Hawaii Tribune-Herald Island Beat Thursday, March 23, 2017 11 The youth concerto competition was created five years ago by Madeline Schatz-Harris, who originally founded the orchestra in 2004. “As a longtime music educator, Madeline saw a lack of opportunities for young performers, particularly string players, to have their skill and talent recognized by a wide audience,” explains KPO executive director Michael Chu. “With the exception of the Aloha Piano Festival Concerto Competition on Honolulu, which is only for piano players, ours is the only youth concerto competition in the state that’s open to the public.” Chu says the Schatz- Harris competition fulfills a valuable function in allowing talented young musicians from all islands to participate. “In the last few years in particular, we have seen not only a growth in the skill and number of applicants, but also an increase in the reputation of the accompanying concert. It is regularly our most popular concert of the year,” he says. “We have also seen many former winners go on to tremendous success.” After watching her older brother’s piano lessons, Isabella asked to start playing herself at age 4. Now a third-grader at Noelani Elementary in Honolulu, Isabella says she likes playing piano because it’s fun and entertaining. The Kabalevsky piece she will play is “pretty,” Isabella says. “I also think it’s passionate and romantic in some parts,” she says. “I enjoy that it is both fast and slow. That makes it fun to play because you get to move your hands a lot.” Isabella loves playing piano so much she is looking to pursue a dual career as a concert pianist and an artist. Music makes her feel different emotions, which she likes. This will be her first time playing with an orchestra. “I feel really excited and nervous about the concert,” she says. “I think it’s going to be really hard.” Jeremy also started playing piano when he was 4 years old. The ninth-grader at Honolulu’s Punahou School followed the lead of his older brother and sister. “I was kind of forced into it since my siblings played, but I like the fact that the piano is a lot more spontaneous than other instruments,” Jeremy says. “I feel like it’s more creative and there is more room for interpretation.” Jeremy played the second movement of the same Chopin concerto at the Kamuela Philharmonic competition two years ago and will perform the third movement this year. “This movement is quite energetic,” he says. “The second movement was more like a lullaby. But I’m almost more nervous about this year’s performance because the movement is much more difficult.” Max, 18, a senior at Kailua High School on Oahu, has played clarinet since he was in seventh grade. He prepared this Mozart concerto as a college scholarship piece. It is one of Mozart’s last compositions, and the composer’s last purely instrumental work, written in 1791 for clarinetist Anton Stadler. Dollinger says his goal is to make young soloists feel comfortable onstage with the orchestra and have a positive experience. “As with working with any young individual or group of young students, the greatest challenge in performance is their nerves,” he says. “I think that young musicians are eager and happy to share their talents, but many find themselves hindered by their nervous anxieties.” Before meeting in person in Waimea, Dollinger spent time with each student performer via Skype, allowing him or her the chance to not only break the ice but also hear the young musicians play their piece. The success in rehearsals “comes when you see the smile of accomplishment across their face, the backstage high-fives or the lightbulb that goes on in their head during a rehearsal,” Dollinger says. “These are all great moments to be a part of.” This is his favorite concert of the season. “Seeing the progress from year to year of our young musicians is a real treat for me and, in many ways, an inspiration,” Dollinger says. “I’ve been in their shoes and know all about the various emotions they are and will be experiencing.” The Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra also will perform one of the best-known symphonic pieces in history: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. “This piece has four of the most iconic notes ever written and everyone of all ages would instantly recognize this piece,” Dollinger says. The four-note opening motif has appeared in pop culture — from disco to rock ’n’ roll — and modern audiences seem just as fond of this work as Beethoven’s contemporaries, he says. “The philharmonic will definitely bring down the house with their performance of this iconic work, and I guarantee the audience will be jumping for joy at its triumphant finale,” he says. Tickets for “Unstoppable Youth” are available at www. kamuelaphil.org or www. kahilutheatre.org and at the door. Admission ranges from $15 to $25 for adults, depending on seating, and is free for those 18 and younger accompanied by an adult. Details about seating options are available online. Call 885-6868. Email Katie Young Yamanaka at BIVHawaii@ gmail.com Courtesy of MICHAEL CHU Jeremy Lee, left, Isabella Liu and Max Arakaki will be accompanied by the Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra for Sunday’s “Unstoppable Youth” concert at Kahilu Theatre. Courtesy of JONATHAN BRAGG The Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra receives a standing ovation after a 2016 performance at Kahilu Theatre. UNSTOPPABLE From page 2
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