Stringing Along: APAC Orchestra 2019

APAC Orchestra 2019 took place in Daejon, South Korea, from 13 November to 17 November, and was hosted by Taejon Christian International School (TCIS). AISG sent nine musicians, consisting of violin, viola, and cello players. They were accompanied by Ms. Staver, the MS and HS strings teacher, as well as Mr. McCarthy, an HS English teacher, both of whom were chaperones for the AISG performers on the trip. Along with AISG and TCIS, four other schools were present as well: Western Academy of Beijing, Shanghai American School of Pudong, Canadian Academy of Kobe, and Concordia International School of Shanghai.

Lillian L, a Junior, who has been a part of APAC Orchestra in previous years as well, stated that she “enjoyed the experience much more compared to before.” Although she didn’t enjoy waking up at 4:00 A.M. in order to reach AISG’S Ersha campus at 5:00 in the morning, she loved the memories and new friends that she made. She recounts that the team bonded over the flights and bus-rides, and their go-to activity soon became playing cards or “Mafia” with each other.

Laura-Grace C, a new member of AISG’s Orchestra ensemble this year, stated that she was “surprised when [she] learned how far TCIS was from Incheon.” After embarking on a three-hour-long plane ride, the performers had another two-hour-long bus ride waiting for them. She also stated that “[she] was constantly tired during the duration of APAC,” because all the performers had to be present at 8:00 A.M., and rehearse till 5:00 P.M. with only a few ten-minute water breaks, and a break for lunch. However, Grace thoroughly enjoyed the food at TCIS, stating “it was a welcome respite from AISG food.” She was delighted with the local cuisine in Daejon as well, and stated that “Korean BBQ in Korea was much better than Korean BBQ elsewhere.”

Unlike APAC sports, Orchestra didn’t culminate in a final match resulting in a set of winners. Instead, all the schools banded together for a final performance together under the leadership of the guest conductor Raphael Jiménez. Raphael Jiménez is a world-renowned musician who is currently the Director of Orchestras at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. His work has been described by The New York Times as “tightly wrought,” and “vividly shaped,” and by The Washington Times as “deliciously buoyant.”

Lillian L. enjoyed working with the guest conductor and says that she’ll forever remember his advice. One of her favorites was, “Don’t try to be the best performer in your section, instead, try to be the best performer for your section.”

Listed below are the members of AISG’S Orchestra ensemble:

Violin 1: Alex K. (9) and Queenie T. (11)

Violin 2: Jiyoon K. (9) and Chih-Hsuan C. (9)

Viola: Lillian L. (11) and Bonnie W. (10)

Cello: SungA K. (12), Laura-Grace C. (11) and Amy N. (10)