“If one of her teachers at Del Norte High School asks her to write an essay about what she did on her summer break, Flora Li should have a ready response,” writes James Chute in Thursday’s (7/25) San Diego Union-Tribune. “She performed with the International Youth Symphony, an annual collaboration between the San Diego Youth Symphony and Rotary District 5340 MusiCamp International.” Beginning on July 15, the 40-member chamber orchestra rehearsed daily for four hours in preparation for concerts on July 25 and 31…. ‘It’s great to see how other musicians, especially musicians from around the world, express themselves through music,’ said Li, who is the Youth Symphony’s associate concertmaster.… ‘You are responsible for not only your section, like the other section leaders, but the entire orchestra,’ Li said… ‘It’s also really fun.’ Li has enjoyed sharing a music stand with violinist Mattea Anderes from Switzerland, who like Li has been studying violin much of her young life. … ‘They develop a mutual respect for each other and each other’s talents and achievements,” [Music Director Jeff] Edmons said. “That’s what makes a program like this so wonderful: we find through music that all of us—musicians, conductor, audience—have so much in common.’”
Posted August 1, 2013
