By Emily von Buttlar
Exec. Features Editor
Senior Andrew Lui and Sophomore Katherine Mueller outplay the competition to achieve first place on violin and viola.
Lui decided to play Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto No.5, and Mueller played viola Concerto in C minor Third Movement by Bach. Each students score was based on rhythm, intonation, expression and more to determine where they would place in each division, which was divided up by grade levels. Around 40 students participated in this competition resulting in 6 winners and 10 honorable mentions.
“I liked the way [the piece] sounded, it is very much in a Franco-Belgian style and the virtuosity is Paganini-esque,” Lui said. “It was a push for me both musically and technically, so it was a great fit.”
Having to compete virtually this year, both Lui and Mueller sent in recordings of them playing their pieces to Albert Jeung, the adjudicator for the competition. According to Mueller, she was very anxious after sending her recording in, thinking it wasn’t perfect, and Lui says his recording was far from perfect.
“The most important thing was that I was happy about the recording and I would have been fine not winning anything because there is an intrinsic value to music making,” Lui said.
They are both inspired by other Costa students including Daichi Horiguchi and Audrey Lee, who placed second in the upper strings division Meuller and Lui says. He is also inspired by his favorite violinists, Hilary Hahn and David Oistrakh, Lui says. According to Mueller, she enjoys classical music and the dynamic of orchestra and string instruments.
“The years that I have competed in the solo competition, I consistently received second prize,” Lui said. “It is a requirement for Chamber Orchestra students to compete, but I honestly competed with the hopes of being able to perform.”
Lui has been playing the violin since he was 8 years old whereas Mueller has been playing viola since she was in first grade. Mueller competed in the 2019-2020 annual solo strings competition, playing Prelude from Suite No.1 by Bach. Outside of school, Mueller is a part of the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), which is a place to show your skills through different levels of difficulty. Mueller was introduced to RCM by her new music teacher, Angela Mullins.
“I felt really disappointed in myself last year when I didn’t place,” Mueller said. “My piece wasn’t extremely advanced, which is something I felt bothered by. I just felt that last year I could have done better, and that really stuck with me.”
While Lui was required to compete due to his participation in Chamber Orchestra, Mueller decided to participate this year, considering her position in Symphony Orchestra. Both students got a $200 cash prize and an acknowledgement during class as recognition among their peers.
“I think the solo competition is nice because it’s a way for orchestra students to show off their personal skills [and] not always in a group setting,” Mueller said.
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