Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition

16/01/2024

We are sooo proud of one of our former winners
Good luck I Jung

(English below)
就在上禮拜，我拿到紐約愛樂的終身職了🎉！經過一個禮拜的沈澱想跟大家分享一些心情。我身邊很多人曾經跟我說拿終身職不用擔心，但事實上是：一個小小的錯誤就非常有可能讓你失去你得來不易的工作。

有些人可能不知道美國職業樂團拿終身職(tenure)是什麼，我大概說明一下紐約愛樂試用期的程序：從試用期(probationary)開始，到拿到終身職需要完成17個月的排練及演出。在這過程中，你每一週的排練都會跟不同的同事當譜伴(stand partners)，所以每週都像是在考試一樣，你沒有權利懶散，更沒有藉口準備不周。在拿終身職前，你的同事在試用期期間會透過意見表給你建議跟回饋。而評分標準可能包含你每週的排練表現，跟同事相處是否融洽，及你是否對演出曲目都很熟悉… 等。每個坐在你身邊的同事都可以評分，在最後評鑑你的終身職時也有一票。而紐約愛樂一年有大約150場左右的音樂會，要拿終身職需要經過225場左右的音樂會評鑑。最艱難的是，在試用期尾聲還有一個禮拜的演出，要坐在第二部小提琴首席的旁邊，由音樂總監指揮的音樂會，作為最後拿終身職的考核。這個禮拜是最有挑戰性的，坐在第一個譜架，你前面面對的正是音樂總監，而後面的人將注視著你的一舉一動，感覺像是沒穿衣服的赤裸！只要一點小錯、一點遲疑，都可能會被認為準備不夠。為了這最後一個禮拜，我去年的聖誕節假期留在紐約曼哈頓的公寓，每天都在練琴，讀總譜，聽Youtube。別人在街上唱Jingle Bell，我則在家裡高歌布拉姆斯第四號交響曲。

我的最終考核是上上禮拜，在最後一場音樂會結束後，我跟其他兩位小提琴聲部團員，分別被叫進去會議，面對紐約愛樂的音樂總監及各聲部首席，由音樂總監宣布：“恭喜你，成為紐約愛樂的終身團員”！

老實說，我當下沒有反應過來，甚至覺得這是一場夢。當天晚上高興的睡不著，一直在想這幾年來發生的種種事情。隔天一早我才打電話給爸媽跟他們講這個好消息，也很感謝他們一直以來對我的支持。沒有他們，就不會有今天的我。同時我也很感恩身邊一直很照顧及信任我的老師及朋友們。以後有機會來紐約玩的大家，可以順道來紐約愛樂的音樂廳來找我喔！

圖(由左到右)：紐約愛樂第二部小提琴首席Qianqian Li (李倩茜)，小提琴聲部 Alina Kobialka，我，Audrey Wright，紐約愛樂樂團首席Frank Huang (黃欣)。

🎉Officially a tenured member of the New York Philharmonic!!
I’m so honored to be surrounded by amazing musicians/colleagues in this orchestra!
Congratulations to my other two colleagues who were also tenured: Alina Kobialka and Audrey Wright!! I would like to thank my family and friends who has been so supportive of me over these past few years. For people who don't know, my audition for this orchestra took place in 2020, and because of COVID, the trial was delayed for 2 years. So, it's been quite a journey for all three of us. Nonetheless, the result is still so satisfying. If any of you visit NYC, make sure to come by David Geffen Hall and say hi to me!!

19/05/2023

Join us for a celebration on Sunday, May 21st, from 3-5 pm. The event will include an art show, silent auction, and Philharmonic Chamber Concert #6!

16/03/2023

Thank you to all who participated in, attended, and volunteered at the 50th Annual Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition this past weekend!

Congratulations to our 2023 winners:

1st Place – William Suh, cello
2nd Place – Isaac Park, violin
3rd Place – Tien-Lin Yang, violin

Randall C. Fleischer Prize – Davis You, cello

12/03/2023

Congratulations to our three finalists!

Isaac Park, violin
William Suh, cello
Tien-Lin Yang, violin

The judges complimented all competitors on the extremely high level of performances! The finals concert begins at 3 pm today at Vassar College.

11/03/2023

Congratulations to our 6 semi-finalists!

Emad Zolfaghari, viola
Davis You, cello
Tien-Lin Yang, violin
Isaac Park, violin
Katherine Woo, violin
William Suh, cello

Thank you to all of the very talented musicians who auditioned today! Join us tomorrow at 3pm at Vassar College, Skinner Hall, for the final round of the competition!

09/03/2023

Join us this Sunday at 3pm for the THE 50TH ANNUAL Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition!

Saturday March 11 • 9:30am - 5pm
FIRST ROUND AUDITIONS

Sunday March 12 • 10am - 12pm
SEMI-FINALS

Sunday March 12 • 3pm
THREE FINALISTS PERFORM

Reception follows
Free admission but donations are welcome!

22/10/2022

Max again. We love to see all you do. One of our memorable winners.

NEW CONCERT SERIES, NEW SOCIAL EXPERIENCES an afternoon salon concert series curated by concert violinist Max Tan featuring short classical music programs, insights from world-class artists, and conversation Meet 8 artists at 5 salon concerts!Join a new family of art-lovers!Concerts are Saturdays a...

11/04/2022

Announcing the winners of the 49th HVP Sting Competiton
First Prize- Hana Mundiya -
Second Prize - Arjun Ganguly
Third Prize -Derek Louie
Fleischer Prize- Derek Louie

Enjoy our 49th HVP String Competition Stream and hear them play
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJkeQo8poh0

Please donate to the HVP String Competition here: https://tinyurl.com/ahbydce7

04/03/2022

Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition Email Forms

04/03/2022

Announcing 🎼 The 49th HVP String Competition, will be streaming on Sunday, April 10,2022 - https://mailchi.mp/d01b8a4a2119/announcing-the-48th-hvp-string-competition-8987581

12/01/2022

09/01/2022

Chiara Sannicandro one of our 2021 winners participated in the Joseph Joachim Competition in Hannover Germany and was one of 4 Laureats as well as winning he Audience Prize and some concert engagements. Congratulations Chiara.

09/01/2022

Cherry Yeung one of out triple winners from 2018 has recently won the position of Associate Principal 2nd of the San Diego Symphony. She'll be starting next season following her graduation from Curtis. Congratulations Cherry and best of luck

09/01/2022

Stephanie Zyzak (a winner in 2014) and Daniel Phillips (a judge in 2021) are playing together with Marboro Music on Tour this January. Bravo to both!

08/12/2021

ATTENTION YOUNG STRING MUSICIANS!

Students of any nationality between the ages of 18-25 (inclusive) as of March 10, 2022, may submit a resume, proof of age, a completed application form, a letter of recommendation from an instructor, a live, unedited recording, (see the checklist for submission details). Current students of the judges as well as immediate family members of the Competition Committee are not eligible.

The Judges for the 2022 competition will be:
Carole Cowan, violin - Concertmaster of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, professor of music at SUNY New Paltz;
Carmit Zori, violin - Professor of violin at Rutgers University and at SUNY Purchase;
Mickey Katz, cello - Chamber musician and cellist in the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

The Committee must receive all elements of the application, including reference letters, by 11:59 pm Eastern on Friday, January 21, 2022, through getacceptd.com

16/10/2021

https://www.bardavon.org/show/hvp-the-exiles-journey/

19/09/2021

Leland Ko our first prize winner performed at Musical Landscapes of Tuscany in San Quirico, in August 2021. Bravo, Leland, and we can't wait to hear you play with the HVP next season.

20/08/2021

Our 2021 winner, Cellist, Leland Ko is about to perform at Musical Landscapes of Tuscany in San Quirico Val D'Orcia Italy. We know it will be a wonderful concert. Here is Leland from the program:

Leland Philip Ko is a cellist of Chinese-Canadian descent from the Boston area. He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in venues across America’s east coast, such as Merkin Concert Hall and Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in New York, and Jordan Hall and Sanders Theatre in Boston, as well as internationally in Sweden, Israel, and Spain, including Auditorio Manuel de Falla in Granada. Violinist Itzhak Perlman has said of Leland that he “plays with the beauty of sound and subtlety that we don’t often encounter in a cellist of his age,” and that he is “a musician who willingly considers all aspects of music.” Leland’s most recent accolades include second prize at the inaugural Bader and Overton Canadian Cello Competition in 2020, and appearing as a finalist in the 2020 Young Concert Artists International Auditions.
Past engagements over the last decade include concerto appearances with the Boston Landmarks Orchestra, the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, the Arlington Philharmonic, the Brockton Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Pro Musica, the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Princeton University Orchestra, and multiple appearances with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and the Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra.
Despite growing up a part of Boston’s strong youth orchestra culture, Leland has often sought out chamber music at various summer festivals over the years, having attended the Perlman Music Program’s Summer Music School and its Chamber Music Workshop, and Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute. Through these festivals, Leland has had the chance to study with and occasionally perform alongside artists such as Ronald Leonard, Merry Peckham, Laurence Lesser, Joel Krosnick, Donald Weilerstein, Vivian Weilerstein, Miriam Fried, Paul Biss, Marcy Rosen, Ralph Kirshbaum, Frans Helmerson, Gary Hoffman, and Itzhak Perlman.
Leland’s love for chamber music has also led him to be an Artist in Residence of New York Piano Society (NYPS), as well as a frequent performer on Swedish pianist Per Tengstrand’s concert series “Music on Park Ave” at Scandinavia House in NYC, and former Music Director of Opus 21, a student-run chamber music collective at Princeton.
Leland was a long-time student of Ronald Lowry and Paul Katz before attending Princeton University, where he graduated with a B.A. degree in German Literature. Currently, he is pursuing a Master’s degree at The Juilliard School under the teaching of Minhye Clara Kim and Timothy Eddy. Since the end of 2020, Leland plays on the ex-Peled, ex-Greenhouse Thomas Dodd from 1790.
Leland was also a competitive long-distance runner for several years, but remains loyal to his original passion of tennis, both as a player and even more so as a fan.