WAHS Musicians Perform with Youth Orchestra May 11

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By Elizabeth Brightbill 

From left to right, front row: Joseph Lee, Julia Klein, Eric Xu, Angela Li, Yeeun Kim, Lillian Xu. Back row: Henry Cohen, YeRang Ju, Esther Harris, Yeri Kim, Leah Schweller
From left to right, front row: Joseph Lee, Julia Klein, Eric Xu, Angela Li, Yeeun Kim, Lillian Xu. Back row: Henry Cohen, YeRang Ju, Esther Harris, Yeri Kim, Leah Schweller

Talented young musicians from Western Albemarle will be performing in the Youth Orchestras of Central Virginia’s final concert of the season on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11, at 2 p.m. in U.Va.’s Old Cabell Hall. The concert will feature the Youth Symphony, the Rita M. Evans Orchestra, and Junior Strings and will also feature winners of the 2014 Theron McClure Concerto Competition: Meredith Hooper, cello and Julia Klein, clarinet.

Klein, a freshman, started playing clarinet at age nine. “I would love to be able to play in a professional orchestra one day, or at least have opportunities to play music, maybe in chamber groups,” said Klein, who also won positions in the Senior Regional Orchestra and All-State Band this year.

Ten other Western students will perform in the Youth Symphony and the Evans Orchestra. Eric Xu, principal trumpet in the Youth Symphony, said his favorite thing about the orchestra is “seeing a piece of music come to life” after hours of practice and rehearsal. Flutist Angela Li, a senior, said she is inspired by the challenging music the Youth Symphony performs. “The repertoire in Youth is difficult enough to make it interesting; we aren’t given watered down pieces because Dr. West, our conductor, knows we can handle the real stuff.”

Tickets for the May 11 concert are $15 for adults (18 years and under, free) and are available at the door or at the online UVA box office, or by calling (434) 924-3376. Orchestra auditions for the 2014/15 season will be held May 27-29.