- Angela: On February 26th, four gifted young musicians
will take center stage
here at Overture Hall in Madison.
- They're vying for top honors
in the Madison Symphony Orchestra's
Bolz Young Artist Competition.
They are:
violinist Emily Hauer,
pianist Jessica Jiang,
violinist Jonah Kartman, and
pianist Michael Wu.
You'll see them perform as part of our live broadcast,
Wisconsin Young Artists Compete: The Final Forte.
- But before they step into the spotlight,
we've asked them to tell us a little about themselves...
- Their passion for music, and the journey
that brought them here, to this stage.
- My name is Michael Wu.
I'm a senior at Sun Prairie High School.
I started playing the piano at around age five and a half.
My mother and father weren't musical,
but my maternal grandfather was actually very musical.
He played accordion.
When I was young, I remember looking into a piano
and my cousin had an upright.
While he was playing,
I saw like all the action of the keys hitting the strings.
And I was just fascinated even by the mechanism.
My piano teacher is Bill Lutes.
We work on a lot of different things.
Ideas on phrasing, ideas on shaping, articulation.
I look forward to every single lesson,
because he really is just such a, not only knowledgeable,
but very kindhearted, individual.
[laughing]
The first time I did this, I was a freshman in high school.
And that was just an incredible experience.
It changed the way that I looked at music.
One of the best things I think about that experience is,
kids walk up to you and they say,
"Oh, I saw you on that broadcast."
And, you know, "I wish I could play like you."
Seeing my community be so inspired by my playing,
it just really encourages me to deliver more.
I mentor students in my free time.
We work on fundamentals of technique.
But I think one of the biggest things
that I try to build within them
is really a deep appreciation for music of all forms.
I also play the clarinet in my high school's wind ensemble.
I take a leadership role in that ensemble.
I really enjoy it because you get to interact
with so many other musicians.
You learn certain skills running sectionals
and making sure that everyone has a voice.
*
"Totentanz," it's a hugely technical, very virtuosic piece.
Liszt brings out so many different sides
of what it means to die.
It's such a creative piece.
My first time onstage, I remember I was so nervous.
But nowadays, I'm more comfortable.
I've matured a lot musically.
And through experiences like wind ensemble
and through teaching students,
it's really helped me develop as not only a musician,
but as a person.
*
[applause]