Sinfonietta Nova’s upcoming family concert is a celebration of music and rising star musicians featuring Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (with narration) as well as Purcell’s Suite from Abdelazer.
Sinfonietta Nova, a community orchestra based in West Windsor, presents musical performances and cultural enrichment in central New Jersey to promote awareness and appreciation of classical music through orchestral concerts and educational programs. Gail Lee of West Windsor is the conductor.
“We held a youth concerto competition back in January,” says Lee. “The competition was open to all residents in New Jersey under the age of 18. Before we set out the rules we decided to take two winners, and at least one of them will be from Mercer County — just a way to bring focus to our surrounding communities,” says Lee. The top two winners both came from West Windsor.
The orchestra will showcase winners of the competition at the concert. Soyeong Park, 14, took first place, and will perform Chausson’s Poeme for Violin and Orchestra. Brian Kim, 16, the first runner-up, will perform Glazunov’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone.
Soyeong Park, a freshman at High School North, has been playing violin since she was three. Born in Korea, she moved to Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, with her family when she was six. They moved to West Windsor when she was 10.
Her mother, Joanne, is a former piano player. “She has helped a lot with my musical education,” says Soyeong. Her brother, Robin, is a fifth grade student at Village School. He began studying through the Suzuki method when he was seven and now plays the cello.
Her father, Ho Jin Park, is a lawyer. “We moved to West Windsor because we heard that the school district was good,” says Soyeong. “Education is really important to our family.” When the family first moved to West Windsor her father worked in New York City, but he now works in northern New Jersey.
Park debuted with the Philadelphia Orchestra as a winner of the 2009 Albert M. Greenfield Competition children’s division. She has served as a concertmistress in New Jersey All-State Intermediate Orchestra in three consecutive years from 2009 to 2011 and CJMEA High School Region Orchestra in 2012. Her ensemble experiences include Youth Chamber Orchestra and Quartet in the Center for Gifted Young Musicians of Temple Music, and Kimmel Center Summer Chamber Music Program. At North she plays in the orchestra, string quartet, and string ensemble.
Recently, Park claimed first prizes in the NJ ASTA Solo Strings Competition junior division and Kennett Symphony Competition. She also earned first prizes of the 29th Goldblatt Scholarship Competition, Woodmere Friday Music Club Competition, Old York Road Competition, and Monmouth Symphony Concerto Competition. She was invited to perform with the Monmouth Symphony, Old York Road Symphony, and Kennett Symphony.
Park currently studies with Yayoi Numazawa and Yumi Scott in Philadelphia. Although she does not know what the future will bring she says “I know that the violin is a really big asset to take with me.”
Ji Woong (Brian) Kim, a junior at High School South, currently studies with Jordan P. Smith. This is his debut performance as a classical soloist. Kim has been a member of CJMEA Region Band and NJMEA All-State Band for the past three years, and also has been a member Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey (YOCJ) as a lead soprano saxophonist since seventh grade. In 2010, he debuted as a conductor of South’s freshmen band under the guidance of Anthony Pappalardo, who has now retired. Also as a jazz player, he appeared on stage with Dennis Diblasio, a renowned artist who directs the jazz program at Rowan University.
Family Concert, Sinfonietta Nova, Mayo Concert Hall, College of New Jersey, 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing. Saturday, March 3, 7:30 p.m. “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” features works by Purcell, Sarasate, Glazunov, and Chausson. Winners of the Youth Concerto competition, Soyeong Park on violin and Brian Kim on alto saxophone, perform with the orchestra. $15. 609-462-4984. www.sinfoniettanova.org.
