On the night of Oct. 21, the Ewha orchestra and nine students from the Vocal Music department participated in the Opera Gala Concert under the instruction of professor Sung Ki-sun (Vocal Music). He was the conductor of the Opera Gala Concert. Each student performed individual songs with the accompaniment of the orchestra.
“While preparing for the concert, students undergo hours of practice. Through the time spent practicing, the students are able to learn more and develop their skills. Overall, I was proud, seeing students improve throughout the preparation process and the performance itself,” professor Sung said.
The Opera Gala Concert is a performance held annually by the College of Music, but this year it specially celebrated the 125th anniversary of Ewha.
Afterward, the infamous Caracas Symphony Youth Orchestra visited Ewha on Oct. 26 and performed the El Sistema Series II under the conductor Andres Rivas.
A unique factor of the Caracas Symphony Youth Orchestra is that it is made up of 170 musicians with ages ranging from 14 to 25. Since the age of three, Rivas was also a part of El Sistema, expanding upon his musical talents under this group.
El Sistema is a state foundation watching over Venezuela’s youth orchestras and instrumental training programs; 90 percent of the children who are in the orchestra are from poor socio-economic backgrounds.
Only 21 years of age, Rivas started studying conducting under maestro Jose Antonio Abreu, the founder of El Sistema, and soon enough Rivas was conducting youth orchestras. El Sistema aims to teach music to children and allow them to experience happiness, hope, and how to cooperate in groups.
As the key in performing as a part of an orchestra is listening to the sounds made by others, waiting for your turn and blending in, students learn not only about music, but also about life through this process. They are a part of a small society, where they learn discipline and form a challenging spirit.
“It was a great experience being able to watch such a meaningful performance at our school. I was surprised that these students were either younger or similar to my age and that they came from hard-up backgrounds. Overall, the performance was vibrant and mind-blowing,” Kim Na-hyun (Media Studies, 1) said.
The group performed Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, Op. 36, F minor along with Marques and Ginastera.
Ko Min-seok
minseok_ko@ewhain.net