La Jolla student takes classmates along on her musical adventure

For La Jolla Country Day School senior Vicky Chen, her first prize on piano in the inaugural Coronado Philharmonia Orchestra Concerto Competition in the spring wasn’t just about the award and the prize money that came with it. It was an opportunity to draw her classmates closer to classical music.

On Saturday, Sept. 6, Chen and fellow CPO Concerto Competition winners will perform works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Felix Mendelssohn and Edvard Grieg during CPO’s concert from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Coronado School of the Arts. And with some of the $1,000 prize Chen received in the March competition, she invited 50 of her classmates to attend this weekend’s show at no charge to them.

Though classical music may not as catchy as, say, Taylor Swift, Chen believes young audiences can get a lot out of it.

“As a young person who is in many spheres with other young people, I take any chance I can get to try and make classical music more accessible,” Chen said. “It’s something I truly believe in and I love and I want to share with anyone who will listen.”

La Jolla Country Day middle school strings and orchestra teacher Joe Rowling will perform in the viola section at the Sept. 6 show. Chen’s decision to give tickets to her classmates is a good way to support her work and push people outside their usual musical interests, Rowling said.

“A lot of them maybe wouldn’t think to go to a performance like that,” Rowling said. “But with …purchasing tickets, it can really encourage people who wouldn’t normally go to go and experience this type of music.”

Chen’s longtime passion for music and performing began at age 5 after watching her two older brothers play piano. She received her own private instruction, and now she is skilled at piano, violin and singing.

Over the years, Chen developed an interest in the composition, phrasing and other details in each piece she performed.

“It was definitely hard in the beginning because you’re just a kid and I was kind of put into it,” she said. “As time went on though, I fell in love with music — the composers, the process of playing and performing. I love performing.”

In school, Chen said, she focuses on nailing her technique, playing on pitch and hitting every note. At the same time, however, she leaves a lot of room for personal expression.

“It’s all about telling a story,” she said. “And I love trying to come up with my own story and convey it to the audience.”

Rowling has seen Chen’s development as a musician as she’s made her way through Country Day.

“Being at a school that is nursery through 12th grade, I get to see the students from a young age growing,” Rowling said. “Even when Vicky was in lower school, she stood out onstage as a performer on her violin … and just being really musical.”

Chen said she considers violin and singing her primary musical focuses. But after she prepared a piano piece for a different contest, she caught wind of the CPO Concerto Competition and decided to throw her hat in the ring.

She vividly remembers messing up during her performance.

“I did a complete fumble of a landing,” Chen recalled. “In that moment, I panicked, but I still had a huge cadenza ahead of me … and I played the cadenza with as much conviction as I could and ended with as much conviction as I could. And I tried not to show my mistake on my face.”

“I was totally expecting not to win when the announcements were made that same night,” she said. “But when I heard my name … I was really shocked.”

Chen’s Sept. 6 show will mark the second time she has played with an orchestra behind her and what she figures will be her last big piano performance for the foreseeable future as she focuses on creating portfolios for her violin playing and singing.

Still, she sees each of her skills continuing to play a part in her life.

“I see myself maybe singing in the Met one day and the next day playing in the symphony and the next day accompanying someone on the piano,” Chen said.

“Even though maybe someone on the outside would say it’s better to specialize and you can focus more energy on one thing … I feel like me doing all three of my instruments is harmonious and they all help to improve one another. And I want to keep doing that until I can’t anymore.”