Meet Korean Winners of YouTube Orchestra

Video-sharing portal sites like YouTube are often a barometer for measuring the popularity of celebrities or a steppingstone to stardom, as was the case for amateur teenage guitarist Lim Jung-hyeon who attracted the attention of CNN and The New York Times a few years ago.

The newly launched YouTube Orchestra is a natural born child of the digital age. With enthusiastic support from renowned classical musicians like pianist Lang Lang and composer Tan Dun, the project recruited amateurs and professionals via the Internet. A jury of music experts chose 200 finalists, and over 12 million people from some 200 regions visited YouTube to vote for 90 winners that will play with maestro Michael Tilson Thomas at Carnegie Hall in New York, April 15. Of these, eight are ethnic Korean, including nationals living here and abroad, comprising the second largest group after Americans.

One winner is Kim Tae-shik, a 19-year-old studying mechanical engineering at KAIST. ``I just did it because I thought it would be fun, and I was really surprised to win,’’ he told The Korea Times in a telephone interview. A frequent user of YouTube, he saw the notice for the audition and submitted a part from the first movement of Brahms’ Symphony No. 4. He happened to have learned the piece through his school orchestra.

Never having majored in music, the young violinist said he was never stressed about playing. He began playing his instrument at age five and has since enjoyed it as a hobby.
``I’m really excited about making my first trip to the United States and it’s such a great honor that I get to play with professional musicians. I’m going to practice really hard so I don’t fall behind,’’ he said.

He performed on a large local stage for the first time last month and said he couldn’t wait to be in Carnegie Hall. ``My mom gets to travel with me so she’s happy, too,’’ he said. A fan of the American sitcom ``Friends,’’ he added that he looks forward to visiting Central Park.

Another winner based in Korea is cellist Lee Soo-jung. The 25-year-old studied music at Seoul National University and Germany, and now teaches at an art high school in South Chungcheong Province. Like Kim, she never expected to win with a solo from Rossini’s ``Overture to William Tell.’’

`` I’m so happy and can’t wait to go to New York,’’ she said. ``I read about the audition on my alma mater’s Web site. I was inspired a lot by video clips of players on YouTube and thought it was interesting. I decided to audition at the last minute,’’ she said. ``My family is excited for me, but they were a little embarrassed as well. If you’ve noticed it in my video, I made it in such haste, those are my bed sheets hanging in the background!’’ she laughed.

As a musician, Lee said she was shy at promoting herself. ``I just posted my video with no expectations, and I got so much positive response. I’m really thankful to Netizens,’’ she said. The cellist believes the New York trip will be self-transforming experience.

``My motto is to play with a happy heart no matter when and where, and not to think about my career or the stage. I can feel my music changing colors each time, and I believe playing with great musicians (in New York) will transform me,’’ she said.

The winners will make a five-day trip to New York, where they will take part in master classes led by premier musicians and rehearse at the Juilliard School before the Carnegie Hall performance. Tickets to the concert can be purchased at Carnegie Hall’s Web site (http://www.carnegiehall.org/). Video clips of the winners can be viewed at www.youtube.com/symphonykr.