For Immediate Release

Contact : Patsy Fang Chen, Artistic Director

CP 917-912-8288, T. 718-834-8904

E-mail: patsychen@aol.com

Youth Orchestra, CYCNY Annual Concert in Queens

at Taiwan Center

A Queens-based YOUTH ORCHESTRA, CYCNY

will present its Annual Concert in Queens

Saturday, June 3, 2017 at 7pm

Taiwan Center

137-44 Northern Blvd., Flushing, NY11354

FREE ADMISSION NO TICKET REQUIRED

Contact: 917-912-8288 Patsy or 347-306-2511 Jason

Website: YouthOrchestra.com, e-mail: YouthOrch8@aol.com

The orchestra members are talented music students age 10-18 trained at weekly rehearsals by staff; Chijen Christopher Chung and Tony Huang for strings, Lovell Chang for wind and brass, and Chi-Ching Grace Lin for percussion.

Music Director and Conductor Chijen Christopher Chung will lead 55 young and enthusiastic musicians to perform the repertory of Classical, Popular, Broadway, Film and Asian Music, featured works by: Mozart, J. S. Bach, Debussy, Holst, Teng Yu-Hsien, Anderson, Bock, Lady Gaga and Wilson.

The following works:

W. A. MOZART Overture to The Marriage of Figaro

J.S. BACH “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,” Chorale Prelude, BWV 645

CLAUDE DEBUSY Arabesque No. 1

GUSTAV HOLST “Mar, the Bringer of War” from The Planets

YU-HSIEN TENG Longing for the Spring Breeze

Flowers in the Rainy Night

LEROY ANDERSON Blue Tango

JERRY BOCK Selections from Fiddler on the Roof

LADY GAGA Born This Way

MEREDITH WILLSON “Seventy Six Trombones” from The Music Man

Information: T.917-912-8288, 347-306-2511 E-mail : YouthOrch8@aol.com, or visit :YouthOrchestra.com.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City

Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and Council Member Peter Koo.

As well as Overseas Community Affairs Council of R.O.C. (Taiwan), Culture Office and Taipei Cultural Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, COTS Travel, Linco Printing, and SUPERPRISM.NET.

YOUTH ORCHESTRA, CYCNY

The Youth Orchestra is a Queens-based youth orchestra since 1996, and has been a 501 (c) (3) organization since 2002. Our mission is to provide orchestra training and performing opportunities for musical students age 10–18, with a unique repertory that includes Classical, Popular, Jazz, Broadway, Film, and Asian music. The orchestra premieres and commissions works by American and Asian composers and has organized eleven summer concert tours to Asia, Europe and the East Coasts for global cultural experiences.

New members are recruited through auditions in September and January. Weekly rehearsals take place at Middle School 158 in Bayside, New York from September to June. Our teaching faculty members are: Chijen Christopher Chung, music director and string instructor, Chi-Ching Grace Lin for percussion, Lovell Park Chang for wind and brass, and Tony Huang for strings. The orchestra presents two formal concerts annually: one Holiday Concert, free for the community during the holiday season in Queens; and an Annual Concert at Lincoln Center in the spring. The Orchestra also serves the Queens community by performing concerts at senior centers, community centers, and nursing homes.

During the 2016-17 season, the orchestra performed a Christmas Concert at Silvercrest Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation on December 13^th, and a Holiday Concert 2016 at Cardozo High School in Bayside, Queens on December 18^th, and Student and Faculty Recital at Taiwan Center in Flushing on April 15^th. Additional concerts are the Annual Concert 2017at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on May 20th; and the Taiwan Center Concert in Flushing on June 18^th.

The sponsors of our 2016-17 Season are: The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York City Councilman Peter Koo; Culture Center and Taipei Cultural Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, Overseas Community Affairs Council of Taiwan, COTS Travel, Linco Printing, www.superprism.net, as well as foundations, corporations, and individuals. For more information, please visit www.YouthOrchestra.com, e-mail: YouthOrch8@aol.com, or call (917) 912-8288 or (347) 306-2511.

Photo of Youth Orchestra, CYCNY on May 20, 2017 at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center

Chijen Christopher Chung, Music Director and Conductor

A native of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Mr. Chung began his musical studies in piano, violin and cello at the ages of five and nine. Following a successful musical career in high school, he attended the National Taiwan Normal University where he majored in cello, minored in piano and was awarded the Certificate of Music Education.

Upon moving to the United States, Mr. Chung studied under the tutelage of cellist Peter Wiley (of Guarneri String Quartet), at Conservatory of Music at Purchase College, SUNY, where he received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Music Performance.

Mr. Chung’s wide professional experience encompasses symphony orchestra and chamber music performances, conducting, teaching, studio recording and administration. He served as Associate Principal Cellist of the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Principal Cellist of the Yin-Qi Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, and the Yin-Qi Chamber Orchestra in Taiwan. He performed with the Chinese Community Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, New York Symphony Orchestra and the Amadeus String Quartet and Piano Trio.

Mr. Chung’s teaching positions were at the Guang-Ren High School, Xi-Men Elementary School, and Guan-Du Christian College in Taiwan. He has been serving as the Music Director, cello and piano instructor at the Song of Songs Music School, Eastern School of Music, Amadeus Conservatory of Music, and Melody Time Music Center in the United States.

In 2003, he was the Music Director and featured cellist for the world premiere of an original Chinese-language adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Hwa-Sun Culture Center in Taipei, Taiwan.

With Youth Orchestra, CYCNY, at Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center, Chung performed Elgar’s Cello Concerto as soloist in 2010, and Chung conducted the World Premiere of Yasuhiko Fukuoka’s “Journey of a Thousand Miles” in 2012; the World Premiere of Steve Margoshes’s "Symphony Dance from FAME- The Musical”; the US Premiere of Shui-Long Ma’s "Searching" Concerto for Gu-Zheng and Orchestra, with Hao-Yin Huang as Gu-Zheng soloist in 2013; the US premiere of Fu-Tong Wong's Symphony Condor Hero in 2014, and the World Premiere of Justine F. Chen's Mimesis Violin Concerto with Min Yen Chien as violin soloist in 2016.

Mr. Chung has long believed that music has the power to transform lives, to transcend cultures and languages and to bring people together in important and lasting ways. It is for this reason that he dedicates his life toward inspiring a new generation of young musicians to pursue their dreams through the challenging and life-changing process of music education.

Chijen Christopher Chung, Music Director/Conductor

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