By snoadmin
For a marching band, it’s the drum major. For a wind ensemble, it’s the section leaders.
But for the Cal State Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, it’s concertmaster Solomon Liang.
The 19-year-old sophomore music performance major has reached unbelievable heights in his musical career, and his efforts have earned him the highest position in the CSULB Symphony Orchestra.
The concertmaster is the leader of the first violin section in an orchestra. This person makes decisions regarding bowing and other technical details of violin playing for the violins, and sometimes for the whole string section.
Additionally, the concertmaster is in charge of leading the orchestra in tuning before concerts and rehearsals, and other technical aspects of orchestra management. Usually, the concertmaster is the most skilled musician in the section who excels at learning music quickly and observing the conductor for the rest of the section to follow.
As concertmaster, Liang communicates with the conductor in order to have a successful ensemble.
“My job is to make sure the orchestra plays at the highest level, and that the director’s musical ideas are expressed,” said Liang.
In order to do this, Liang focuses on technique with the string players during sectionals. In addition to string sectionals, Liang meets with the conductor to discuss the expectations and ideas for each piece.
“I enjoy having those meetings with the director because it makes me feel more involved in the music-making,” Liang said. “At the same time, I learn a lot from the director’s perspective, like different interpretations. I also notice a lot of things that I don’t during rehearsals.”
Although the concertmaster position may seem like a lot of work, Liang loves what he does.
“My favorite part about being the concertmaster is the experience of being able to lead the other musicians, and helping others get better with what I can do,” he said. “I have to be a performer and a teacher, as well as have the ability to quickly see why something isn’t working and show others how to fix it. I feel accomplished when I see that they are progressively improving.”
The concertmaster position is nothing new to Liang, who held the position in the All-Southern California Honor Orchestra from 2001 to2002, at University High School in Irvine, and in the All-District Honor Orchestra in 2002.
In addition, Liang has earned numerous awards and honors including the principal second violin position in the spring of 2007 in the CSULB Symphony Orchestra, the grand prize in the Music Teachers’ Association of California State VOCE String Solo Competition, a $2,000 Yamaha Instrumental Scholarship, and first-place honors at the Southwest Youth Music Festival.
Besides playing and earning awards with his violin, Liang, like every teenager, likes to hang out with his friends, whether it be playing basketball, pingpong or going to the movies. Liang also enjoys attending classical music concerts.
His favorite violinist is Itzhak Perlman. Burdened by polio at the age of four, Perlman is one of the most distinguished violinists of the 20th century.
“He’s inspiring,” said Liang of Perlman. “The way he interprets music … it touches my heart.”
Currently, the Cal State Long Beach Symphony Orchestra is working on music for its concert on Nov. 9 and 10, which will be held in the Daniel Recital Hall on campus. The orchestra will be performing works from 20th century composers like Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Samuel Barber and Charles Ives.
