Youth not wasted on these music lovers

If there’s anything I am taking away from our recent trip to Hong Kong, it is that the tradition of classical music shall continue in the hands of some very talented young people.

At the HK Philharmonic fundraiser “Love, Passion, Music” last Saturday, the program included kids (12 years and younger) playing Mozart, Strauss and Bach… and blowing the roof off the Hong Kong Cultural Center Concert Hall. I had my jaw glued to the floor, just watching them rehearse.

First up were Charis Chan and Wesley Fung on the piano, playing “The Blue Danube Waltz” by Johann Strauss II. The two tag-teamed, with Charis starting and Wesley finishing. This seems like less of a big deal than one thinks—until one realizes that Charis is only 4  and Wesley not much older, and that this wasn’t their first concert (they played at last year’s fundraiser, when Charis was 3).

Flabbergasted

Next one up was Jonathan Yang, 12, playing the first movement of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 20, K. 466.” At rehearsal, he looked like a normal preteen in an oversized hoodie, jeans and sneakers, tripping as he ran up the stairs holding a bottle of juice. Once he sat at the piano, my husband Rob and I sat flabbergasted at his technical proficiency and depth of expression. Further reading revealed he was a Lang Lang scholar and had his Carnegie Hall debut last year. His performance closed the first half.

Smack in the middle of the second half was violinist Paloma So, 8. My brother Gerard, the show’s conductor, was very impressed: This was her debut with an

orchestra, but she already knew what was what. In other words, she was the boss on stage. Totally focused and poised, playing with incredible dexterity and concentration, she wowed the audience with the 1st movement of Mozart’s “Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major.” Her brothers and twin sister rushed to the stage when she was done, to shower her with flowers and plenty of love.

Last but not the least of the young soloists was Catrina Yang, 9 (Jonathan’s younger sister), with the 3rd movement of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Violin Concerto in E Major.” It wasn’t the showiest piece, but this young lady gave a lovely performance.

The young ones were inspiring to watch, as they are clearly products of rare, inborn talent and parental support, tons of hours devoted to practice and hard work, and love (enough love, to cope with the long hours).

After the show, Rob and I asked the parents of Jonathan and Catrina if the kids planned to go further into classical music as a career. They replied, “We don’t know,” and said they try to strike the balance between the music and other aspects of the kids’ lives, like academics, sports and other interests.

I hope these children make music their career, but I do understand if they decide, for whatever reason, not to. If there is any piece of advice I can give to parents of kids trying to figure out if any of the arts calls to them, it is this: If, with every effort to veer away, the art still hunts you down, then that is the path meant for you. That’s what happened with me and performing, and with my brother and music. We don’t have a “Plan B”—this is what we love, and this is all we do.

To the parents and their children, congratulations! Heaven knows we need more young people who have a genuine passion for art of every kind.

Best present

For my 43rd birthday this Saturday, I will share the stage with four incredibly talented and gorgeous men—Carlos Marin (baritone), Sebastien Izambard (pop vocalist), Urs Buhler and David Miller (tenors)—gathered by Simon Cowell to form this powerhouse quartet, Il Divo.

For their current tour, “A Musical Affair,” they are visiting many Asian countries and North America from coast to coast. As I write, I am about to join them in Korea and Japan… possibly a few more cities.

(Visit www.ildivo.com to read press releases, check tour stops and purchase tickets.)

My debut with them will be at the Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea. I can’t think of a better way to spend my birthday than on stage, doing what I love to do.