Just a few more weeks until Sydney guys! This is probably going to be my last post before the trip. I’ve been so busy lately getting all the documents together and trying to pack. Because this trip involves crossing borders, the Orchestra people sent me a bunch of documents to sign and it’s just a huge pain in the behind. And adding to my hectic schedule, I just received through email all the pieces that we’re going to perform at the Live Event concert. There are about thirteen pieces that I have to pretty much memorize before March 20^th. The pieces range from classical orchestra (Toccata in F Major by Bach) to modern awesomeness (Mothership by Mason Bates). I actually played some of the pieces before so it’s not really all that difficult. But all of those pieces are designed for a full orchestra so it’s going to be quite a challenge putting it all together. I feel bad for Michael Thomas already (he has to deal with 101 people who he has never met before in person). But I also heard we are arriving a few days before the concert just to rehearse so I guess it’ll all be okay.

            Yesterday, the section leader for Second violins had contacted me to ask me if I have any concerns over the pieces. She seems like a really nice lady and I can’t wait to meet her. I’m not sure how the section leaders are chosen but I think it’s based on how well your audition went. Our auditions were based on a point system with a maximum of twenty points awarded to each section in the rubric (like twenty points for musicianship and twenty points for creativity etc). That was how they decided who was going to be the finalists. I guess that the people with the most points for each instrument become section leaders.   

            Anyways, it’s now 2: 45 am and I really need to get to bed.  I have to wake up early to go to Service Ontario tomorrow (to renew my passport). Thanks for all the support, my amazing followers, see you in a month!

I’m going to SYDNEY guys!

            I’ve just been informed that I’m an official “Competition winner”; that means I get to go on an all expenses paid trip (hotel fees, travel fees etc) to Australia to perform at the Live Event as a member of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra. Several of the other contest winners have already contacted me to express their excitement. From what I heard, there are in total 101 members of the group from 33 countries (USA, UK, China, Canada, Brazil, Spain, Sweden etc). The group features people from as young as 15 all the way up to 40. I think that the diversity is absolutely amazing. Most of these players were either trained as a child or have started quite late in their twenties. Either way, all of the competition winners had some professional training at some point in their life and most are rather well-established performers in their home country. For me, I’ve been playing the violin since I was five (not to brag, but I’m kind of like a professional now too J).

            Also, I received a message from Michael Tilson Thomas, the official conductor for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011. He is an American composer, pianist, conductor, and is one of the administrators that helped to create the YouTube Orchestra in 2009. He was born in Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California to further his music studies. In 1969, he conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra and gained international attention. Basically, he will be the one to decide our performance pieces and seating arrangements. He seems like a promising individual, and I can’t wait to meet him!