to join the Philharmonic Orchestra, the senior orchestra of the San Jose Youth Symphony.
Now in its 55th season, the SJYS consists of five musical ensembles that audition more than 400 applicants, ranging from ages 8 to 21, each year.
Members of the Philharmonic demonstrate strong musicianship, have advanced technique and receive the opportunity to perform challenging repertoire in a pre-professional orchestral setting.
This summer the Philharmonic will tour Eastern Europe, playing concerts in Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland.
Excited about the trip, Hannah says there are no words to describe the happiness she feels about music. For nearly every piece she learns, she creates vignettes to help her express certain emotions to the audience.
"Every bar, every measure I play, I always have a story--crazy ones!" the Cupertino resident says. For example, she tells of how people eventually triumph after losing their way in Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4.
As principal chair of the second violins, Hannah has taken the initiative to guide the other members in her section by occasionally asking them to practice more after rehearsal.
"She's dedicated and always prepared," says conductor Yair Samet, about her leadership skills. "She initiated sections after rehearsal, a thing that only happens once in a while."
Being a leader in a symphony as large as the Philharmonic (more than 100 members) has taught her how to be attentive to the flow of the conductor's style and the music.
"One thing about her that stands out is that she's not shy. She capitalizes on this for her leadership and how she expresses herself on the violin," Byung-Woo Kim, her violin teacher, says.
For fellow orchestra member and Cupertino resident Akshay Tambe, improvement is more than just a coincidence.
The 17-year-old junior says he began playing clarinet because of a scheduling error at school. When he applied for art class, he was incorrectly put into band.
Even though Akshay was unsure of his commitment to the clarinet, his conductor praises him for his significant improvement after two years with the Philharmonic.
"He has made unbelievable progress in his music and his attitude," says Samet.
He's made so much progress that Akshay is considering the possibility of becoming a professional clarinetist.
Akshay also performs with the Monta Vista High School jazz band, which gives him more freedom to improvise.
You can't compare classical music with jazz because they are so different, Akshay says, but one aspect of classical music he especially enjoys in the Philharmonic is the harmony of everyone's music.
"You get satisfaction, hearing all these people playing together," Akshay says.
Balancing schoolwork with other musical commitments seems to be no problem.
"Violin is more of a stress relief for me," Hannah says.
What she gains from music she also gives back. In her spare time, Hannah also plays for the Silicon Valley volunteer orchestra, which is working toward raising enough money to build a Korean American nursing home.
"Hannah is very dependable once she commits because she's very driven," says Sung-Im, music director of the volunteer orchestra.
Both musicians will be rewarded for all their hard work by the well-rehearsed sounds of pieces by Bernstein, Gershwin and Tchaikovsky on the Eastern Europe tour.
Samet says the Philharmonic has exceeded his expectations, especially with the particularly tricky Tchaikovsky symphony.
For Hannah, music will always stay close to her heart no matter how far she goes.
"My main goal is just to play violin as much as I desire," she says.
