The Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, GDYO, hosts an annual concerto competition for students who are members of their school orchestra and this year, senior Charlie Lin won the competition. A concert to honor winners, free for teachers and orchestra students, will be hosted at the Meyerson Symphony Center on March 6 at 8 p.m.

“It means a lot, it’s my final year and the prize is performing in a huge hall,” Lin said. “It’s like going out of high school with a bang.”

The GDYO is an advanced orchestral ensemble with 108 string, woodwind, brass, and percussion players who are high school students, many of which also perform for their school orchestra. Lin, a member of school orchestra since his freshman year and GDYO since his sophomore year, is the concert master, leader of the orchestra and top-ranked violin player.

“It’s going to be a really good concert and I’m really proud of GDYO as a whole,” Lin said. “I really like the environment and I think we can really create some good music.”

Lin is renowned for his violin skills and has been practicing in orchestra groups in and out of school while also competing in several competitions across Texas. He will be performing the first movement of the Sibelius Violin Concerto in d minor at the concert.

“Liberty orchestra has given him a lot of responsibility and leadership, but Charlie is a special musician,” orchestra teacher Julie Blackstock said. “He is already gifted and has a lot of natural talent, it’s his own personal skills that have helped him.”

Since Lin is a local resident, the GDYO hopes to get a large “hometown” audience to honor him. Free tickets will be offered to teachers and orchestra students.
“Everyone should go if they can because he deserves to have a crowd of peers there, his talents are not normal,” Blackstock said. “When we have something so special in a school like this from a student, you have to see it to believe it. To have that sitting here in Frisco, Texas, and at Liberty, that is something really special.”