Young Musicians

Most high school seniors worry about their SATs at this time of the year. But a group of teen-agers in Baltimore this week are more concerned about their Es, Fs and Gs -- as well as B-flats and A minors. Those would be the 1,000 or so young musicians who are traipsing the halls of the Peabody Institute, carrying their flutes and oboes and guitars -- even lugging their double basses -- waiting for a 15- or 20-minute recital that could determine their academic and professional futures. It is audition week at Peabody, during which the Mount Vernon conservatory shuts down its classes and opens its doors to those hoping to play or sing their way into the freshman class in the fall.

I read Gina Eichman's letter praising parents' and teachers' commitment to their children's musical pursuits and in particular praising the efforts and ingenuity of the Howard County Gifted and Talented (GT) High School Orchestra. I second her praise and am an avid music supporter, as are my children. Unfortunately, the opportunity she references is not available to all young musicians in the county: Those students who attend private schools are prohibited from joining the county GT group.

Services for Allisha Sequoia Coleman, a senior at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Jones Tabernacle Baptist Church, 2100 W. Baltimore St. Miss Coleman, who was 22, died in an accident Nov. 22 when a car in which she was riding ran off Interstate 97 near Glen Burnie. She was returning home from school for Thanksgiving. Born in Baltimore, she was raised on West Lexington Street. She was a 2001 graduate of Seton Keough High School, where she was a cheerleader.

With Dvorak's Eighth Symphony and Tchaikovsky's Fifth on its programs for the 1998-1999 concert season, the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra won't be blazing new repertory trails, as both works have been performed in recent years by the orchestra's talented young musicians.But the orchestra will have a new leader this season: David Ik-Sung Choo, a 35-year-old native of Seoul, Korea, with an impressive resume of guest-conducting appearances throughout Europe, Asia and North America.Choo will serve as music director and conduct the Youth Symphony Orchestra, the senior of three performing ensembles in the organization.

Article omitted name of symphony director Phil Greenfield's article about the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra ("Youth orchestra ready to turn 15," Nov. 11) was a thoughtful and well-deserved appreciation of the impressive achievements of the organization in its 15 years. I wish to correct a glaring error of omission in the listing of past conductors of the orchestra who made those achievements possible. No such listing would be complete without the inclusion of the most recent music director and symphony orchestra conductor, Dr. David Ik-Sung Choo.

Stroll by the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall tonight and you might get the impression that Darth Vader and his Death Star compadres have landed in Baltimore.Strains of John Williams' "Star Wars" score will burst forth as young musicians -- part of Baltimore County's annual High School Honor Band, Chorus and Orchestra -- play violins, violas, cellos and double basses.Later, students playing trumpets, tubas and trombones will interpret C.E. Duble's "Bravura," creating visions of a circus high-wire with glamorous, lithe performers.

The Rev. Eugene Merlet thinks a musician is a precious thing to waste."This talent [of making music] comes from God -- so it is there for a purpose and it must not be lost," says the Franciscan-Capuchin priest in a telephone interview from Paris where he heads the French office of the Pro Musicis Foundation.Despite his religious affiliation, Father Merlet says Pro Musicis (the Latin means "For the Musician"), which he founded in 1965, is a non-denominational organization that tries to foster the careers of young musicians.

OUTSTANDING YOUNG musicians from across the country auditioned in the spring for the eighth annual Disney's Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra.One was Elijah Smith of Sykesville.Elijah was one of 85 youngsters ages 8 to 13 selected for the orchestra, which was led by Lucas Richman.Richman is assistant conductor for the Pittsburgh Symphony and principal conductor for the Pasadena Pops Orchestra in California.Prospective members were required to submit a written application outlining performance experience and award history.

Candlelight Concerts will present Musicians from Marlboro at 8 p.m. Saturday at Howard Community College's Smith Theatre. In its 37th season, the group is a touring extension of the Marlboro Music Festival in Marlboro, Vt. Young musicians from the summer festival perform with seasoned artists in chamber music programs of rare works and masterpieces. Each year, more than 25 artists take time from their regular activities to bring Musicians from Marlboro concerts to cities across the nation.

The world according to RenoTHEATER Reno, the outrageous New York comedian, is on stage at the Theatre Project with a one-woman production titled, appropriately, "Reno's New Show." The show tackles serious topics such as the AIDS crisis and racial and sexual discrimination. The artist's sardonic rapid-fire delivery has been compared with that of the late Lenny Bruce. Reno's hourlong comedy hour on HBO last year garnered her an Emmy nomination and won cable's ACE award for "best entertainment writing."