A Memorable Musical and Cultural Exchange Tour for Young Marlboro Musicians

Led by Bravura Youth Orchestra’s funder and conductor, Ms. Chiu-Tze Lin, sixteen young musicians between 10 to 18 years old toured Guangzhou and Macau in China this summer. More than half of the students who went to the tour live in Monmouth County, three of which residing in Marlboro: Tienne Yu, violinist; Jared Chiou, trumpeter; and Jodie Chiou, flutist.

​Before our departure, New Jersey Senator Cory A. Booker and Governor Chris Christie wrote to the Bravura Youth Orchestra, congratulating us for our efforts in working with Chinese musicians through cultural exchange. Senator Booker lauded the orchestra, saying that “New Jersey is proud to call you its own.” Governor Christie wrote that he “applaud[s] everyone involved with this tour for fostering international cooperation in promoting the arts.”

​This educational and fantastic trip really helped us mature as musicians and gave us the opportunity to collaborate with three Chinese youth orchestral groups: the Guangdong Symphonic Youth Orchestra, the Guangzhou Little Angel Orchestra, and the Macau Youth Orchestra. Our program included a variety of music, ranging from classic music, such “Hungarian Dance No. 5” and “Libertango,” to popular American music like “The Entertainer,” Scott Joplin’s well-known ragtime, and “Go West,” a compilation of American’s western movie themes. The pieces we collaborated with the Chinese orchestras included Arturo Marquez’s “Danzon No. 2,” Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero,” and Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 5.” Although we may have been quite different from the kids in China educationally and culturally, music, the universal language around the world, brought us together and created beautiful memories.

​During our busy tour, we also visited many historical and sight-seeing attractions, thanks to the ardent efforts of the organizers and tour guides of our trip. In addition, we attended two excellent professional concerts. A notable event was a solo concert of Adrian Anantawan, an amazing and inspiring violinist born without his right arm. With the help of a bow-holding device, his violin sounded so touching that it struck a chord in my heart. He brought many people to tears during the performance.

As the principal second violinist for the touring Bravura Youth Orchestra group, I enjoyed helping the group stay confident and in unison. Although our group didn’t necessarily have many people, we put a lot of effort into creating a strong and impressive sound, and the audiences gave us the warmest cheers and praises. I loved talking and practicing with the Chinese musicians at my age and sharing the beautiful music. This musical and cultural exchange experience is truly educational and memorable.