Programs El Camino Wind Orchestra

Overtures Newsletter

Dear Readers:
The Overtures Newsletter is sent quarterly, via email to our entire mailing list. The main feature stories (only) are archived here for your convenience.

Holiday 2009 Features

Symphony Holiday Concert this Sunday, December 13
Otto Huang Foundation Supports ECYS!
Interview with the Director of Admissions, USC Thornton School of Music

Symphony Holiday Concert this Sunday, December 13

Hitch up your sleigh and join us at the gorgeous California Theatre this Sunday as the renowned El Camino Youth Symphony, Dr. Camilla Kolchinsky, Music Director, takes the stage for the annual Holiday Concert.

Three fabulous soloists and Tchaikovsky's Suite from Swan Lake will fill you with joy and cheer, and what more could you ask for? Well, try Kabalevsky's Overture to Colas Breugnon and of course, Anderson's Sleigh Ride. How many times have we performed that old chestnut? We don't care; it's fun!

Soloists Deborah Ahn and Alice Park will dazzle you with their dramatic violin solos, and flutist Pavitra Rengarajan will enchant you with her beautiful tone.


Otto Huang Foundation Supports ECYS!

Isn't it fabulous to live in a community that supports young people and the arts? The Otto Huang Foundation supports local nonprofits - and they also know how to put together a great evening for all of their friends.

ECYS was one of the organizations selected to benefit from their November 15 event at the Taiwanese Cultural Center in Santa Clara.

Symphony musicians Tiffany Shen and Timothy Yu were honored to perform, along with many other talented young artists.

Our gratitude to: the Otto Huang Foundation, Mr. Huang, Grace Lin, Yvonne Mei, and the many volunteers who supported our participation. We extend our appreciation to ECYS parent Adele Chen, who made a gracious presentation on behalf of ECYS.

Interview with the Director of Admissions, USC Thornton School of Music

In October 2009, P.J. Woolston, Director of Admissions at the University of Southern California, Thornton School of Music, visited ECYS, and the following interview ensued (Thank you P.J.!):

What is your impression of the impact of such programs as the El Camino Youth Symphony?
We can always tell which students have participated in an intensive program. They are experienced, and they have had lots of demands on them. It is about well-rounded musicianship. They are so much better prepared for the demands college and teachers are placing on them. Students who are in a program where they have had to prepare music for a succession of concerts fit-in much better.

What would you like us to know about the Thornton School of Music?
That the Music School is a conservatory within the university. We have an amazing faculty, world-class ensembles, and every kind of music. Our strength is our outstanding faculty. We believe it is important for the students to be able to "blur the lines" and to be able to get exposure to all types of music, including popular. The school also requires a strong academic component, meaning that music majors receive a comprehensive university education.

What are the most important functions of your position?
There are basically two stages. The first is the recruitment cycle, making sure that students are informed about the school. The second is working with individual students after admission decisions have been made.

What is your best advice for a student who is auditioning?
That auditioning is a two-way process. During the audition visit, make an effort to speak to the faculty and administration. Ask questions, talk to current music students. We want them to get to know USC, and we hope to earn their consideration. I really like the students to come in with the idea that they are evaluating the school. The faculty loves to hear from prospective students.

Some of our musicians may want to consider a Minor in Music. What should they expect in terms of program offered?
They should make sure they are finding out about what options they have for minoring at all of the schools they are looking at. Find out what the process is. At USC it is a reduced version of the major, lessons and ensembles are offered, along with basic college-level theory and other classes.

Are there opportunities at USC for musicians who are not in a degree program?
Yes! There are several orchestras. The open-campus orchestra is open to non-majors and the audition is for placement. There are lots of chamber music opportunities also.

What tips can you provide for parents and musicians who are trying to decide whether to apply to USC?
Be open-minded, cast the net wide. Visit the schools, you get a feel for the school. Be aware of deadlines. We encourage everyone to apply for financial aid. Many students qualify, because the cost of education is so high. Then you can compare offers from various schools.



Fall 2009 Features

Symphony Season Opener
Eastern Europe Tour 2009
Community Support
Spotlight on Woanyu Yu


Symphony Season Opener
Featuring soloists Rieko Tsuchida and Jeffrey Kwong

On October 18th, 2:30 pm at Flint Center, "Fate knocks at the door!"
Beethoven fans, and most listeners of music in general, recognize the famous opening four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (Ta-Ta-Ta-TAAA). The story, be it truth or fabrication, is that this initial motif of the symphony is a representation of Fate knocking at the door.

Whether or not we interpret this work as "The Destiny Symphony" is still a matter of debate, but this next quote surely strikes true, not only in 1841, but in 2009!

"Beethoven’s symphony in C minor had closed the programme. Let us be silent! How often we hear it in public, but also in our deepest self, and how it projects its force upon all people of all ages, just like the great natural phenomena, which leave us in awe every time they appear. This symphony alike, will still resound centuries to come, for as long as there will be man and music." (Concert Note, 1841).

Get inspired, and join us on October 18, 2:30 pm at Flint Center as the El Camino Youth Symphony performs this great work.

California State 2009 Solo Competition Winner to Perform Chopin
Rieko Tsuchida is 15 years old and is winning competitions at every turn. She became a student of classical piano at the age of 3; her first public performance was that same year. She currently studies piano and music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she is a student of John McCarthy, Director of the Preparatory Division.

In 2009 alone, Rieko won 1st place at the California State Solo Piano Competition, Music Teachers' Association of California, Division II: ages 13 - 15, 1st prize in the Ross McKee Piano Competition, 1st prize in the Bradshaw and Buono International Competition, and of course, was the top winner of the El Camino Youth Symphony Piano Competition. For more information about Rieko, visit: http://www.riekotsuchida.com/

Eastern Europe Tour 2009
By Pavitra Rengarajan, Symphony flutist

The El Camino Senior Symphony recently embarked on a monumental journey overseas to tour Poland and Germany, learning about the countries' prolific histories, experiencing cultural traditions, gazing at the breathtaking landscapes, and, of course, spreading our passion and love for music.

With a difficult and emotionally demanding program, preparing our pieces for tour was a journey in and of itself. We opened our concerts with American composer Samuel Barber's Overture to the "School for Scandal," filled with intricate rhythms, changing meters, and playful articulations. Next followed Mendelssohn's Violin concerto in E Minor, commemorating his 200th anniversary. Hannah Tarley, our soloist for this piece, combined the beautiful, soothing melodies and rapid, technical passages to create an uproar from the audience. Lastly, we took on Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, full of passion and driven by an underlying theme of fate, as Tchaikovsky was expecting his death soon after. With ominous, chromatic passages in the strings, musical solos in the woodwinds, thunderous notes in the brass, and echoing percussion, Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony proved to be a masterpiece, earning standing ovations throughout the countries.

We had the privilege of showcasing this program in several concert halls of Poland and Germany. We opened in the Concert Hall of Warsaw's University of Fryderyk Chopin, where our audience consisted primarily of musicians and students at the university. Seeing our banners and posters at the rest of our concert halls, including Katowice's Concert Hall of Sala Grzegorz Fitelberg and Wroclaw's Filharmonia was exhilarating. We then traveled through Saxony, home of Wagner, Mendelssohn, and Schumann, to Potsdam's Nikolaissal. It felt incredible to travel to a country so rich in musical history and full of music appreciation. For our command finale, we performed for a full house at the world-renowned Gewandhaus at Leipzig, haus of Felix Mendelssohn. During our walking tour of Leipzig, we were told that it wasn't only ECYS that was finishing their season at the Gewandhaus; we were also the last performers at the Gewandhaus for their season, as well as one of only three youth orchestras who are given permission to perform in the venue each year. The grand hall was large and magnificent, with red velvet seats and reverberating acoustics, leading to a memorable finale for our 2008-2009 season tour.

Patricia Seidel, a Leipzig resident who attended the concert at the Gewandhaus, was touched by the performance. "The melodies were so beautiful that it made many people tear [up], and the orchestra had so much power in the Tchaikovsky."

One of the highlights of our tour was our joint concert with the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the City Music School Potsdam "Johann Sebastian Bach." We supported our host youth orchestra from the audience as they opened the concert with a march by Wagner, rhythmically precise and musically mature. After our classic performance of Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky, we fit both orchestras on stage for a joint performance of Dvorak's pompous Slavonic Dance No. 8, producing an unbelievable deep sound and enhanced dynamic contrast. We had the opportunity to meet other musicians our age who share the same passion for music as we do.

My fellow flute player Laura Nausedat described her orchestra's weekly two-hour rehearsals throughout the year, similar to our orchestra. She expressed, "Wow, I am really impressed with your orchestra. You all are excellent in not just technique but also musicality, and that is not easy to find." At a joint reception which followed, we socialized and learnt more about each other.

Through our walking tours and bus tours, we were able to learn about the rich history lying beneath the modern, bustling cities. In Warsaw, we stopped by the memorial at the ghetto where several people were slaughtered and buildings were destroyed. The most touching historical visit we made was to the concentration camp of Auschwitz, where thousands of Poles and Jews were persecuted. Suitcases of the prisoners lying in the corner. Remnants of the gas chamber where they were killed. Registration forms showing their consent to join the camp. The exact train tracks along which the unlucky walked to their demise. Pictures of women and children screaming to stay with their families. Children hiding in sewers so as not to be found by the brutes. Musicians bawling as they are forced to separate from their instruments. Such unbelieveable physical and emotional destruction was almost unbearable to see, yet it was an eye-opening experience.

Traveling through the countries, we were able to witness the unique traditions of the local people. Murmurs of "Oh my God, man, it's the trumpeter!" filled the air as we gathered below the tower in Krakow where the trumpeter would play his tune. This tradition has been passed down for centuries; in the fifteenth century, the trumpeter began playing a tune to warn the Krakow citizens that the Tatars were invading. However, the trumpeter was hit by a Tatar's arrow, thus abruptly breaking off the tune at the high note. Every hour to this day, the trumpeter plays the same tune from the same tower and breaks off at that symbolic high note to remind the population of Polish courage and pride.

We had the pleasure of experiencing the local culture as well. From palatable pierogi and creamy lody (Polish ice cream) to cobblestone streets and Gothic cathedrals, Poland was an eye-opening taste of European folk life. Additionally, we witnessed Polish folk song and dance, with upbeat twirls and delicate footwork accompanied by strong beats from the violin and accordion.

We exchanged our extra zlotys for euros and headed to some of the largest shopping centers in Germany, including Promenaden, Potsdamer Platz, and Unter den Linden. Even window shopping was extraordinary. Through the glass were carefully placed mannequins wearing trendly clothing and colorful bead necklaces. The fashionable stores and inexpensive boutiques selling memorable souvenirs made it relatively easy for everyone to exhaust their money!

De Anza Dental Center Sponsors ECYS
"We believe it is important to be involved in the community"
Dr. Po-Jen Lin, DDS

This is the third year that Dr. Po-Jen Lin, DDS, has sponsored an advertisement in the ECYS concert program. At De Anza Dental Center, Dr. Lin has provided quality dental care to families in the South Bay for more than 18 years. "I am glad to be working in Cupertino, it is such a great community" says the doctor.

As a Conductor's Circle sponsor of ECYS, Dr. Lin enjoys the VIP benefits of his support. "My wife and I enjoy the honor of sitting up front to see the kids playing. She loves the violin. We have become good friends with some of the families. We are glad to be a supporter of ECYS! We believe it is important to be involved in the community. We have been in the De Anza area for 20 years. Several of your members are our patients. We are impressed that the parents are so supportive of their kids - they are raising a lot of good kids here! It is amazing that the kids are so talented. Instead of wandering around the street they are playing music. Later they will become quite successful."

Dr. Lin's wife, Grace, shared that their son Edward, 14, has played piano for ten years. "We keep him interested by taking him to concerts. When I was a kid I fell in love with classical music - I was in ballet. We wanted to expose Edward to classical music. We used to go to San Francisco for symphony and opera. But Flint Center in Cupertino is more convenient, and we were shocked by how well the ECYS musicians play! And now Edward has made friends with members of the orchestra."

We look forward to seeing Dr. Lin and his family in the audience on October 18, for the Season Opener! It is our pleasure to enjoy their support, and to thank and recognize all of the sponsors of ECYS.

Spotlight on Woanyu Yu
Parent Woanyu Yu serves as chair of the Development Committee, and is
a member of the ECYS Board of Directors. Her son Linus is a violist in the Symphony Orchestra, and her daughter Iris performs on trumpet in the Chamber Players Orchestra. Woanyu was kind enough to share her thoughts about volunteering at ECYS.

Why did you decide to volunteer for ECYS?
"I was inspired by several ECYS parent volunteers who devote a tremendous amount of time helping to make ECYS better and better. I met a dedicated volunteer when I was helping at a Galbraith Honors Strings concert. After talking with her, I realized how much more work I had put on her and others because I didn't volunteer more to share their load. She told me that the first thing about volunteering is that there are only a few years we can help our kids. After high school, they are out of our hands! That's why I decided to volunteer as much as I can."

What do you enjoy most about your volunteer experience?
"I enjoy hearing from our new audience members how much they enjoyed the performance. I enjoy meeting new parents and making new friends. At ECYS I can meet many good parents and sometimes I find that they have kids in the same school as my kids, and we can talk to each other about school. When I first came to ECYS, I was very shy and didn't talk much in social situations, but volunteering at ECYS helped me to gain confidence and experience in speaking to others, even strangers. It helped my English, too!"

This year you are the Ticket Team Leader. Why is this a priority for you?
"This is my third year helping the team. Although my son wasn't in Symphony in the previous two years, I felt proud to introduce such an excellent orchestra to all my friends and the community. Many parents with young kids can't go to the San Francisco Symphony concerts. Our Symphony concerts provide the opportunity for them to enjoy a professional performance with their youngsters."

How do you find time to volunteer?
"I have more time than moms that work outside of the home, but most of the work that I do I can do on email, when my kids are sleeping or at school. Often I can combine activities, for example when I am shopping I can distribute publicity materials. My husband supports me, when I have a meeting he comes home early to take care of the kids."

Spring 2009 Features (Premiere Edition)

Senior Symphony Heads to Europe
Superb Young Pianist is Guest Artist
Applied Materials Honored
Volunteer Spotlight on Li-Wha Chen

Senior Symphony Heads to Europe

The ultimate Symphony experience takes flight this June when the Senior Symphony Orchestra jets into Poland and Germany. ECYS has never performed in Poland, and relishes the opportunity to return to Germany for a command performance at the renowned Gewandhaus of Leipzig.

The performance in the Gewandhaus, the haus of famed composer and conductor Felix Mendelssohn, is the tour grand finale. The Symphony with soloist Hannah Tarley will honor the 200th birthday of Mendelssohn with a performance of his Violin Concerto in E minor.

The Gewandhaus concert underlines the transformative power of tour - how extraordinary to participate in a historically relevant performance!

Soloist Tarley, 17, was concertmaster of the San Francisco Youth Orchestra at 11, a member of an ECYS preparatory orchestra at 5, and most recently Principal Second Violin of the YouTube Orchestra, performing at Carnegie Hall under the baton of Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas. We are delighted that she will return to ECYS with Dr. Camilla Kolchinsky at the podium.

In addition to the Mendelssohn Concerto, the Symphony will perform the monumental Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, a reprise of the acclaimed March 2009 performance at Flint Center. To add to the excitement, Ms. Tarley will team-up with Symphony Concertmaster Timothy Yu for Sarasate's spectacular Navarra for Two Violins.

The tour venues include Chopin's Academy of Music in Warsaw, the Fitelberg in Katowice, the Filharmonia in Wroclaw (as part of the Pro Arte Festival) and a joint performance and reception with the Potsdam Youth Symphony in the Nikolaisaal.

There will be time for sight-seeing, guided tours of historical sites, including Chopin's home, renaissance and baroque architecture, local markets, Berlin, and the thirteenth-century church where Bach was organist!

Don't miss Symphony Bon Voyage, on June 21, 7:30 pm at Spangenberg Theatre in Palo Alto. The Symphony will preview the entire tour program! Tickets are available through the ECYS office or at the door 45 minutes prior to the performance.

For a history of previous tours, we welcome you to visit here.

Superb Young Pianist is Special Guest Artist for March 2010

Born in Rochester, New York, 18 year old pianist Claire Huangci astonishes all who hear her perform. Legendary pianist Vladimir Krainev has dubbed her the pianist with "the fastest fingers in the world."

Having graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music at the age most students complete high school, this remarkable young woman promises to stun our audiences with her technique at the piano. At the age of 18 she is already a solo sensation throughout Europe, Asia and the United States.

Next season, in addition to her performance with ECYS, Claire Huangci will have concerts with the Helena Orchestra, Latvia Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Nice Philharmonique Orchestre and Toulouse Chamber Orchestra. She will also play recitals in Germany, Austria, Japan, Korea, France, Switzerland, and America.

Ms. Huangci is currently studying in Germany, pursuing her Master's Degree from Hannover Hochschule fur Musik und Theatre under Prof. Arie Vardi and Kaemmerling. Her family lives in Philadelphia.

Applied Materials Honored!

Each spring ECYS honors our donors with a special party at the Garden Court Hotel in Palo Alto. At that event we single-out a special honoree who has demonstrated exceptional community support.

This year Applied Materials made possible the inspirational March 27 Master Class with New York Philharmonic Guest Artists Michelle Kim and Sumire Kudo. Our advanced high school musicians were thrilled to have this fabulous experience that they will remember forever!

Like many of our parents, Jeff Rangel, Global Community Affairs Manager at Applied Materials, believes in the arts and education in our community. As a saxophone player himself, he knows the years of dedication it takes to become a gifted player. Learning an instrument and playing in his school band, also reinforced his love of music.

Applied Materials CEO, Mike Splinter, has said "Silicon Valley's arts community reflects the creativity, innovation and diversity of its residents. Applied Materials and our employees support the important role the arts play in creating a community where people love to live and work."

Because of the generous support of Applied Materials and the Arts Council Silicon Valley for ECYS, we awarded the 2009 Community Philanthropy Award to Applied Materials at our April 26 Benefactors' Gala at the Garden Court Hotel in Palo Alto. Thank you for your support for the arts!

We would also like to recognize the Garden Court Hotel for their generous underwriting of the Gala, and the talented ECYS Chamber Musicians who entertained our guests!

Volunteer Spotlight on
Li-Wha Chen

What inspired you to volunteer for ECYS?

I’ve liked music and art since I was a child. Growing up in Taiwan with a lot of heavy academic activities, music became something that I could escape to have break and gain peace. My middle school music teacher provided opportunities for me and other students to learn instruments and she inspired us to appreciate the beauty of classical music from the renaissance to the twentieth century. To this date, I often think back to that period of time. It was so joyful and enlightening with music. I feel I’m blessed with the music education that I was provided.

That was the reason I have encouraged both of my kids to learn music. It was also why I wanted to support music education no matter in school or in ECYS. To me, it is even more critical to support a non-profit organization like ECYS since not only it provides a deeper music learning opportunity for children, it also creates a unique team work environment for them.

This year you chaired the Annual Fund Drive. Why is the Fund Drive a priority for you?

For any non-profit organization, the Fund Drive is the key to maintain the quality of the program and to enrich the program that it offers to the kids.

What do you say when you are asking for support?

We all want our kids to have good music education. Our support no matter through volunteering or donation will only provide benefits back to our kids and create greater learning for them. It also benefits us and to our society to have better music education. Isn’t it cool that we see our kids sitting in an orchestra and have an outstanding concert performance? My neighbors and friends also thank ECYS bringing good youth concerts to them.

How do you find time to volunteer?

This has been a tough one since my job is very demanding (which is probably the case for most of bay-area parents). I tried putting in time whenever I could. I’d put in small amount of time (e.g. 20 minutes) every day when I had high workload. Bigger chunks of time could be used for volunteering from time to time when my projects were at down time. It turns out to be very doable and the progress always accumulates.

What other volunteer work do you do?

I chaperoned the ECYS 2007 tour to Russia. I helped out almost in all areas of volunteering in ECYS: Garden Court Gala hosting, advertisement fund raising, ticketing, …, etc.

I also did some volunteering at my kid’s school and volunteer at the company’s women's leadership program.

Is volunteer involvement a good way to make friends?

Absolutely. Through volunteering at ECYS, I’ve made so many good friends and they are wonderful and fun to work with. In general, I think this is more than making friends. It is more of building a bigger circle of connection outside of your family/friends and work. I’ve really enjoyed volunteering at ECYS and I appreciate all the friendship and care that I have received.

The El Camino Youth Symphony is dedicated to

Music Education by providing a nurturing environment for the training and development of young musicians from our culturally diverse community and by encouraging a lasting appreciation of music; and

Musical Excellence by providing quality performance opportunities for our musicians and presenting outstanding musical events for the community.