MYSO Orchestra To Premiere Park's "Hope in the Dark" Piece

The Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) is currently preparing for their March 3rd “A Light in the Dark” Winter Concert at Lewis University (Romeoville, IL), directed by Dr. Benjamin Firer. Among the repertoire to be performed is a piece commissioned specifically for MYSO and the current events we continue to live in together as a community, titled Hope in the Dark.

Composer Sin Young (Marie) Park was contacted by Firer last summer about the idea of writing a piece for MYSO’s String Ensemble.

“When Maestro Firer asked me to write a piece for MYSO, I was excited about this opportunity,” says Park. “Right now, everyone is having a very hard time due to COVID-19. We are living an unpredictable life. I wanted to express ‘Hope’ in this ‘Dark time’ since we all believe we will soon see a recovered world and return to our normal lives. Through this piece, I want to comfort all those who have struggled since last year and give them Hope in the Dark.”

Park is a New York-based Korean award-winning composer born in Bordeaux, France. She has received an award from the Korea Animation Producers Association. Her orchestra piece was selected by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and was a semi-finalist of the American Prize. Her recent piece was selected by Ebb & Flow Arts’ Music from Around World series. She won several international competitions such as 2015 Delta Omicron Triennial Composition Competition, Mullen Sacred Composition Competition, 2015 Singapore Asian Composer Festival, The Minimal Piano Series, National Flute Association's composition competition and Music Unites the World Songwriting Contest.

MYSO’s upcoming “A Light in the Dark” Winter Concert will be streamed online on March 3, 2021 at 7:30pm. The program will also include Bach’s Allegro from Sinfonia No. 6, Warlock’s Capriol Suite, Rosauro’s Concerto for Marimba with Guest Soloist Laura Franklin, and a string orchestra arrangement Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade by Carrie Lane Gruselle.

MYSO currently has openings in all string sections of the orchestra: viola, cello, bass, and advanced violin. Membership in MYSO consists of junior high and high school students from over 21 communities surrounding the Joliet area, as well as students from Lewis University and Joliet Junior College.

For more information about MYSO auditions and the upcoming concert, visit www.mysomusic.org.