Tick, tack, tock, tock. The metronome keeps a steady rhythm as Olivia Gu, Kyle Lam, and Michael Sun play during their first chamber music group session. After agreeing on a competition piece and practicing individually over the summer, their first playthrough is dissonant. They all play on beat, but the melody trips between the two clarinets and the piano. There’s a lot of work to be done before their December auditions.
While many opportunities allow student musicians to showcase their talent, the Young Musicians Concert, which is sponsored by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, is one of the most prestigious competitions for high school students. Chamber music, unlike solos or large ensembles, is performed in groups of two to nine musicians and conducted through shared cues between musicians. For the Young Musicians Concert, chamber groups must submit their music for an online audition in December that determines which groups will perform at the regional semi-finals.
Every high school submits up to three groups for the audition, and even then, groups may not be able to perform at the regional semi-finals. However, for the past 16 years, at least one of South High’s groups has been selected to perform in the semi-finals. This year, two groups will perform: seniors Sarah Sun (saxophone), Selena Lu (piano), and Hugh Choi (flute); and junior Olivia Gu (clarinet), freshman Kyle Lam (piano), and freshman Michael Sun (clarinet).
Talented musicians and close friends Sarah, Selena, and Hugh have performed in the Young Musicians Concert together since their sophomore year. After collaborating for over two years, the senior trio has perfected their rehearsal schedule. When choosing their piece for the competition, the three consider their instruments, skill level, and most importantly, what piece “sounds good and is fun to play,” said Sarah. They select their piece at the end of the prior school year and practice their individual parts over the summer. Beginning in September, they begin weekly rehearsals, both after school and on the weekends.
“Playing solo is different from playing in a chamber group,” Sarah said. “Instead of making individual musical choices regarding how to perform a piece, in a small ensemble, you need to blend well with the other players and decide and execute those musical choices together.”
The variations in timbre, resonance, and volume of the seniors’ instruments expand the range of musical expression the group can achieve. Their current piece, Russell Peterson’s Trio No. 1 Movement 3, highlights both the flute’s clean sound and the saxophone’s complex tone as the main melody jumps between them. “We like Movement 3 because it’s really energetic and shows off all the instruments,” Sarah said. Their practices prior to the December auditions concentrated on the technical components of their playing. Now, the trio is perfecting their music’s emotions and story.
The trio of Olivia, Kyle, and Michael follow a more spontaneous schedule. “If I had to use one phrase to describe our rehearsals, it would be playfully chaotic,” Olivia said.
The three practice at either Olivia’s house or the school practice rooms, often pausing their two-hour practice sessions to play popular TikTok melodies. However, their rehearsals are always productive: after playing through their piece, Félix Mendelssohn’s Concert Piece No.2 in D minor, Op.114, and identifying any issues, the three spend their time resolving those issues through discussion and extensive practicing. Though they began by playing with a metronome, after countless practice sessions, the three stay together through shared glances and quick nods—chamber music’s method of conducting.
Unlike the seniors, who all play a different instrument, the junior and freshmen trio consists of two clarinets and a piano. The melody dances between the two clarinets in the introduction, with the piano multiplying the beauty of the piece with its accompaniment and solo. Now that they have passed the online audition, the three are currently working on minute details, such as timing entrances and storytelling.
After the regional semi-finals, the judges will select the groups that will proceed to the final round, which will take place at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. But for now, the two South High groups will continue to practice in anticipation of the semi-finals. Sarah said, “Of course, there are always pre-concert nerves, but the best thing about chamber is that you are performing as a group—with friends who you’ve rehearsed with many times prior—so you’re in it together.”
It is now February—a month from the regional semi-finals. After practicing for six months together, Olivia, Kyle, and Michael no longer need the metronome to synchronize their playing. A glance, a breath, and they begin to play. The two clarinets share the melody, one beginning a phrase and the other ending it. Olivia and Michael’s synchronization causes the melody to sound like only one musician is playing. The piece is playful and energetic, missing the dissonance the three had started the school year with. It’s practically perfect. Once the piece ends, the three put their instruments down, feeling prepared for the competition. Olivia said, “I can anticipate that it’ll be pretty nerve-wracking. But overall, there’s going to be an excited energy because this is pretty big for us, and we know we’re going to be as prepared as possible going into it.”
