Bidding bravo to young musicians

By choosing a repertoire from the classical canon for the program, Yu and Harding have advanced the professional careers of musicians like Zhang Jin. Training musicians with a time-honored repertoire plays a key role in programs like YMCG and professional orchestras.

For YMCG's 10th anniversary in 2027, the two maestros have chosen Gustav Mahler's vast and majestic Symphony No 2 in C minor, "Resurrection". Although prominent vocalists and the chorus have yet to be announced, music pundits anticipate a full Mahler symphonic cycle performed by YMCG cadets in the coming years.

Previously, YMCG has included symphonic works from J. S. Bach, Antonin Dvorak, Richard Strauss, and Mahler. It performed Mahler's Symphony No 1 in D Major in 2025. Zhang Jin's orchestra played the same work by the Austrian composer on the opening night of Yanguan's all-wood opera house in May. The newly founded ensemble has also performed five of Beethoven's nine symphonies and collaborated with superstar Lang Lang to perform Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No 1.

For the 2026 YMCG, Yu and Harding chose Strauss' Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life), written by the composer in his 30s. Strauss told author Romain Rolland that "no program notes are needed; it suffices to understand it as a hero's struggle against his enemies". From the E-flat arpeggio on the double bass strings and horns to the glissandi on two harps, an artist's arduous life was depicted by its complex musical form.

During the 2026 YMCG rehearsals, the vibes were rigorous and humorous. Many of the 15 faculty members sat among the young cadets, with the orchestral scores on their laps or pocket scores in their hands. Rick Stotijn, the towering bass faculty from Amsterdam, instructed section members to provide more momentum for the orchestra, and the eight bassists marked their scores. Helmut Zehetner, a seasoned violinist from the Vienna Philharmonic, and Dutch violist Catherine Ribes from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra approached the string sections, emphasizing the rhythmic structure of this particular work.

After days of rehearsal, the young musicians interpreted the monumental work with bravura on a series of touring concerts around the Greater Bay Area. They further enchanted the audience with Mahler's Blumine and Ruckert-Lieder, featuring star mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill and maestro Harding on the podium. During curtain calls at the Hong Kong Cultural Center Concert Hall, Harding walked up to each section and shook as many hands as he could. Cargill, Harding and Yu were swarmed by overjoyed cadets asking for selfies backstage.

"When Ein Heldenleben reached its climax on the E-flat note, there was real synergy," says Zhang Jin. The Hong Kong concert became even more memorable for the bassist when her classmates gathered on stage to play the birthday song.

At the waterfront, Zhang Jin shared birthday cakes with her colleagues, including Wang Yi, a graduate from the Sichuan Conservatory of Music who now plays in the Chengdu Symphony Orchestra; Zhang Jiawei, who studies in Cologne and regularly performs major opera programs with the regional orchestra for Monchengladbach and Krefeld; and Lu Tianchen, a Xinghai Conservatory of Music graduate who shares videos of rehearsals and his electric bass gigs with his band.