Ensemble 212 Presents SONOROUS STRINGS Tonight

Ensemble 212 presents Sonorous Strings: Orchestra Concert, the second show of its 2013-14 season tonight, November 13th at 8pm. Representative of a true kaleidoscope of styles, the evening will feature music of the Baroque and Romantic eras as well as that of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Special soloists include Rachel Ku, violist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, performing the New York premiere of The Desires for Viola & String Orchestra, a new work by Ensemble 212 Composer in Residence, Ke-Chia Chen and core member violinist, Miyun Chung, performing the world premiere of a new arrangement of Vitali's Chaconne for Violin & String Orchestra. Mahler's tender "Adagietto" is contrasted with two works with folk elements from different eras to round out the evening's fantastic program: Vivaldi's vigorous Concerto 'alla rustica' and Bartok's Divertimento.

Tickets for this concert will be 2 for 1 at all rates! The concert is set for Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church at Lincoln Center, 152 West 66th Street (bet. Broadway and Amsterdam Ave), New York, NY 10023. Call 646-266-9632 or visit www.ensemble212.org. Subway: 1 to 66th Street; Bus: M5, M7, M11, M20, M66, M104. For more information, go to www.instantencore.com/ensemble212 and www.facebook.com/ensemble212. *Advance Ticket prices: $20; $12 for seniors and $10 for students with ID http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/478050. *Tickets at the door (cash only): $25; $15 for seniors and $12 for students with ID. *2 FOR 1 NIGHT! BUY 1 TICKET & BRING A GUEST FOR FREE! VALID FOR ALL RATES!

On the Program:

Antonio VIVALDI

Concerto in G Major alla rustica, RV 151

Yoon Jae Lee, Conductor

Tomaso VITALI

Ciaconna for Violin & String Orchestra

Miyun Chung, Violin Kyunghun Kim, Conductor

Ke-Chia CHEN

The Desires for Viola & String Orchestra

Rachel Ku, Viola
Yoon Jae Lee, Conductor

Gustav Mahler
"Adagietto" from Symphony No. 5 Kyunghun Kim, Conductor

Bela BARTOK

Divertimento for String Orchestra

Yoon Jae Lee, Conductor

World Premiere of new arrangement by Yoon Jae Lee

New York Premiere

Ensemble 212 (two-one-two) is making a tremendous impact in today's cultural music scene. Led by Artistic Director Yoon Jae Lee & Principal Associate Conductor Kyunghun Kim, the New York based orchestra has been at the forefront of performing several premieres of major works by composers Mohammed Fairouz, Huang Ruo & Daniel Felsenfeld. This season, Ensemble 212 will feature the music of emerging composer Ke-Chia Chen as their new Composer in Residence. Through its annual Young Artist Competition Series, Ensemble 212 showcases outstanding instrumental and vocal soloists by providing them opportunities to perform as a soloist with a professional orchestra.

Ensemble 212 is comprised of New York's finest young professionals, emerging artists, and freelancers. Since its inception, they have performed nearly fifty concerts featuring an eclectic mix of repertoire from the Baroque era to the 21st century in chamber music, ensemble, and orchestra concerts. Highlights from previous seasons include performances at diverse venues such as Merkin Concert Hall, Miller Theatre, New York City Center, John Zorn's The Stone, collaborations with clarinetist David Krakauer, Nicholas Kitchen & Yeesun Kim of the Borromeo String Quartet on Fairouz's Double Concerto commissioned by Ensemble 212, Daniel Phillips of the Orion String Quartet, a 10th anniversary memorial concert titled "Remembering 9/11: Memorial, Reflection, Assurance" and "Cultural Convergences", an innovative presentation with the Michael Mao Dance Company combining Huang Ruo's music and Yoon Jae Lee's chamber version of Der Abschied from Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde with modern dance.

Ensemble 212 has been featured on 105.9 FM WQXR's Q2 Music program and on BBC News Magazine. In recognition for its contribution to excellence in New York's diverse cultural scene, the orchestra was acknowledged by 93.9 FM WNYC & WQXR's Salute The Arts *STAR* Initiative in 2009 and 2013.

Rachel Ku, Violist: Violist Rachel Ku joined The Philadelphia Orchestra as the youngest member of the Orchestra in September 2004, at the age of 19. She has been studying viola since age eight and piano since age five. She made her solo debut in Taipei in 1995 and has since made solo appearances with the Mansfield Symphony in Ohio, the Rice University Chamber Orchestra, and the Curtis Chamber Ensemble. In January 2005 she performed as soloist in Hindemith's Der Schwanendreher with the Delaware Symphony as part of that ensemble's subscription concert series.

Ms. Ku has received several awards and honors, including first prize in the 2004 Delaware Symphony Orchestra Young Soloist Competition and second prize in the 2002 Riverside Symphonia Caprio Young Artists Competition. She was rewarded first prize at the 1997 Taiwan NationAl Viola Competition, as well as second and fifth prizes in the 1996 Taiwan NationAl Viola and Piano competitions, respectively. During the summers she has participated in numerous music festivals, such as Marlboro, Sarasota, Kneisel Hall, Taos, Angel Fire, the International Music Festival in Saluzzo, Italy, and the Encore School for Strings. She has collaborated as chamber musician with such artists as Kim Kashkashian, Steven Isserlis, Julian Rachlin, Chantal Juillet, David Kim, Arnold Steinhardt, and Marcy Rosen.

Ms. Ku graduated with a Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory studying with Kim Kashkashian and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music as a student of Joseph de Pasquale. She was principAl Viola of the Curtis Symphony for the 2002-03 season. In addition to teaching private lessons she is also an adjunct faculty member at the Boyer College of Music at Temple University and a faculty member at the Csehy Summer School of Music and the International Strings Music Festival.

Ke-Chia Chen, Composer in Residence: Ke-Chia Chen's compositions have been performed by leading orchestras, chamber ensembles and soloists throughout the United States, Japan and Taiwan. Her music has been programmed at a variety of different venues including Carnegie Hall (Song of the Wanderer, for clarinet and piano), the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (Broken Crystal, for orchestra), WHYY radio in Philadelphia (The Desires, for viola and double string quartet) and the Delaware Symphony Orchestra's Miles of Manuscript ~ A New Music Concert, hosted by David Lang (Rhapsody of Seasons for string quartet). Her work, To An Isolated Island for piano solo, can be heard on the Blue Griffin Recording Label release, Formosa: 24 Caprices for solo piano.

Ms. Chen's critically acclaimed Broken Crystal, winner of the prestigious Marilyn K. Glick Young Composer Award, was hailed by the Indianapolis Star as a work "orchestrated with lavish self-confidence and a resourcefulness", and "made a coherent whole out of its pattern of abrupt contrasts, crowned by a broad, stunningly accented 'maestoso' episode."

Past and present collaborators of Ms. Chen include Teddy Abrams, assistant conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Joshua Gersen, music director of the New York Youth Symphony; Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center violinists Ida Kavafian and Bella Hristova, viola soloist Toby Appel of the Julliard School, and musicians from the Marlboro Festival, Philadelphia Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming projects include a recording of The Silent Flame for horn and piano with Jennifer Montone, principle horn of the Philadelphia Orchestra. In 2013-2014, she will be a composer-in-residence with the New York based orchestra Ensemble 212 directed by Yoon Jae Lee.

Chen has received commissions and recognition from music organizations such as the The Lyra Society, the Curtis Institute of Music, and the Network for New Music in Philadelphia. Her music has been featured at the Bulgarian Consulate Evening Concerts and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York.

In 2012, Chen was awarded a Subito Grant from the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Composers Forum. She has been a young composer in residence at several music festivals including the Pacific Music Festival in

2007 and 2009, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Music at Angel Fire Chamber Music Festival. Scholarships and awards include the University of Pennsylvania's 2011 David Halstead Music Prize, the 2005 IBLA Foundation Grand Prize in composition, the 2004 Manhattan School of Music's Manhattan Prize for string quartet, and the University of Pennsylvania's 2009-2013 Benjamin Franklin Fellowship.

A native of Taiwan, Ke-Chia Chen holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, as well as a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. Past teachers include Richard Danielpour, James Primosch, David Ludwig, Lera Auerbach, Jay Reise, Anna Weesner, Herbert Willi, Robert Xavier Rodriguez, Ford Lallerstedt, and Gorden Shih-Wen Chin. Currently, Ms. Chen is on the Musical Studies faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music.

Miyun Chung, Violinist: Violinist Miyun Chung born in Korea and began violin studies at the age of 11. She received her Bachelor's degree from Han-Yang University in Seoul and Master's degree from Manhattan School of Music. She is the recipient of number of awards and competition prizes including the Seoul Music Competition, Young Musicians Competition sponsored by Chon-Buk National University and the National Student Music Competition. Her extensive training has included violin and chamber music studies Joseph Kim, Glenn Dicterow, Lisa Kim, Laurie Carney, Lucie Robert and Yoko Takebe.

She has performed with numerous orchestras such as Kwang-Ju city orchestra, Han-Yang string orchestra, Ureuk symphony orchestra, Korean Chamber Orchestra in NY, Ensemble 212 as a soloist. As an orchestra player, she was a concertmaster of Venusto Orchestra, Gwa-cheon City Youth Orchestra, OSH

Opera Orchestra, Ureuk Symphony Orchestra, MSM philharmonia orchestra and New York based orchestra Ensemble 212. She had her Debut recital at Carnegie's Weill Hall as a winner of Artist International Competition in 2008 and Hope Church in New Jersey. In her native country, she was a winner of Kumho Young Artist competition and had a recital at Kumho Art Hall also, had her solo recital at Sejoung Art Center's Chamber Hall in Korea.

Miyun Chung is a music director of New Jersey Little Orchestra and currently performing as a soloist, chamber musician and an orchestra player as a member of New York Soloists Ensemble, Sonata Da Chiesa, Ensemble 212, Korean Chamber Orchestra and OSH opera orchestra in the New York and New Jersey area.

Yoon Jae Lee, Conductor: Yoon Jae Lee enjoys a multifaceted career as conductor, arranger, pianist, and musical entrepreneur. As Founder & Artistic Director of Ensemble 212, Mo. Lee has built the New York based orchestra into one of today's finest young ensembles. Together they have received critical acclaim for innovative programming featuring works by living composers, arrangements of Mo. Lee, and exciting interpretations of the standard repertoire. Mo. Lee is a dedicated champion of new music. He has conducted numerous New York and world premieres of works by award-winning composers including Mohammed Fairouz's Tahrir, Akhnaten, Symphony No. 3 "Poems & Prayers", Huang Ruo's Path of Echoes: Chamber Symphony No. 1, Daniel Felsenfeld's Insomnia Redux and Busmeat. This season, he is collaborating with emerging composer Ke-Chia Chen as part of Ensemble 212's Composer in Residence program. His list of appearances as guest conductor include the Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, Bruckner Orchester Linz, Opera on Tap, New England Conservatory and has collaborated with distinguished artists including Nick Canellakis, D'Anna Fortunato, David Krakauer, members of the Attacca, Borromeo, Orion String Quartets, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Mo. Lee's arrangements have been praised by audiences and critics alike. The New York Times described his chamber version of Mahler's Fourth Symphony as "Illuminating.....with solos leaping out in unusually bold detail." His orchestral transcription of Mendelssohn's Octet "incorporated winds and brass.....intelligently", claimed David PatRick Stearns of the Philadelphia Inquirer when performed by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He has arranged several Mahler symphonies as well as Das Lied von der Erde and his recently completed orchestral reduction of Mahler's Second Symphony will receive its premiere in April 2014.

A native of New York City, Mo. Lee began musical studies on the violin and piano. At age 17, he began his conducting career, receiving degrees in piano and conducting from the Mannes College of Music where he was awarded the N. T. Milani Memorial Conducting Fellowship and the Peter M. Gross Fund. Mo. Lee also studied at the Universita?t Mozarteum Salzburg in Austria. During that time he served as Assistant Conductor to the Salzburger Kammerphilharmonie. His conducting mentors include Dennis Russell Davies, David Zinman, Samuel Wong, David Hayes, Michael Charry, Murry Sidlin, and Arkady Leytush. Mo. Lee has participated in Kurt Masur's conducting masterclass, the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, and the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute led by his keen interest in historical performance practice. He currently serves on the faculty at City College of New York (CUNY) where he is Music Director of the City College Symphony Orchestra.

Kyunghun Kim, Principal Associate Conductor: Kyunghun Kim is the music director of the Doctors Orchestral Society of New York, the Principal Associate Conductor of Ensemble 212 (New York based orchestra) and the music director of Ensemble Con Cuore, a chamber orchestra based in South Korea. This past summer, Mr. Kim appeared as a guest conductor with the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra and with the Fine Arts Summer Academy Orchestra at the renowned Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN. Mr. Kim previously held the position as resident conductor of the Chelsea Symphony Orchestra, assistant conductor of the Greenwich Village Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble. He has conducted the Vidin Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Queens Symphony Orchestra, and will conduct the subscription concerts of the SungNam Philharmonic Orhcestra and Seoul Pro Arte Orchestra for their 2013-14 season.

As a graduate (2011) of The Juilliard School with a Masters in Orchestral Conducting with James DePreist, Mr. Kim was an assistant conductor of AXIOM, a contemporary music ensemble at the Juilliard School and was a conductor of the same school's Music Advancement Program (MAP) orchestra during 2009-2011. Prior to this, he earned an Artist Diploma in Conducting in 2007 from The Curtis Institute of Music, under the auspices of Otto-Werner Mueller where he was an assistant conductor for a variety of opera projects.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Mr. Kim began studying piano, violin, and composition at the age of five with his mother and later attended and graduated from Sunhwa Arts High School in 1995. While continuing his study in the U.S., his diverse musical interests and skills led him to different positions: pianist for the musical theater at The Boston Conservatory, where he holds a B.M. in viola performance; principal violist of The Boston Conservatory's Orchestra. He has attended numerous festivals, including the Wiener Meisterkurse (with Salvador mas Conde), The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music (with Marin Alsop), and The Pierre Monteux School (with Michael Jinbo). In February of 2012, Mr. Kim was chosen as a participant in a Beethoven masterclass with Kurt Masur at the Manhattan School of Music. In addition to this, Mr. Kim has participated in master classes with Michael Tilson Thomas, Alan Gilbert, John Keenan, and Harold Farberman and he also was chosen as a semi-finalist and participated in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's the Sir. George Solti International Conducting Competition & Apprenticeship in June 2013. Mr. Kim currently lives and works in New York City.

Photo Credit: Chen Chu