In news dated November 12, 2025, this year marks the 300th anniversary of the publication of the masterpiece “The Four Seasons” by Italian composer Antonio Lucio Vivaldi. To commemorate this occasion, Virtuosi San Jose Orchestra held the “2025 Four Seasons Concert” at the Santa Clara University Music Hall on the evening of November 8th. Over a hundred students, parents, and music enthusiasts gathered to enjoy the performances by more than ten musicians showcasing the classic themes of the “Four Seasons” by three masters, making it an unforgettable night of music.
“The Four Seasons” is one of Vivaldi’s most iconic works, depicting the natural imagery of spring thunder, summer rain, autumn harvest, and winter snow through the dialogue between the violin solo and the orchestra. The composer cleverly uses instruments to mimic the sounds of wind, thunder, and bird calls, illustrating the emotional resonance between humans and nature.
During the evening performance, animated visuals and poetry explanations were synchronized to allow the audience to delve deeper into the emotional and artistic imagery portrayed in the music. Five violin soloists and two pianists alternated on stage, performing Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons,” Beethoven’s “Spring” Sonata, and Vivaldi’s legacy work “The Four Seasons,” leading the audience through diverse musical landscapes of different regions and eras.
Founder and conductor of Virtuosi Music & Art Foundation, Ernest Yen, who is also the R&D director at Texas Instruments Kilby Laboratory and a violinist, has accumulated over thirty years of performance experience since starting to learn the violin at the age of five. A Ph.D. graduate from UC Berkeley, he has published over sixty IEEE papers and holds more than thirty U.S. patents. In 2022, he established the foundation with a mission to bring music and art into communities, allowing more people to engage with classical music.
Yen mentioned that since its establishment in 2023, Virtuosi San Jose has brought together around twenty Bay Area musicians to perform in a conductorless orchestra. Through synchronization of breath and body language, the members achieve harmony without a conductor. Yen emphasized, “We may not have a conductor, but by listening and guiding each other, we can still interpret the music accurately.” To achieve a flawless performance, the ensemble conducted four ensemble rehearsals, and each member devoted considerable private time for preparation.
Currently, the orchestra hosts four to eight concerts annually, including Chamber Concert Series, Virtuoso Series, Kinderkonzert Series for children, and Silicon Valley Soundscape series featuring collaborations with classical musicians in Silicon Valley. Yen humorously remarked, “Hosting a concert is not difficult, but sustaining it in the long run truly relies on the help and support of many friends.”
Violin soloist Junhong Zhou, hailing from Guizhou, China, began learning the violin at the age of four and a half and pursued music education in the U.S. in 2017, currently working in the Bay Area. Playing the “Summer” movement of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” he expressed, “Music is like a pearl at the bottom of the sea, one must delve deep to discover its true beauty.” Recalling his academic pursuits, he tirelessly practiced for nine to ten hours daily to be admitted to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, never faltering even when his neck was sore. “With music, life gains color, allowing me to radiate confidence and brilliance on stage.”
Hailing from Taipei, Zhexuan Xu started learning the cello under her mother’s guidance at the age of seven, graduating from the music department of NTNU in Taiwan and earning a doctoral degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She currently resides in the Bay Area and served as the principal cellist for the night, performing alongside the violinist in the interpretation of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons.” She shared, “The most challenging aspect of the musical journey is practicing daily, but the fulfillment it brings spiritually makes me unable to imagine a life without music.” She expressed her aspirations of joining a professional orchestra to continue pursuing her dreams.
The Virtuosi Foundation hopes to unite the community through music, bringing classical music beyond the stage and into everyday life. Founder of the Xiaoyudian Foundation, Beichen Xu, commented, “It’s a rare opportunity to see so many excellent musicians from the Bay Area perform together.”
Mr. Wang, a retired engineer who has been in the U.S. for fifty years, mentioned that attending concerts in South Bay is more convenient than traveling to San Francisco and hopes for more such events in the future. He praised the cozy atmosphere of the theaters in the area, creating a warm and familiar environment.
“Geng Xinning, a volunteer, mentioned that Yen is an engineer by day and a music teacher by night, establishing the foundation out of love for music.” She expressed that the orchestra holds regular annual performances, attracting around 170 to 200 audience members, mostly students, parents, and music enthusiasts. She emotionally stated, “Many teachers perform voluntarily, relying mainly on donations for funding, but everyone is willing to help, hoping that such music events can continue for the children to appreciate high-quality performances right at their doorstep.”