DOWNEY - The little girl in South Korea was 3 years old when a seedling was placed in her hands. Her name was Youjin. The seedling was a small violin. Together they flourished.Now the recipient of many performance honors in Korea and the United States, Youjin Lee has won the Downey Symphony's annual Young Artist Competition and will appear as violin soloist with the orchestra on Saturday evening, Jan. 28, in our theatre, playing Mozart in a program titled "Strings Spectacular," under music director Sharon Lavery. In addition to her international performances, Youjin was invited to perform in recital at the Blue House, the Korean equivalent of our White House, for President Myung Bak Lee. She has been a student at the prestigious Perlman Music Program, headed by renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman, and is now studying at the Colburn School Academy in Los Angeles. "Youjin Lee's musical maturity and depth go far beyond her young age," says Lavery. "Her understanding and interpretation of Mozart's Fourth Violin Concerto is nothing short of inspiring. Our Downey audience is in for a real treat." Included on the orchestra's evening concert are Vivaldi's Concerto Alla Rustica, two wonderful tunes set by Percy Grainger, and Dvorak's Serenade for Strings. Performance time is 8 p.m., with a pre-concert discussion at 7:15. Tickets for this inspiring concert are $30 and $25, and $10 for students of all ages with student ID. To reserve your seats, or for more information, please call the theater box office at (562) 861-8211. Downey's orchestra, now in its 54th consecutive season, serves the community with exceptional concerts and in educating our children through an extensive Music in the Schools outreach program. Do visit us at downeysymphony.org. And do come to our concert on Jan. 28 to see and hear how a seedling has blossomed.

********** Published: January 19, 2012 - Volume 10 - Issue 40