The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music education: Here is a photo essay of chamber music groups in the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras (WYSO) whose players will perform with the larger Youth Orchestra and Philharmonia this afternoon in Mills Hall.

By Jacob Stockinger

Names usually tell the story, so it is only natural that we tend to think of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras for the large ensembles.

But the fact is that talented and committed student players in the large ensembles also break up and perform great chamber music in much smaller groups.

So, here is a reminder of the WYSO concerts by the Youth Orchestra and the Philharmonia that will take place today, Sunday, May 19, at 1:30 and 4 p.m., respectively, in Mills Hall on the UW-Madison campus. (Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students.)

(The Philharmonia concert at 4 p.m. also marks the retirement of conductor Tom Buchhauser after 30 years with WYSO. Here is a link to his interview on this blog:

https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2013/05/14/classical-music-this-weekend-conductor-thomas-buchhauser-will-retire-after-30-years-with-the-wisconsin-symphony-orchestras-which-presents-its-annual-bolz-family-spring-concerts-this-saturday-and-sun/

I offer this photo essay about WYSO chamber music concerts that took place last weekend in the smaller Morphy Recital Hall.

These great photos come to The Ear via blog fan and talented WYSO performer (violinist and pianist) Isabella Wu (below), who 7th-grader sister Audriana Wu will perform a movement from a piano concerto with the Philharmonia.

Photo credit goes to Isabella’s dad, Cheng-Wei Wu, who is a photographer for WYSO. His work strikes The Ear as typical of the deep parental support  and pride that WYSO students and WYSO itself enjoy.

Isabella Wu writes: “I should, perhaps, introduce myself first: I will be an incoming freshman at Memorial High School in Madison next year.

“I am a classical pianist and violinist, and have played in WYSO for four years now. You may remember me from your earlier blog two years ago on the MSO Fall Concerts.

“I performed in the first group of the 3:30 p.m. recital. My piano trio performed the 1st movement of Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in D minor (at bottom with superstar pianist Lang Lang in a YouTube video) that was heard on Wisconsin Public Radio’s “The Midday” earlier this week. (There is a gorgeous cello solo in the opening that I love to sing!) Unfortunately, my dad was unable to catch any photos of my group.

“Here IDs for the photos:

Below are: Isabelle Krier and Charlie Morgan, violins, Tatiana Tandias, cello

Below are: Steven Liu, Ani Sivakumar and Mary Schroeder, violins, Majestica Lor and Simone Hendrix, cellos

Below are: Tina Cheng, Gwen Pyeatt and Megan Wilhelmi, violins

Below are: Jules Eicher and Erik Nuenninghoff, violins, Tony Holmes, viola, Sam Seery, cello

Below are: Sarah DiPiazza, Monica Lueck and Steven Bilke, clarinets

Below are: Maynie Bradley and Sierra Herale, violins, Kayla Whip, cello, Antonia Rohlfing, piano

I am currently learning the Chopin Scherzo No.1; there is a very beautiful middle section based on the Polish tune “Lulajze Jezuniu.”

Best wishes and thank you,

Isabella Wu

And thank you Isabella and all the other performers who are pictured and who are not pictured, and who will perform today too, I hope, full houses.