Award-winning saxophonist Eddie Chen gets solo with GDYO

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Kennedy Williams

Orchestra and band students will hit the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Thursday to watch the World Premiere of a new cello piece, Polovtsian Dances, and Rite of Spring. Planning to pursue music in college, senior Kavan Mehta is hoping to learn from the professionals. “I decided to go to the performance because I think it’s a great experience to see professional musicians firsthand and understand the styles, intricate details, and the musicality of the pieces they really emphasize in concerts,” Mehta said.

After seven years of dedication to his instrument, junior saxophonist Eddie Chen will bring his talent to the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra after being the only student in DFW selected to play a solo.

I feel that my passion for the saxophone comes from my passion for music in general,

— Eddie Chen

While Chen didn’t originally start his experience as an instrumentalist with the saxophone, it quickly peaked his interest.

“I feel that my passion for the saxophone comes from my passion for music in general,” junior Eddie Chen said. “From a young age, I played the piano, and I decided to play the saxophone in middle school, because I could play both classical and jazz music.”

The program has served over 450 young musicians with two full orchestras, three string orchestras, a wind ensemble, a flute choir, and six jazz combos. While the audition process to be a part of this elite group may be tedious, Chen still finds time to rehearse, as well as devote time to school.

“Instead of trying to focus on both at the same time, I prioritize one at a time,” Chen said. “If I am more busy in school, I will devote more time towards school and practice less. However, if I have a lot of band events coming up, I will spend more time practicing.”

The audition is competitive, as two to three judges evaluate around 850 auditions, and then place each student in the appropriate ensemble, depending on the instrument and skill level.

“Everybody plays a scale, everybody plays their selected piece, and everybody has to play the excerpts that we put on the internet that they have to play,” GDYO music director Richard Giangiulio said. “The audition lasts between five to six minutes and that’s how they get in depending on how well they play. They get on the application to write down their choices in line of what they would like to do and if they make it, then we’ll put them where they decided to go.”

Auditionees who successfully complete the first part of audition then move on to the second part, which prepares them for the concerts that they auditioned for.

“After all that, they get their notice in May, and then we have auditions at the end of August before Labor Day, and then they come in and they have to take a seating audition and then [the judges] seat them accordingly, so the best player is the first chair and the worst of the violins will be in the last chair going on down, so they have to take that audition,” Giangiulio said. “Once that audition is over, then we have rehearsals once a week from 5 to 8:30 every Sunday, and then we practice and have four concerts a year.”

This concert isn’t Chen’s first experience with an orchestra, as he competed in the Wind Symphony Concerto Competition and the “Young Artist Competition” for the Plano Symphony Orchestra. The Wind Symphony is an ensemble of 55 to 60 wind, brass, and percussion players who are high school seniors or younger.

Basically, that’s a great opportunity for aspiring young artists,

— band director Zach Anderson

Collin County students compete every January for the opportunity to perform a concerto with the Plano symphony, and Winners are named in two divisions: junior division and senior division, which Eddie is in the senior division and also in three categories: strings, winds, and percussion,” band director Zach Anderson said. “The thing that he is competing for is called a concerto competition with the Plano Symphony, so he was selected as the first place winner in all of Collin County and in all the metroplex area to perform a solo performance with the Plano Symphony Orchestra.  Basically, that’s a great opportunity for aspiring young artists.”

Jazz, which Chen is heavily involved with as a saxophonist, first emerged in the black cultures of New Orleans from the mixed influences of ragtime, blues, and the band music played at New Orleans funerals.

“Eddie is involved in a lot of extra curricular things outside of just the Liberty band and is doing an incredible job,” Anderson said. “He’s been selected to perform and is placed in various ensembles that include the Jazz Bands of America. He is selected as the Texas All state Musician, is in the top ensemble here, is in the top jazz group here, and now has won the Plano Symphony Young Artist Competition.”

Chen has dedicated a lot of time and extracurricular activities to his musical talent with the full support  and involvement of his family.

I always knew he had a passion for music, but did not know he had a special talent for it,

— mother Jennifer Chen

“I always knew he had a passion for music, but did not know he had a special talent for it,” mother Jennifer Chen said. “I spend time volunteering at band events, taking him to lessons, and watching his performances. I try to contribute through financial means and by encouraging and supporting him. I’m very proud of all his accomplishments. He has worked hard and I’m happy that his efforts have paid off.”

Chen’s mother isn’t the only one proud of him, as Chen himself is pleased with the strides he has made as a saxophonist.

“I feel very grateful to have achieved a lot this year,” Chen said. “So many people have helped me along the way, and I wouldn’t be where I am without them. I also feel very proud of myself because I set goals for this year, and I worked hard to achieve them.”