WMA students featured in Worcester Youth Symphony Orchestra

Date: 12/23/2014

WILBRAHAM – Three students at Wilbraham & Monson Academy (WMA) were recently invited to perform in the Worcester Youth Symphony Orchestra during its 2014-2015 season, which will include an event at First Night Worcester on Dec. 31.

Jonathon Lee, a senior at WMA from Seongnam, South Korea, who plays violin, said the youth orchestra is preparing to play a piece from Oberon, a three-act romantic opera in English with spoken dialogue and music by Carl Maria von Weber, as well as holiday themed melodies during its current season.

“It’s a full sized orchestra,” he added. “There’s one junior orchestra, so the full-size [about 100 people] is like two combined.”

Lee also plays violin for the Worcester Youth Baroque. Ashley Bradway, a WMA student in the class of 2018 from Wilbraham, plays the oboe in the baroque orchestra as well.

“Our school has a chamber ensemble but it's kind of small so I wanted to participate in a full-sized orchestra where there's more people and a more competitive piece,” Lee explained. “I asked my music teacher if there’s any outside school experiences and he suggested the Worcester Youth Symphony Orchestra to me. So, I auditioned and did get in.” 

The auditions for the youth orchestra took place during the summer, he noted. Lee preformed in front of two juries, one of whom was his current director.

“I played [Charles-Camille] Saint-Saens’ Violin Concerto [No. 3],” he added. “First you have to play scales in any type of concerto; two contrasting pieces, and sight reading. I waited about 30 minutes [until I found out I was invited to be a part of the orchestra].”

Lee said enjoys listening mostly to classical music but does occasionally enjoy K-pop music.

Gene Kang, class of 2020 at WMA from Fiskdale plays bass clarinet in the orchestra.

 He said in a press release from the school after three years of playing regular clarinet he chose to expand on his clarinet skills because of the uniqueness of the instrument among players and the difference in sound.

“There are a lot of people around me that share their talent,” he said in regards to his enjoyment playing in the youth symphony orchestra.

Kang said being a part of the orchestra gives him a different perspective observing others who express themselves through music. He said his favorite composer is Bach and he listens to both classical and pop music.

The third WMA student preforming in the Worcester Youth Symphony Orchestra is Chanling (Lily) Bai, who is in the class of 2018 from Tianjin, China.

According to the orchestra's website, the youth symphony orchestra was founded in 1947 and is the third oldest youth orchestra in the country, which offers musical training and orchestral experience to aspiring young musicians.

Youth from more than 32 communities in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island consist of its membership.