Ensemble of young talent
( 2001-03-23 17:10 ) (1 )

The China Youth Chamber Orchestra is probably the youngest orchestra in China, made up as it is by 36 players aged from 11 to 16.

The orchestra itself is also very young - not yet a year old. On April 9, 2000, under the baton of its artistic director Wing Ho (He Rong), the orchestra had its first rehearsal. In less than a year, the orchestra has already established a repertoire that includes works of the Classical, Romantic and Baroque periods as well as some Chinese works. They have given more than 10 concerts and received much acclaim.

"I am surprised to hear such fine music from such young musicians," said visiting Italian conductor Riccardo Capasso after hearing the orchestra play. "I hope the Italian people will have the opportunity to hear the music of the China Youth Chamber Orchestra."

All the members (17 violinists, seven viola players, eight cellists and four double bass players) of the orchestra are from the primary school and middle school affiliated to the Central Conservatory of Music.

"Compared with adult musicians, the youngsters find it easier to adapt themselves to different styles," said 41-year-old Ho. "Their innocence is their advantage."

Their rendition of Mozart's "Divertimanto in D Major," which is included on their up-coming first CD album, brings out the mood of the composer two centuries ago. The cheerful first movement, the gentle and sweet second movement and the dancing characteristics of the last movement are all given a vivid interpretation by the young musicians.

Another track on the CD, Ma Si-Tsong's (1912-1987) "Longing for Home," a well-known contemporary Chinese piece, creates a totally different atmosphere.

Composed in 1937 when the War of Resistance Against Japan broke out in China, the work evokes the nostalgia of millions of Chinese people who had to leave their homes at that time.

The main theme, adapted from an Inner Mongolian folk song, reflects the uneasy mood that keeps a homeless person from falling asleep. The second part of the work leads one into a brighter and warmer world, as if the wanderer is immersed in happy recollections of his home. As the main theme reappears, the wanderer wakes up from the dream and finds himself melancholic again.

To help the young players understand the emotions in the work, Ho told them its background and Ma's story, which is very familiar to Ho because Ma is Ho's uncle.

"I had some private reasons for selecting the piece for the CD," said Ho. "When I play the work, I feel my own nostalgia."

In August 1999, Ho came back to the Central Conservatory of Music after living in the United States for 20 years.

It was on this campus that Ho first heard the sound of classical music, though he never studied in the conservatory. During the "cultural revolution," (1966-1976), when he was the right age, there were no opportunities to receive a regular music education.

However, the musical nature of his family gave him the training that a musician needs. Ho's mother Ma Siyun, a flute teacher at the Central Conservatory of Music, was one of the first flute players in China. One of Ho's aunts was a piano professor and another was a cello professor. He was already a professional violin and viola player when he moved to Hong Kong with his family at the age of 19.

In 1980, Ho went to the United States. He received a bachelor's degree in violin performance from Kent State University and a Master's degree in viola performance from Yale University. He has also studied conducting at the University of South Carolina. Before coming back to China, Ho was a violin and viola professor at the University of Charleston, South Carolina, and he served as music director and conductor of the university orchestra and the Charleston Summer Music Festival.

Now Ho is a professor in viola and chairman of the Viola Department and Orchestral Studies Department at the Central Conservatory of Music of China. Besides engaging himself in the teaching of viola, Ho thought it was important to organize an orchestra for the young students.

"I think that students should play in ensembles as soon as possible," said Ho. "In the past, our students received little training in small ensemble playing, which is the foundation for playing in big orchestras."

Ho said for most of the repertoire of a string orchestra, the skills of the members of the China Youth Chamber Orchestra are quite sufficient, as each of them were selected from tens or even hundreds of candidates sitting the entrance examination of the conservatory.

However, although each of the members can play solo works that are far more difficult, Ho said playing in an orchestra is different from playing alone. In an orchestra, one has to sacrifice one's own style and co-operate with others in the making of an ensemble work. Such qualities are very necessary for a player.

To improve the abilities of the students to play in ensembles, Ho lets each member be the soloist and principal player of a section in turn. Being the soloist trains the player to co-operate with others more seriously, while being the principal of a section makes one more responsible because he or she has to lead the rest of the section.

Ho also gives the members chances to play in different positions, so that they can observe the conductor from different angles and hear different sound effects.

All of these things will help to improve the students' ability to play in big symphony orchestras in the future, Ho said.

"By playing with the orchestra, I have learned to listen to others, which is a very important skill," said 16-year-old Hao Disen, a violinist with the orchestra. "The practice benefits us a lot, as most of us will become orchestra players in the future."

Another violinist, 13-year-old Li Yang, said that the practice was good for her musical sense as well as for the group spirit.

Because of the age limit, every year there will be new members coming and old members leaving. Ho said for the first semester of each year he will rehearse only basic works, leaving more complicated works for the second semester.

"It is the aim of our orchestra to train and improve young musicians," Ho said. "The turnover of members provides everybody with a chance to learn and experience."

Because wind players of the same age are usually just beginners, Ho said the China Youth Chamber Orchestra would remain as a string ensemble. However, if he finds good wind players, he will also consider expanding the orchestra. Even traditional Chinese instruments could appear in the orchestra.

The next concert of the China Youth Chamber Orchestra will be held on May 6 at the Zhongshan Concert Hall in Beijing. The programme will include Elgar's "Introduction and Allegro for String Quartet and String Orchestra, Opus 47," Vivaldi's "Four Seasons Violin Concertos (selections)" and Bach's "Cello Concerto in C Minor."

(Mu Qian, China Daily staff)