The Solasian Youth Orchestra
The Solasian Youth Orchestra which started in 2018 is an on-going project in which 100 young musicians gather through a competitive audition to receive a practical orchestra training experience for a week. The musicians are mentored by a world-class conductor as well former and current members of famous orchestras.
This year, members will gather from all over the country and start their orchestra training for a week from 5 – 11 August 2022. They will be trained in instrument management methods, resume writing tips, interview skills and other practical skills that are helpful for a professional musician.
In this series, Wilson Ng, Associate Conductor of Seoul Philharmonic will oversee the orchestral music and is eager to transform the dreams of young musicians into reality by sharing his experience as a world-class conductor. For the soloists, So young Yoon, the winner of Yehudi Menuhin, Henryk Wieniawski, and Indianapolis, will be playing Tchaikovsky violin concerto and will share her experience with young musicians on how to collaborate with the soloists.
Solasian is a compound word of “Sol” a prefix representing sun and “Asian”; meaning this orchestra is not limited to within the country. The name connotes young musicians with passion for music. Past participants recall their experience as a memorable moment as they could observe and practise together with the professional orchestra members. It was a spectacular chance for them to learn and grow as musicians as they set their path to the world stage.
The beginning chapter of the Solasian Youth Orchestra featured the star of the El Sistema Venezuela – Jose Luis Gomez. It was in 2018 when the orchestra found its identity and aggressively promoted this special project to future musicians. The 2nd Solasian Youth Orchestra welcomed David Wroe, conductor and music director at New Jersey Festival Orchestra. Faculties to mentor the young musicians have increased, making this project even more abundant. The selection of music emphasises on solos, giving special experiences to the students. Students were deeply connected to their mentors and were highly satisfied throughout the project.
The most recent conductor, Maestro Sunwook Kim said, “The young musicians looking at me with the eyes of wanting to learn more, saying that music has never been so much fun like this. It’s a passion I’ve never felt in my life” saying that he will cherish this moment and feels grateful to lead such an orchestra.
Ik-Hyun Jang, Chairman of the World Orchestra Series organising committee said, “The participation of music students from all over the country who dream of becoming a future orchestra member is increasing every year. We will continue to create a stage where young musicians can continue to work by linking this business with other professional orchestras as well as orchestras from (around the) world.”
A Documentary link for 2021 Solasian Youth Orchestra: https://youtu.be/dQYw_zD8PHs (57min)
A short clip of 2019 Solasian Youth Orchestra : https://youtu.be/e2sbsfqS1OE