Artists of the Week: PSYO concerto competition winners

Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra concertmaster Phil Chen and principal flute Alison Huh, winners of the orchestra’s annual concerto competition, will perform with the orchestra Sunday, May 21, during its final concert of the season.

In addition to the orchestra’s performance of the Allegro maestoso from Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Chen will perform the Allegro moderato from Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, and Huh will be featured in Charles Tomlinson Griffes’ “Poem, for Flute and Orchestra.”

Name:
 Phil Chen

School:
 University High School

Grade: 11

Hometown: Irvine

Instruments you play: violin, piano

Tell us about your upcoming performance as a winner of the concerto competition. I could not be more excited to perform Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with orchestra. This is one of the first pieces of music I ever listened to and is definitely a big reason why I began to play violin.

How did you get involved in music? When I was 5, a few of my older friends were playing piano, and I begged my parents for piano lessons so I could be like my friends. I later switched to violin and haven’t looked back since then.

What is your favorite piece of music? Who is your favorite composer of all time and why? The Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto has been my favorite piece since I began playing violin. Picking a single favorite composer would be too difficult, but a few of my favorite artists include Maxim Vengerov, Hilary Hahn, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.

Who have been your influences? Did you have a mentor in your development as an artist/performer? If so, how did they help you? Dr. Iryna Krechkovsky, my current teacher, has been an amazing mentor and has inspired me to become a better musician. Maestro Roger Kalia, music director of the PSYO, has made a tremendous impact on my interpretation of music, and my experiences with him have taught me almost everything I know about orchestral musicianship.

What inspires you? Silence. Because my life is generally filled with noise, I treasure moments of silence – periods when my mind is more free because it does not need to process any sound. During these times of silence, my mind can wander without distraction, or focus without interruption.

The next challenge I want to take on is … performing one of Paganini’s violin caprices, which are a set of notoriously difficult works for solo violin. I have learned many of the caprices, but never performed any of them in concerts. Outside of music, I’d like to run a marathon next year.

Other than music, are you involved in any other activities? If yes, what are they? I enjoy rock climbing, running, and biking in my free time. I also participate in my school’s science olympiad and science bowl teams, and was invited to join the US Physics Team this year.

How do the arts figure in to your long-term goals? I am still unsure about the details, but I know that regardless of what career path I take, music will always be a big part of my life. Whether I major in music or not, I will always try to play in an orchestra and a chamber ensemble.

What is the best advice you have received? “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

I hope my legacy as an artist will be … to have inspired others, just as I was inspired by other musicians to learn this amazing art form.

Name:
 Alison Huh

School:
 Northwood High School

Grade: 11

Hometown: Irvine

Instruments you play: flute, piccolo, tuba

Tell us about your upcoming performance as a winner of the concerto competition. The piece I decided to perform for this performance, “Poem, for Flute and Orchestra,” is significant to me as a first-time soloist since it provides such a large contrast (in style) compared to the typical flute concertos that most soloists would pick, such as Mozart. Instead, it brings the spotlight to the more contemporary genres of orchestral music, which I feel often go unnoticed.

How did you get involved in music? Music has been a large part of my life from when I was little, starting with piano lessons when I was 4 years old. When I was 8, I heard a family member play the flute, and I instantly fell in love with the instrument. At the time I was hoping to learn another instrument alongside piano, and it just happened to be the first interesting instrument that I saw that wasn’t a violin. However, I did not take the flute very seriously until I entered high school and realized the endless opportunities that can come from it.

What is your favorite piece of music? Who is your favorite composer of all time and why? My favorite piece of music would have to be Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun,” not only because it has one of my favorite flute solos of all time, but it has a whimsical character that just allows you to escape the real world for 10 minutes of tranquility. My favorite composer would have to be a tie between John Williams and Justin Hurwitz. The two have such contrasting styles, with Williams creating majestic, powerful lines, whereas Hurwitz develops a sense of feel-good nostalgia through his melodies. Regardless, I can listen to both composers’ works endlessly.

Who have been your influences? Did you have a mentor in your development as an artist/performer? If so, how did they help you? The person I admire the most as an influencer and mentor would have to be my school’s vocal coach/choir pianist, Ms. Keiko Halop. As a musician, despite not being a flautist herself, her keen eyes and ears have continuously helped me improve in technique and phrasing, but her musical aid is nowhere near finished there. She helps bring out a creative aspect to all music that I perform whether it is vocal or instrumental, bringing music back to the heart of what it truly is: art. We often get caught up striving for perfection, and Ms. Keiko’s advice prevents the discipline from reaching an apathetic, mechanical nature. However, aside from music, she acts like a second mother, caregiver and friend, all wrapped into one, showing the utmost concern and care for issues outside of music, such as social and academic issues, taking time out of her personal life to help me and come up with feasible solutions while continuously supporting me.

What inspires you? What inspires me most would have to be the musicians that I am surrounded by in my daily life, particularly my senior friends that are going off to college to pursue music in some form. Despite the wide range of musical experience that my friends have, they all share a common, insatiable desire to constantly practice, improve and excel in their musical endeavors. They drive me to continuously work and hone my musicianship so I can someday thrive in the music world, performing and working alongside such diligent, passionate peers.

The next challenge I want to take on is … college auditions in the coming fall!

Other than music, are you involved in any other activities? If yes, what are they? Most of my extracurricular activities revolve around music. However, I do not limit myself to classical performance. I enjoy participating in my school’s jazz band, marching band, choir and a capella group. Additionally, I have recently taken interest in graphic design, utilizing it to help design graphics for clubs that I take part in, whether it is on group shirts or publicity materials.

How do the arts figure in to your long-term goals? At this point, my future remains ambiguous, however I hope to keep music as a significant aspect of my life forever. Whether if it is as a professional flautist, conductor, teacher or maybe even in a non-musical field, I want to make sure that my deep musical passion continues on much past high school and college.

What is the best advice you have received? The best advice I have received by far would have to be from Ms. Halop, which was to go into every performance with the utmost focus on performing for yourself and your enjoyment, not worrying about the opinions of others. That advice, although much easier said than done, has been applicable to everything ranging from musical performance to academic performance, and it has helped me change my mindset on everything I do to be towards trusting my own abilities and raising my confidence.

I hope my legacy as an artist will be … I hope to be an artist that can someday inspire and convince those around me that one’s success is not based on quantitative qualities. Too often do people believe that someone is “better” than them solely due to the number of years they played an instrument or how many awards they won from a young age. While these factors may put some at an advantage, I want people to acknowledge how in the grand scheme of life, relentless passion and drive to improve can bring one to greatness and beyond regardless of their beginning conditions.

CONTACT VARSITY ARTS: 714-796-2258 or varsityarts@ocregister.com