Shanghai Orchestra Academy Students To Perform With The New York Philharmonic

Five students from the Shanghai Orchestra Academy (SOA) have been selected to participate in the New York Philharmonic Global Academy Fellowship Program, a week-long immersion in the life of an orchestral musician, June 9-16, 2018. The students, who are known as Zarin Mehta Fellows, will take lessons with Philharmonic musicians and train and play alongside the Orchestra, led by James Gaffigan, at the Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer. The students are Renchao Yu, violin; Kuan Liu, viola; Fangyu Huang, flute; Yanru Chiu, clarinet; and Sihong Zhao, bassoon. Auditions were held at the Shanghai Orchestra Academy in March 2018 by a panel of New York Philharmonic musicians. Read more about the SOA 2018 Zarin Mehta Fellows here.

Musical Mentorship and Once-in-a-Lifetime Performance Opportunities

While in New York, the five SOA students will work one-on-one with musicians from the New York Philharmonic, including Concertmaster Frank Huang, Principal Associate Concertmaster Sheryl Staples, Principal Viola Cynthia Phelps, Associate Principal Viola Rebecca Young, flutists Yoobin Son and Mindy Kaufman, Principal Clarinet Anthony McGill, Acting Associate Principal Clarinet Pascual Martínez Forteza, Principal Bassoon Judith LeClair, and Associate Principal Bassoon Kim Laskowski. The students will train and play alongside the Orchestra in preparation for performances of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade at the Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, led by James Gaffigan.

June 12: Concerts in the Parks - Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx

June 13: Concerts in the Parks - Central Park, Manhattan

June 14: Concerts in the Parks - Cunningham Park, Queens

June 15: Concerts in the Parks - Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Cross-Cultural and Educational Exploration

In addition to the fantastic musical experiences and education that the Zarin Mehta Fellows will receive, the five SOA students will also have a chance to explore the "Big Apple" and its many cultural sites and important historical locations including the 9/11 Memorial and Freedom Tower, Statue of Liberty, and Brooklyn Bridge. Along with tours of David Geffen Hall and Carnegie Hall, students will also receive a personal tour of the New York Philharmonic Archives by Barbara Haws, the New York Philharmonic's Archivist/Historian since 1984.

About the Shanghai Orchestra Academy

The Shanghai Orchestra Academy (SOA) is a two-year post-graduate program designed to address the need for advanced orchestral training in China. It is a joint effort of the New York Philharmonic and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in partnership with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and under the leadership of founding president Long Yu. Other international partners have since offered practical training opportunities to SOA students, among them the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, and Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra. Starr International Foundation is the Presenting Sponsor of the New York Philharmonic-Shanghai Orchestra Academy and Residency Partnership.