Young artists take spotlight at symphony concert at Schaumburg Prairie Center March 17
The Schaumburg Youth Symphony Orchestra, Kevan Kosobayashi, director, spotlights the talents of two high school students — one a violin soloist and the other a composer — when it presents its “Concerto!” concert at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, at the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts.
Soloing in the first movement of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto is Fremd High School senior Kailene Liao, who also plays with the advanced Symphony Orchestra as its concertmaster. Liao, selected by a jury process to perform with the orchestra, was recommended the Sibelius by her private teacher.
“It looked really hard when I first looked at it,” says Liao, “but after a while I became obsessed with the music and its contrasts between lyrical and fast passages.”
There is no doubt that the Sibelius concerto is one of the more intensely difficult works for violin and orchestra, featuring two virtuosic cadenzas (played without accompaniment). Fortunately, Liao, who has played violin since the age of 4, has given herself a year to prepare for the work and was able to first play it with her high school orchestra.
“My heart was pounding before I went on stage,” said Liao, recalling the experience of performing before her peers and teachers, but her fear quickly gave way to a relaxed confidence as the piece continued.
Liao will make a pivot from music to math to study electrical engineering in college this fall, but she hopes to make room in her curriculum to continue playing violin.
The “Concerto!” program brings another singular talent to the forefront with the debut of “Vindication,” composed by West Aurora High School senior Daniel Currie. Currie’s interest in composition dates back only a few years when he fought the COVID pandemic doldrums by writing arrangements of his favorite video games. From there, Currie turned to composing original works and to date has over 80 symphonic and choral titles to his credit.
Last fall, Currie emailed the youth orchestra inquiring about the possibility of the fully orchestrated “Vindication” being performed. Director Kosobayashi agreed that the piece was a good fit for the ensemble.
“I was immediately drawn to the work’s depth and maturity,” says Kosobayashi, adding that “it also serves the orchestra’s ongoing commitment to programming music by lesser-known and underrepresented composers.”
As for musical influences, while many composers look to other classical masters for inspiration, Currie credits his family.
“Every single person in my family has either taught me something extremely important about music or has shown me what it truly means to be a musician,” says Currie. “I do not know what I did to deserve them in my life.”
Rounding out the program, in a nod to St. Patrick’s Day, are two movements from Amy Beach’s Symphony in E Minor, also known as the Gaelic Symphony, for its use of simple old English, Irish and Scottish melodies.
Tickets for “Concerto!” are $15; $10 for students and seniors, and can be ordered online at prairiecenter.org or by calling 847 (895) 3600.
The Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts is at 201 Schaumburg Court, in Schaumburg.
The Schaumburg Youth Symphony Orchestra is a program of the village of Schaumburg.