Considering how impacted life has become under the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, for high school musicians in Irvine, the phrase, “what a difference a year can make,” rings truer in the current circumstances. 

Now, instead of spending another summer practicing via Zoom, four Irvine-based high school musicians will be playing in person, in New York, as a part of the Youth Ensemble Program at Carnegie Hall – for the first time since the pandemic began.  

While the pandemic created many hardships for all walks of life, COVID-19 presented an especially challenging time for high school musicians. For some musicians in Irvine, the pandemic placed a hold on many music-forward activities, forcing many young musicians into playing alone via Zoom, or not at all. 

Now, thanks to an opportunity presented by the New York-based Carnegie Hall, a few local high school musicians will be able to get some much-needed socialization – training and expanding their musical curriculum and playing with other talented peers while attending Carnegie Hall’s Youth Ensembles. 

As part of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, which is one of three youth orchestras at the historic Carnegie Hall, the Irvine musicians will embark on their East Coast journey on July 6. 

Clive Gillinson, Carnegie Hall’s Executive and Artistic Director said the trio of NYO ensembles is a great way to showcase the musical talents of young musicians across the country. 

(Photo Courtney of Carnegie Hall)

“We are thrilled to be bringing the musicians of NYO-USA, NYO2 and NYO Jazz together for an extraordinary month of music-making,” Gillinson said. “These three ensembles shine a spotlight on the great depth of musical talent found all across the country. The musicians are superb players who are passionate about music and dedicated to connecting and growing alongside their peers. We are also fortunate to have a stellar faculty who will mentor these superb young musicians and help them to grow artistically and personally. It will be an especially exciting time, as teens from across the country finally get to play together in-person again.”

While Carnegie Hall will remain closed due to the pandemic, the program will continue with health and safety guidelines at Purchase College at SUNY. 

Irene Lee, a cellist, and an incoming senior at Northwood High School, has been playing the cello for more than a decade. Lee said that prior to the pandemic, her music would consist of chamber groups. 

In an interview with Irvine Weekly, Lee added that the pandemic made it difficult for her to practice due to anxiety, but is looking forward to the experience of traveling and being with her friends. 

“After being separated from my fellow musicians for so long because of the pandemic, just thinking about being on stage with them makes me super hyped,” she said. “I think a lot of music has to do with collaborations, I like to share with others, but since I’ve been cut off from that for a year, it’s been pretty difficult.” 

Next year, Lee says she hopes to maintain an East Coast residency while attending Juilliard School of the Arts. 

Sein Yun, a violinist, attending her last year of school at the Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana, said this will be her second opportunity to play with the National Youth Orchestra. Last year, she attended NYO virtually. 

(Photo Courtney of Carnegie Hall)

For Yun, the experience of playing in an orchestra has not happened since March of 2020. 

“School has been happening online for me this entire school year, and youth orchestra also has been paused – I couldn’t participate in any orchestral activities for the past several months,” Yun explained during a phone interview with Irvine Weekly. “So, this will be the first time in a year and a half that I finally get to perform with others.”

Yun added that while the last year has undoubtedly shaped her perspective, she remains optimistic about the future. 

“It tested us to our core – but despite all these drastic changes I think, as musicians, we all continued to play and enjoy music, even if that meant performing through video, or online lessons.”

As a part of NYO’s selection process, musicians were asked to submit a few different essays sharing their perspectives on music. For Irvine violinist Rachel Kim, who will be a senior at University High School next year, this part of the audition process meant tapping into her admiration for the Irvine community. 

“I explained how my community impacted me and allowed me to have access to these programs,” she explained.

Jaden Kim, a violinist who also attends the Orange County School of the Arts said that he is directly inspired by the musicians around him. 

“I look forward to the learning experience in the NYO program because the fellow musicians are extremely talented and hard-working, which personally brings a lot of inspiration for my own growth,” he said. “It is a wonderful opportunity to learn new musical ideas and gain inspiration from others.”

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