Cancer Awareness Project and Chamber Performs at Incredible Concert
On December 7, last Saturday, a small group of SMIC-I students dressed in fine evening clothes, carrying classical instruments, gathered together in Puxi for a Cancer Awareness charity concert. This fundraiser was held at the Parsons Music School on Fenyang Rd, which is just a small auditorium with fifty or more seats, but on the night of the concert, it was packed with an eager audience long before the performance began. Ann Hsu (12A), from the Cancer Awareness Project, worked closely with Ms. Jeannie Hooi and the performing chamber members to singlehandedly build an event helping cancer victims out through the talents and efforts of the students. “I know that students in chamber or orchestra seek for more chances to perform and practice. I think this would be a wonderful experience for them to observe closely how a small, personal concert is like and they might be able to host one in the future,” Ann said.
Ann Hsu playing an elegant Martinu piece with her piano teacher behind her Photo courtesy of Sophia Shan (9B)
She herself also played three duets on the flute with another piano player. Another brilliant piece with the same instruments: “Castle in the Sky,” played by Nina Liao (11A) and Samuela Ma’u (9B), kicked off the concert, followed by highly-talented solos of the clarinet and violin along more wonderful piano and flute pieces, before ending with the whole group playing “Gloria” to Ms. Jeanine’s conducting.
All the chambers members gathered on the stage during “Gloria” with Ms. Jeanine leading them Photo courtesy of Sophia Shan
One of the issues that the performers were faced with was that despite Ann Hsu’s planning ahead, the music school had only two music stands prepared on the night of the concert, and only three were procured at last, but it did not change the performance quality, professionalism, or the results. “The result is better than I expected. Of course, my performance was not perfect and a lot of things could be improved if I were given a chance to redo it. But for the fact that almost the whole studio was full and we had all tried our best, the result is considered as successful in my personal opinion,” said Ann. The awareness-raising concert was a success with the high turnout of attendees and all the money raised through tickets, which went on to a certified cancer-stopping organization in China.
Below is the list of all the performances at the concert:
1. Nina Liao (11A) and Samuela Ma’u (9B)- “Castle in the Sky” by Studio Ghibli (flute and piano)
2. Ann Hsu (12A)- “Martinu” by Wolfgang Mozart (flute and piano)
3. Ann- “Flute Quartet in D Major, K.285” by Wolfgang Mozart (flute and piano)
4. Dio Shin (10A) – “Violin Partita No.2 Giga” by Johann Sebastian Bach (clarinet)
5. YingYing Huang (10B)-“Partita II Chaconne” Johann Sebastian Bach (violin)
6.Ann and Nina- “Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel (flute and piano)
7. Esther Yoo (9B)- “Violin Concerto in A-minor” by Jean-Baptiste, Accolay (violin)
8. Joyce Ben (11B)- “Sonetto104 del Petrarca” by Liszt (piano)
9. Andy Zhou (11B) – “Rhapsody Op. 79 No.2” by Brahms (piano)
10. Nina, Samuela, Dio, Yingying, Dio, Esther, and Joyce- “Gloria” by Antonio Vivaldi (violin, flute, clarinet, and piano)
“Cancer awareness is important as people normally don’t know much about it and don’t give much thought about it. They only consider it as an illness without considering all the pain and problems that it brings. Thus, it is important for people to truly understand patients with cancer and how we can help them,” Ann finished.
Featured Image- Yingying Huang playing her violin piece by heart during the charity concert Photo courtesy of Sophia Shan