Young Filipino and Korean musicians unite in concert

The winners of the FilKor Youth Concerto Competition
with the FilKor Youth Orchestra

The future classical music stars in the country shone at the FilKor Youth Orchestra Gala Concert/1st FilKor Youth Concerto Competition held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines last October.

Emerging victorious at the competition was pianist Jaemin Irene Lee who was awarded the Grand Prize for her performance of the opening movement of Camille Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22, showing her mastery of the keys that was well beyond her young age of 17.

The other finalists at the competition were violinist Emanuel John Villarin (1st Prize) who performed the first movement of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35, clarinetist Franz Jensen Andra (2nd Prize) who performed the first movement of Carl Maria von Weber's Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F minor, Op. 73, and violinist Jeanne Rafaella Marquez (3rd Prize) who performed the third movement of Jean Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47. The four finalists were chosen among the sixteen contestants who auditioned back in August.

Conductor Jeffrey Solares and the FilKor Youth Orchestra

The evening also saw the debut of the FilKor Youth Orchestra, a combined orchestra composed of Filipino (mostly from the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra) and Korean musicians aged 22 and younger. Conducted by Jefrey Solares, the orchestra accompanied the finalists with their respective concerto movements and also performed a selection of music ranging from classical (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Overture to The Marriage of Figaro K.492, Alexander Borodin's Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor, Georges Bizet's Farandole from L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2), traditional folk song (Arirang and Atin Cu Pung Singsing), and a crowd pleasing medley of John Williams' film soundtracks.

The FilKor Youth Orchestra Gala Concert/1st FilKor Youth Concerto Competition was presented by the Korean Women's Association of the Philippines and the Clarion Chamber Ensemble. This music event is part of the 70th Anniversary Celebrations of the Diplomatic Relations between the Philippines and Korea.