Concerto Competition Champions to play with the Honolulu Symphony
April 16, 2009 • Jana Dagdagan
Filed under Arts & Entertainment
This year, three ‘Iolani students won Honolulu Symphony’s Annual Concerto Competition. Celia Ou, violin (‘09), Tiffany Cheung, piano (‘11), and Bolin Chang, piano (‘12) are three out of six winners who will perform their concertos with the Honolulu Symphony on April 28 and 29.
The Honolulu Symphony Concerto Competition is a large competition open to all instruments. It is separated into two separate divisions: one for piano and one for all other instruments. Thirty to forty contestants turn out each year, most of which are familiar with each other from years of experiences, competitions, and music-related events.
To enter the competition, one must simply fill out an application form and send it in. Winning, however, is another story. Tiffany and Celia have been playing their instruments for ten years, while Bolin has been playing for eight years. Preparing and perfecting their pieces took anywhere from six to twelve months of hard work and dedication. Winning does not only take rigorous practice, but also requires support from teachers, parents and friends.
“I first started wanting to win after watching a concert of past winners. I’ve been looking forward to the competition ever since I was little!” exclaims Celia Ou, who relayed her fun and nervous experience of the competition.
“Before the competition, everyone really wants to win. When I practiced, I would imagine myself playing with the symphony. The feeling of winning is great, but after winning, you’re just worried about making mistakes,” says Tiffany.
Winning is only the first step; the concert is the real challenge. Over all, the competition is a large event in every local musician’s life. It is a renowned competition that serves as a test for each generation of musicians.
A word of advice to future contestants: “Don’t go in there thinking it’s a competition. Do your best and challenge yourself to produce a performance that you will be proud of,” said Ou. “Just try your best and work hard,” Chang added.
The winners encourage all to attend their concerts on April 28 and 29.
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