Yesterday, our own Ariella Kim, 12 years-of-age, appeared for the very first time in a concerto with orchestra. Invited by the Golden Valley Orchestra, Ariella performed the first movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto in B-flat Major, K. 595. The concert was held at Golden Valley Lutheran Church.
For Ariella (and any young artist) it was a watershed event. To play a concerto at a young age with orchestra is a very special moment in a young artist's life, and Ariella made the most of it. It was a culmination of her 6-plus years of study with Jo Anne. Jo Anne and Ariella possess a very special teacher-pupil relationship that is making possible Ariella's growth and development as a unique and very special performer.
It is fascinating that Ariella has always possessed a big, robust, healthy, round, and beautiful sound - even as a little kid. She has a "sixth sense" of projecting that sound. All of this was on full display yesterday. Ariella's performance was filled with utter conviction and drive. Her phrasing was natural, logical, yet highly individual. She led the orchestra through Mozart's profound and complicated score. Her passagework soared in a linear and highly vocal manner. One of the most moving moments (impossible to describe in words) was Ariella's rendering of Mozart's divinely inspired development section. As the orchestra presented the main motives of the movement in tones of long
duration,
Ariella answered with a sweeping counterpoint that fulfilled the core of the "sound envelope". It was fleeting, but the sensation was overwhelming. That a 12-year-old hears, understands, and can communicate this to an audience is an amazing thing.
So, now one asks: "Where does Ariella go from here?" Where will Jo Anne take her next? What incredible possibilities lay before her.
Yours in Music -
Joe & Jo Anne
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