Children's Orchestra Society
Encyclopedia
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
founded by Dr. Hiao Tsiun Ma for musically talented children and teens.
Purpose
Founded in 1962, the organization is dedicated to "teaching children the language of music" and to presenting young musicians - through orchestra and chamber music presentations - to other children and to well-established artists. It is under the leadership of its executive director, Dr. Yeou-Cheng Ma, and music director, Michael DadapMichael Dadap
Michael Dadap is a popular Filipino guitarist, composer, and conductor, and an influential advocate of Filipino folk music. He was influential in the creation of a world-class rondalla ensemble in the United States is also the founding music director of the Iskwelahang Rondalla of Boston,...
since 1984. COS believed in children's capability to learn and develop musical talent at the highest level, especially if nurtured and supported. Teaching begins from early childhood to high school graduates. With this vision, through the support of its board members, and the dedicated work of its staff and faculty, COS grew from an 18-member ensemble to a 35 string players in 1984, then to more than 200 student members, which is composed of four orchestras, a chamber music department, musicianship classes, and private lessons in piano, guitar and all orchestral instruments. Its advanced orchestra, the Young Symphonic Ensemble, was able to present annual concerts at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall
Alice Tully Hall
Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. It is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and philanthropist whose donations assisted in the construction of the hall...
since the establishment of the Discovery Concert Series in 1994. Some of COS's past guest artists include: Emanuel Ax
Emanuel Ax
Emanuel Ax is a Grammy-winning American classical pianist. He is currently a teacher on the faculty of the Juilliard School. He is considered one of the best known concert pianists of the 21st century.-Early life:...
, Sarah Chang
Sarah Chang
Sarah Chang is a Korean American violinist. Her debut came in 1989 with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Shortly thereafter, Chang was recognized as a child prodigy. She enrolled at Juilliard School to study music, graduating in 1999 and continuing university studies...
, Jaime Laredo
Jaime Laredo
Jaime Laredo is a violinist and conductor. Currently the conductor and Music Director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, he began his musical career when he was five years old. In 1948 he came to North America and took lessons from Antonio DeGrass...
, Cecile Licad
Cecile Licad
Cecile Licad is a renowned Filipina virtuoso classical pianist dubbed as a "a pianist's pianist" by The New Yorker, "her artistry, a blend of daring musical instinct and superb training." -Biography:...
, Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
, Paula Robison, David Shifrin
David Shifrin
David Shifrin is an American classical clarinetist.-Performances:He has performed clarinet concertos with many major orchestras around the world....
, and Cho-Liang Lin
Cho-Liang Lin
Cho-Liang Lin , born in Hsinchu, Taiwan, is a Taiwanese American violinist who is renowned for his appearances as a soloist with major orchestras. "Musical America" named him its "Instrumentalist of the Year" in 2000...
. The Young Symphonic Ensemble (YSE) had also toured in numerous cities in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, including performances in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. COS members perform in orchestral and chamber music concerts with well-known musicians and their peer group. In 2007, COS made its Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
Debut with guest artists Jaime Laredo
Jaime Laredo
Jaime Laredo is a violinist and conductor. Currently the conductor and Music Director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, he began his musical career when he was five years old. In 1948 he came to North America and took lessons from Antonio DeGrass...
and Sharon Robinson
Sharon Robinson (cellist)
Sharon Hall Robinson is an American cellist. She has had a highly successful performing career, both as a concert solo artist and as a member of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, and has recorded extensively...
. The organization strives to involve members with their communities through performances for civic and cultural groups. The New York Times has reviewed several of its performances.
Mission and philosophy
Apart from being a non-profit and an educationally inclined organization for children, the Children's Orchestra Society also has the mission to cultivate and nurture children in the spirit of teamwork and to provide skills that are useful in life through music-learning and performing opportunities in orchestral and chamber music settings. COS provides excellent training in classical music. The organization has a unique child-centered teaching approachbecause it believes in a child's innate capacity to learn and develop encouraged in a friendly, supportive and cooperative environment. The learning experience of a child at COS is not specifically to produce professional musicians, but to instill in each member the concept of invaluable experience and the benefits of music making. This is done at COS by fostering a supportive learning environment, by creating performing opportunities, by providing role models and a bridge to the professional world through master classes and performance collaborations with eminent musicians, and by enriching and involving the community through performances for civic and cultural groups.
Membership
The Children's Orchestra Society is committed to keeping its programs accessible to the broadest range of families. Acceptance to COS is based on auditions. The organization accepts students of various levels and offers a wide range of programs suitable for students from beginners to the most gifted. Membership fees are kept below the actual costs of the organization's operation, and scholarships are available for exceptional young musicians who require financial assistance.See also
- Yo-Yo MaYo-Yo MaYo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
- Cecile LicadCecile LicadCecile Licad is a renowned Filipina virtuoso classical pianist dubbed as a "a pianist's pianist" by The New Yorker, "her artistry, a blend of daring musical instinct and superb training." -Biography:...
- Jaime LaredoJaime LaredoJaime Laredo is a violinist and conductor. Currently the conductor and Music Director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, he began his musical career when he was five years old. In 1948 he came to North America and took lessons from Antonio DeGrass...
- China Institute in AmericaChina Institute in AmericaThe China Institute in America is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution in New York City, that was founded in 1926.-Purpose:China Institute in America, located at 125 East 65th Street, New York City, advances a deeper understanding of China through programs in education, culture,...
- Mary HowellMary HowellMary Catherine Raugust Howell was a physician, psychologist, lawyer, mentor, musician and mother. She was the first woman dean at Harvard Medical School and led the fight to end quotas and open medical schools to women.-Biography:Dr. Howell was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota...
Memorial Scholarship
General
- Source of the full name of The Children's Orchestra founder: Dr. Hiao Tsiun Ma, Maestro Dadap, (Music Director of The Children's Orchestra) Yearns for the Kundiman, Life & Music & the Filipino, Philippine News and PhilippineNews.com, December 6, 2005, retrieved on: July 7, 2007