CONCERT PROGRAM SYSC 1 2022
YOUG VIRTUOSOS
SYS CONCERT No. 34
INTRODUCTION
Dr Brian Chatpo Koo
Founding Conductor, Artistic & Executive Director
Sydney Contemporary Orchestra
Welcome to our concert of Young Virtuosos 2022.
Associated with the Hills Blossom Festival, this concert is a showcase of our young musician’s improvements and achievements after terms of training. This concert is divided into two parts. In the first part, the young musicians of the Sydney Hills Junior Orchestra will perform some solo pieces accompanied by the orchestra. They are playing not as masters yet, but you still can see their virtuosities at such little ages, and I am sure one day they will be.
In the second part, the Sydney Hills Youth Orchestra will perform a piece of classical music by Mozart and a piece of romantic music by Carl Nelson. You will be surprised by this group of young musicians’ interpretations of these different styles both technically and musically.
Sincere thanks to our management team without whom nothing could have been done.
I would like to thank the Hills Shire Council and Baulkham Hills High School for their great support.
Dr Brian Chatpo Koo
Artistic Director
Sydney Contemporary Orchestra
Y O U T H S Y M P H O N Y
WELCOME MESSAGE
From the Mayor of the Hills Shire –
MAYORAL MESSAGE
It is my absolute pleasure to welcome you to the 2022 Young Virtuosos Concert as part of our Orange Blossom Festival.
The last few years have reminded us how important and special it is to gather together and share our love for music.
The Young Virtuosos is a wonderful program that allows budding young musicians to attempt their first solo while accompanied by an orchestra. I would like to thank our talented musicians from the Sydney Hills Youth Orchestra and the Sydney Hills Junior Orchestra for taking this daunting first step and allowing us to share it with you.
I would also like to thank Dr Brian Koo, their founding conductor, for inspiring these young adults and children to follow their passion for classical music and enhance their craft.
My sincere thanks as well to everyone else who has brought this concert into fruition, including parents and guardians – it takes a village.
Enjoy the performance and I hope to see you all at our other Orange Blossom Festival events.
Mayor of The Hills Shire,
Dr Peter Gangemi
ABOUT THE SCO YOUTH SYMPHONY
The training arm of the Sydney Contemporary Orchestra Inc. (SCO), the SCO Youth Symphony (SYS) is our Youth Program for young music lovers, music students, young musicians, and young music teachers in Sydney, Australia.
It consists of two training orchestras – the Sydney Hills Junior Orchestra and the Sydney Hills Junior Orchestra. Led by its Founding Conductor, Artistic & Executive Director, Dr. Brian Chatpo Koo, the SYS offers young music lovers the opportunity to play and enjoy classical orchestral music of all kinds, not only performing but also learning to understand how those masterpieces were constructed, and expanding their orchestral music education training and orchestral music performance experience. The orchestra also broadens their potential music career by building up their orchestral music repertoires, as well as imparting to them the value of communication, teamwork, and discipline.
After training, they can join our Western Sydney Symphony Orchestra playing alongside professional musicians to get more professional experience. Furthermore, they can join the Sydney Contemporary Orchestra to earn income as professional musicians.
Since 2021 we have hosted 35 concerts and trained more than 200 young musicians. Some of them now pursuing their tertiary music studies and some of them are working as professional musicians.
Young music lovers who play orchestral instruments are welcome to join us.
Contact our manager for more information:
Orchestra Manager, Rebecca Caffyn
Ph: 0424 151 452
Email: rebecca.caffyn@sys.org.au
ABOUT THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Dr Brian Chatpo Koo is a Sydney-based musician.
Founding Conductor and Artistic & Executive Director Dr. Brian Chatpo Koo is a Sydney-based musician. Having studied music at the University of Hong Kong and the University of Sydney, Brian was the first person in Australia to receive a Ph.D. degree in music composition.
Supported by the Hong Kong University Grant, Brian also studied music at the International Summer Course for New Music in Darmstadt, Germany, and obtained his Licentiate and Fellowship Diplomas from the Trinity College of Music in London.
As a composer, his compositions have been performed all around the world.
As a conductor, Dr. Koo has conducted many symphony orchestras around the world for his compositions’ premieres.
He founded the Sydney Contemporary Orchestra in 2013. Together with about 100 of Sydney’s finest professional musicians and a volunteer management team, Brian is dedicated to creating a platform where more new orchestral works can be performed, heard, recorded, published, and become a part of our music culture, as he believes music development history is written by composers’ creativities. To encourage and reach the pinnacle of this creativity and art, we must through devotion, perseverance, and determination, and most importantly through constant performance.
Brian also founded the SCO Youth Symphony, a training arm of the Sydney Contemporary Orchestra, in order to provide professional orchestral training to young musicians, as he believes with classical music training and carefully selected programs covering a variety of cultural perspectives, young musicians can be equipped to broaden their vision and to enhance their understanding of culture, civilization and human society.
PROGRAM
Sydney Hills Junior Orchestra
- Isobel Caffyn – Chanson De Matin by E. Elgar
- Phoebe Ge – Hungarian Dance by A. Nolck
- Aimee Lin – Russian Fantasy by L Portnoff
- Wiliam Li – Dance Characteristique by V. Rebikov
- Howard Sun – Dance Characteristique by V. Rebikov
- Harvy Li – Josk: Zigeuner-romanze by J Kok
- Aventine Nguyen – Humoresque by A. Dvorak
- Zahra Wickramage – Humoresque by A. Dvorak
- Hayden North – Humoresque by A. Dvorak
- Ashleigh Wong -Spasvogel by A. Grechaninov
- William Caffyn – Budapesto by C Cheney
Sydney Hills Youth Orchestra
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Divertimento No.24
I Allegro
II Andante
III Presto
Carl Nielsen
Suite for String Orchestra Op. 1
I Praludium
II Intermiezzo
III Finale
Conductor – Dr Brian Chato Koo
Concertmaster – Rachael Gock (Sydney Youth Orchestra), Isobel Caff Sydney Hills Junior Orchestra
PROGRAM NOTES
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Divertimento No.24
Mozart composed the Divertimento, K. 136, in 1772 when he was 16-year-old.
This Divertimento is in three movements. The opening Allegro, in sonata form, centers around a delightful, charming theme that ends with an amusing little dynamic retreat. The development moves into the minor mode, surprising the listener with a second episode where a less inventive which leads to the opening theme. The Andante is typically warm and elegant, its two halves contrasted by a brief acceleration in the accompaniment’s pulse. A spirited Presto finale brings the Divertimento, a fine example of a genre traditionally designated as “light” music, to a close.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a genius, one of the three great composers in the Classical period among Hayden and Beethoven, was born in Salzburg, Austria. He composed his first piece of music at age five and he wrote his first opera when he was twelve. By the time Wolfgang was 6, he was an excellent pianist and violinist.
Mozart was only 35 when he died. During his short life, he composed in all different musical forms, including operas, symphonies, concertos, masses, and chamber music.
Carl Nielsen
Little Suite for Strings (Nonet), Op.1
Carl Nielsen composed this suite in 1888.
It fulfills or style of the Romantic era – rich harmony, irregular phrases, complex texture, unusual division of instrumentations as well as Northern European folk music influences.
It begins in a serious vein with a dark and moody Praeludium. The graceful middle movement, Intermezzo, is full of good humor. It commences with a lilting waltz and then is followed by a more energetic dance section which has a vague Viennese quality to it. The finale begins with a short restatement of the gloomy Praeludium but soon the music takes wing, rushing into a high-flying Allegro con brio of exciting exuberance. Though momentarily, a few storm clouds appear, the music sweeps forward to a triumphant conclusion.
Nielsen was born on the island of Fyn (Funen) and eventually entered the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen where he studied violin and composition with the famous composer Niels Gade. He himself became Denmark’s leading composer during the first part of the 20th century.
YOUNG MUSICIANS
VIOLIN
Rachael Gock*
Sunyoung Yang
Lucinda Wen
Caleigh Chow
Emma KanAriel Kan
Maya Kikuchi
Lucy Na
Isabella Kong
Isobel Caffyn
Phoebe Ge
Ethan Lam
Aventine Nguyen
Hayden Liu
Hannah Zhou
Harvey Li
Merry Tang
Aimee Lin
Zahra Wichramage
Howard Sun
Charis Song
William Li
Oliver Xi
Madison Lam
Luca Sun
VIOLA
Jaden Choi
CELLO
Roger Gock
Catherine Meng
Karissa Chen
Catelyn Li
Valery Lin
Angela Chiu
Hayden North
Ashleigh Wong
William Caffyn
Lavina Yam
Victoria Pan
Caroline Zhou
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES
SYDNEY CONTEMPORARY ORCHESTRA
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
- Artistic Director – Dr Brian Chatpo Koo
- Vice President – Julia Farquharson
- Secretary – Rajishwar Datt
- Treasurer – David Thomas Gock
- Rawah Dorranian
- Susanna Xie
- Rosanne North
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
- Executive Director – Dr Brian Chatpo Koo
- Office Manager – Raj Datt
- Finance Manager – David Thomas Gock
- Publicity Manager – Rawah Dorranian
- Concert Manager – Rita Lee
- Orchestra Manager – Bryton Johnson
YOUTH SYMPHONY MANAGEMENT
- Orchestras Manager – Rebecca Caffyn
- Membership Manager – Susanna Xie