New York Youth Lion Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (CYCNY) announced on May 6 that they will be holding their annual performance at the Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center at 7:30 pm on June 8. This marks their 20th year performing at Lincoln Center and the public is invited to attend.
The evening will be conducted by the orchestra’s music director, Chi-Ren Chung, and percussion instructor, Lin Ji Jing, with nearly 50 students performing. The program will include a variety of genres including classical, pop, Spanish ballads, Cuban dance music, and Taiwanese folk songs.
Some of the featured pieces include Tchaikovsky’s “Opening Night,” Brahms’ “Hungarian Dance No. 1,” Smith’s “Ritual of the Drums,” Bruch’s “Evening Prayer,” Villas’ “Kiss Me Deeply,” Taiwanese folk song “Diu Diu Tong Zi,” Esteban’s “Loud and Noisy,” and Sheldon’s “Cuban Dance.”
Artistic Director Fang Xiu Rong introduced that Lincoln Center is an artistic haven attracting top musicians from around the world. Living in New York, the students have a unique advantage and performing at Lincoln Center not only helps improve their skills through dedicated practice but also boosts their confidence and affirmation. Fang Xiu Rong emphasized the significance of youth performing at prestigious music halls based on her own childhood experience at the Zhongshan Hall in Taiwan, where it gave her a sense of accomplishment.
Music director Chi-Ren Chung, a native of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, began learning piano, violin, and cello at age 5, winning first place in cello at the Kaohsiung and Taiwan music competitions for three consecutive years. He mentioned that the first half of this year’s performance will focus on classical music while the second half will showcase Latin American pieces. Chung will personally perform Bruch’s “Evening Prayer,” marking his first cello solo at the Youth Lion performance in Lincoln Center after 14 years since 2010. He will co-conduct this year’s performance with Lin Ji Jing.
A parent of a 12th-grade student, Zheng Bo Wen, shared that upon seeing a newspaper article about the Youth Lion Orchestra’s performance at Lincoln Center when his child was in 4th grade, he decided to enroll his child in the orchestra for training. He emphasized that music has been instrumental in his son’s healthy growth and emotional solace during the tumultuous teenage years.
Prior to the Lincoln Center performance, the Youth Lion Orchestra will hold their 9th annual “Taiwan Hall Concert” at the Taiwan Center on May 18th at 7 pm, offering the community a preview of their program. Apart from Bruch’s “Evening Prayer,” the repertoire will be the same as the Lincoln Center performance.
Additionally, the Youth Lion Chamber Orchestra will participate in the third annual Far East Memorial Day Commemorative event organized by Councilwoman Grace Meng on May 24 in front of the Korean War Memorial in Kissena Park.
Lincoln Center Performance Details: Date: June 8 (Saturday) at 7:30 pm; Ticket Prices: $70, $55, $40 (group discounts available, student and senior discounts at 20% off); For ticket purchases and inquiries: [email protected]. Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center Address: 1941 Broadway at, W 65th St, New York, NY 10023.