For several years, it has been a Parents’ Weekend tradition for a senior, either a member of the Arts Concentration Program or of the Choate Symphony Orchestra, to perform a solo piece with the Orchestra. Following David Park ’17’s Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto and Annett Ho ’18’s Wieniawski Violin Concerto, Kaki Su ’19 performed Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto on October 26 in the Choate Chapel. Musicians also performed Berlioz’s Roman Carnival.
This concert was certainly a special moment for Su and the orchestra, as they performed some of the pieces that they will be playing in Italy this summer. An unexpected guest also performed, rendering the event even more exceptional. Annett Ho ’18 joined the orchestra to replace the current group’s concertmaster, who was unable to attend the event because of schedule conflicts.
Ho said, “I really missed Choate and the orchestra that I grew up with, and it was nice to see old and new people. Kaki did a great job in the concert, and I was glad to be with her for her meaningful performance.”
To prepare for this concert, the orchestra practiced three times a week since the first week of school, and put in extra hours during sectional rehearsals on Sundays.
Su said, “I first want to thank the orchestra and the people who came to watch my concert. The main reason that I chose the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto was because of the piece’s familiarity. I wanted the audience to enjoy the music with me and I also knew that the Choate Orchestra was capable enough to help me achieve that goal. This piece is definitely challenging, but I knew that our orchestra was advanced enough to play it very well. ”
Su said that this concert was different from her many other performances. “I remember when I walked up to the piano, unlike other concerts, I knew exactly what to do.” After her performance, she was speechless. “Even up to this point, this concert seems surreal to me,” she said. “But when watching my performance video, I can recall what it was like each moment. I specifically remember when I cried as soon as I saw my Yale piano professor at the concert. It reminded me of the hard work my colleagues, my teacher, and I put in just for this concert.”
It was “an experience I will never forget,” she said. She added that it is very meaningful as a musician to be able to share music and help people realize its significance. “Looking at the audience enjoy your performance is a huge motivation for me to pursue what I love,” Su said.
