Days are getting longer. Flowers, trees, and vegetables are starting to take root and are beginning to bloom. Grass and weeds grow and the work of spring calls us to action: to work, to cultivate, to dig deep, to plant seeds, and to participate in the rhythm and harmony of our world. This semester, the GPAC Youth Symphony Program celebrates that diligent effort musically with a concert titled “Into the Light of Spring” on Sunday, April 30, featuring the Mozart String Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Mendelssohn String Orchestra, the GYSO String Quartets, and the Youth Symphony Orchestra. Through works including David Schaffer’s “Into the Light,” Brian Balmages’ “Fantasy on a Japanese Folk Song,” Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Fantasia on Greensleeves,” Mozart’s “String Quartet in C Major, KV465,” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 1,” the GYSP will present the musical work that we’ve worked on cultivating over the past semester. We invite you to come and hear the “musical fruits” of our labor!  

This concert will also feature our 2022-2023 Concerto Competition winner, Bill Chiang, playing Concerto in A Minor, BMV 1041, Mvt 1, by J.S. Bach.

Bill Chiang

Bill Chiang is a 14-year-old violinist who originally comes from Baltimore, Maryland. He moved to Memphis in 2016 and has played the violin for nine years. For the past seven years, Bill has been performing in orchestras, including the All-West Orchestra since 5th grade. In 2022, he achieved first chair in the All-West Middle School Orchestra and also won the Beethoven Competition for the Junior B division. Currently studying music under Priscilla Tsai, Bill attends Memphis University School, where he enjoys studying chemistry and biology. Bill likes to cook, read science fiction, and play video games in his free time.